Dissecting patterns of preparatory activity in the frontal eye fields during pursuit target selection.

PubMed

Raghavan, Ramanujan T; Joshua, Mati

2017-10-01

We investigated the composition of preparatory activity of frontal eye field (FEF) neurons in monkeys performing a pursuit target selection task. In response to the orthogonal motion of a large and a small reward target, monkeys initiated pursuit biased toward the direction of large reward target motion. FEF neurons exhibited robust preparatory activity preceding movement initiation in this task. Preparatory activity consisted of two components, ramping activity that was constant across target selection conditions, and a flat offset in firing rates that signaled the target selection condition. Ramping activity accounted for 50% of the variance in the preparatory activity and was linked most strongly, on a trial-by-trial basis, to pursuit eye movement latency rather than to its direction or gain. The offset in firing rates that discriminated target selection conditions accounted for 25% of the variance in the preparatory activity and was commensurate with a winner-take-all representation, signaling the direction of large reward target motion rather than a representation that matched the parameters of the upcoming movement. These offer new insights into the role that the frontal eye fields play in target selection and pursuit control. They show that preparatory activity in the FEF signals more strongly when to move rather than where or how to move and suggest that structures outside the FEF augment its contributions to the target selection process. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used the smooth eye movement pursuit system to link between patterns of preparatory activity in the frontal eye fields and movement during a target selection task. The dominant pattern was a ramping signal that did not discriminate between selection conditions and was linked, on trial-by-trial basis, to movement latency. A weaker pattern was composed of a constant signal that discriminated between selection conditions but was only weakly linked to the movement parameters. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Functional Roles of Neural Preparatory Processes in a Cued Stroop Task Revealed by Linking Electrophysiology with Behavioral Performance

PubMed Central

Wang, Chao; Ding, Mingzhou; Kluger, Benzi M.

2015-01-01

It is well established that cuing facilitates behavioral performance and that different aspects of instructional cues evoke specific neural preparatory processes in cued task-switching paradigms. To deduce the functional role of these neural preparatory processes the majority of studies vary aspects of the experimental paradigm and describe how these variations alter markers of neural preparatory processes. Although these studies provide important insights, they also have notable limitations, particularly in terms of understanding the causal or functional relationship of neural markers to cognitive and behavioral processes. In this study, we sought to address these limitations and uncover the functional roles of neural processes by examining how variability in the amplitude of neural preparatory processes predicts behavioral performance to subsequent stimuli. To achieve this objective 16 young adults were recruited to perform a cued Stroop task while their brain activity was measured using high-density electroencephalography. Four temporally overlapping but functionally and topographically distinct cue-triggered event related potentials (ERPs) were identified: 1) A left-frontotemporal negativity (250-700 ms) that was positively associated with word-reading performance; 2) a midline-frontal negativity (450-800 ms) that was positively associated with color-naming and incongruent performance; 3) a left-frontal negativity (450-800 ms) that was positively associated with switch trial performance; and 4) a centroparietal positivity (450-800 ms) that was positively associated with performance for almost all trial types. These results suggest that at least four dissociable cognitive processes are evoked by instructional cues in the present task, including: 1) domain-specific task facilitation; 2) switch-specific task-set reconfiguration; 3) preparation for response conflict; and 4) proactive attentional control. Examining the relationship between ERPs and behavioral performance provides a functional link between neural markers and the cognitive processes they index. PMID:26230662

Changes in corticospinal excitability and the direction of evoked movements during motor preparation: A TMS study

PubMed Central

van Elswijk, Gijs; Schot, Willemijn D; Stegeman, Dick F; Overeem, Sebastiaan

2008-01-01

Background Preparation of the direction of a forthcoming movement has a particularly strong influence on both reaction times and neuronal activity in the primate motor cortex. Here, we aimed to find direct neurophysiologic evidence for the preparation of movement direction in humans. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to evoke isolated thumb-movements, of which the direction can be modulated experimentally, for example by training or by motor tasks. Sixteen healthy subjects performed brisk concentric voluntary thumb movements during a reaction time task in which the required movement direction was precued. We assessed whether preparation for the thumb movement lead to changes in the direction of TMS-evoked movements and to changes in amplitudes of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the hand muscles. Results When the required movement direction was precued early in the preparatory interval, reaction times were 50 ms faster than when precued at the end of the preparatory interval. Over time, the direction of the TMS-evoked thumb movements became increasingly variable, but it did not turn towards the precued direction. MEPs from the thumb muscle (agonist) were differentially modulated by the direction of the precue, but only in the late phase of the preparatory interval and thereafter. MEPs from the index finger muscle did not depend on the precued direction and progressively decreased during the preparatory interval. Conclusion Our data show that the human corticospinal movement representation undergoes progressive changes during motor preparation. These changes are accompanied by inhibitory changes in corticospinal excitability, which are muscle specific and depend on the prepared movement direction. This inhibition might indicate a corticospinal braking mechanism that counteracts any preparatory motor activation. PMID:18559096

Evaluation of a Surgery-Based Adjunct Course for Senior Medical Students Entering Surgical Residencies.

PubMed

Green, Courtney A; Vaughn, Carolyn J; Wyles, Susannah M; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Kim, Edward H; Chern, Hueylan

2016-01-01

Preparatory courses for senior medical students aim to ease the transition from medical school to residency. We designed a novel adjunct curriculum to enhance students' readiness for surgical internship. This study addresses the feasibility and outcomes of this course. A curriculum was designed based on ACGME surgical milestones. Students participated in 8 (3h) sessions held over 4 weeks as an adjunct to a well-established intern preparatory course. Course activities involved interactive simulation cases to emphasize care of surgical patients, and skills sessions focused on knot tying and suturing, which were reinforced with home video assignments. Students rated confidence on 14 management skills using a 5-point Likert scale (5 = high confidence). Faculty graded students' technical performance using a global scale (0-10) for 5 suturing exercises. Comparisons between precourse and postcourse data collected for all measures were made using t-tests (α = 0.05). A total of 11 students entering 4 different surgical fields participated. Overall confidence in patient management improved from 2.41 to 3.89 (standard deviation = 0.49, 0.35; p < 0.05). Students' scores on all 5 suturing tasks increased (p < 0.05). We developed a surgery-specific component to the existing preparatory course at our institution. Students demonstrated increased confidence in ward management skills and increased technical scores in all exercises. Although only 3 sessions were dedicated to technical skills, improvements may highlight the benefit of home video assignments. This course serves as a specialty-specific model for schools with existing preparatory courses. Our curriculum highlights skills specific for surgical residency, while maximizing resources. Copyright © 2016 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Shaping Learner Contributions in an EFL Classroom: Implications for L2 Classroom Interactional Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Can Daskin, Nilüfer

2015-01-01

This study investigated the interactional patterns for shaping learner contributions in an EFL classroom with reference to Walsh's classroom interactional competence (CIC). In doing so, an EFL class at an English preparatory school in a Turkish state university was both videotaped and audiotaped in the course of six classroom hours. Conversation…

5 CFR 551.412 - Preparatory or concluding activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... that activity, including the 10 minutes, as hours of work. (2) If the time spent in a preparatory or... employee to perform that activity. An employee shall be credited with the actual time spent in that..., and is indispensable to the performance of the principal activities, and that the total time spent in...

Action-specific Cognitions of Planned and Preparatory Behaviors of Condom Use among Dutch Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kok, Gerjo

2008-01-01

Many adolescents fail to use condoms, even when they are motivated to do so. An important reason for their failure to use condoms is that they do not prepare themselves for potential sexual encounters. The present study examined the circumstances under which Dutch adolescents were likely to prepare themselves for condom use (buying and carrying). In a sample of 399 secondary school students, including students with and without sexual experience, it was found that intended condom use was not sufficient to ensure that adolescents plan and prepare for condom use. It was found that having the goal of condom use did not necessarily result in preparatory behavior, such as condom buying and condom carrying. The data showed that action-specific social-cognitive factors of preparatory behavior explained preparatory behavior, beyond the decision to use condoms. This suggests that interventions aimed at promoting condom use should focus not only on condom use itself, but should also motivate and encourage adolescents to buy and carry condoms. PMID:18193348

Action-specific cognitions of planned and preparatory behaviors of condom use among Dutch adolescents.

PubMed

van Empelen, Pepijn; Kok, Gerjo

2008-08-01

Many adolescents fail to use condoms, even when they are motivated to do so. An important reason for their failure to use condoms is that they do not prepare themselves for potential sexual encounters. The present study examined the circumstances under which Dutch adolescents were likely to prepare themselves for condom use (buying and carrying). In a sample of 399 secondary school students, including students with and without sexual experience, it was found that intended condom use was not sufficient to ensure that adolescents plan and prepare for condom use. It was found that having the goal of condom use did not necessarily result in preparatory behavior, such as condom buying and condom carrying. The data showed that action-specific social-cognitive factors of preparatory behavior explained preparatory behavior, beyond the decision to use condoms. This suggests that interventions aimed at promoting condom use should focus not only on condom use itself, but should also motivate and encourage adolescents to buy and carry condoms.

Active Learning through Online Quizzes: Better Learning and Less (Busy) Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Brian Robert; Babon, Andrea

2017-01-01

Active learning is increasingly promoted within institutions of higher education to assist students develop higher order thinking and link knowledge to meaning. In this paper, the authors evaluate the use of weekly online quizzes based on prescribed preparatory material as a tool to incentivize preparatory reading in order to enable and encourage…

What Preparatory Science is Needed in Coronal Structure and Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, S. K.

2011-01-01

Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus will launch in six short years! Before then, we need to accomplish a great deal of science in order to be able to maximize the return of these missions. Preparatory science is especially important for exploratory missions such as SO and SPP, because they truly will be going "where no mission has gone before". Such preparatory science may include all types of research: theory, modeling, data exploitation, and supporting observations. This meeting provides an opportunity for the community to define and begin this critical preparatory work. In this talk I will provide an overview of our state of knowledge in coronal structure and activity, describe what I believe are the most promising opportunities for advances by SO and SPP, and lead a discussion on what programs need to be implemented now in order to achieve these science advances by the time SO and SPP launch.

Nonspecific Inhibition of the Motor System during Response Preparation

PubMed Central

Sias, Ana; Labruna, Ludovica; Ivry, Richard B.

2015-01-01

Motor system excitability is transiently inhibited during the preparation of responses. Previous studies have attributed this inhibition to the operation of two mechanisms, one hypothesized to help resolve competition between alternative response options, and the other to prevent premature response initiation. By this view, inhibition should be restricted to task-relevant muscles. Although this prediction is supported in one previous study (Duque et al., 2010), studies of stopping ongoing actions suggest that some forms of motor inhibition may be widespread (Badry et al., 2009). This motivated us to conduct a series of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) experiments to examine in detail the specificity of preparatory inhibition in humans. Motor-evoked potentials were inhibited in task-irrelevant muscles during response preparation, even when the muscles were contralateral and not homologous to the responding effector. Inhibition was also observed in both choice and simple response task conditions, with and without a preparatory interval. Control experiments ruled out that this inhibition is due to expectancy of TMS or a possible need to cancel the prepared response. These findings suggest that motor inhibition during response preparation broadly influences the motor system and likely reflects a process that occurs whenever a response is selected. We propose a reinterpretation of the functional significance of preparatory inhibition, one by which inhibition reduces noise to enhance signal processing and modulates the gain of a selected response. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Motor preparation entails the recruitment of excitatory and inhibitory neural mechanisms. The current experiments address the specificity of inhibitory mechanisms, asking whether preparatory inhibition affects task-irrelevant muscles. Participants prepared a finger movement to be executed at the end of a short delay period. Transcranial magnetic stimulation over primary motor cortex provided an assay of corticospinal excitability. Consistent with earlier work, the agonist muscle for the forthcoming response was inhibited during the preparatory period. Moreover, this inhibition was evident in task-irrelevant muscles, although the magnitude of inhibition depended on whether the response was fixed or involved a choice. These results implicate a broadly tuned inhibitory mechanism that facilitates response preparation, perhaps by lowering background activity before response initiation. PMID:26224853

The Effectiveness of Student Extracurricular Activities in Evaluating Violent Behavior among Students in the Preparatory Year at Hail University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aleid, Alkhamsah Saleh

2016-01-01

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of student extracurricular activities in evaluating violent behavior among students in the preparatory year at Hail University. The researcher used the descriptive analytical method, and used two tools for the purpose of the study, the study sample consisted of 104 (violent) female students from the…

Effects of Plyometric Training on Muscle-Activation Strategies and Performance in Female Athletes

PubMed Central

Swanik, Kathleen A.; Swanik, C. Buz; Straub, Stephen J.

2004-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effects of plyometric training on muscle-activation strategies and performance of the lower extremity during jumping exercises. Subjects: Twenty healthy National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I female athletes. Design and Setting: A pretest and posttest control group design was used. Experimental subjects performed plyometric exercises 2 times per week for 6 weeks. Measurements: We used surface electromyography to assess preparatory and reactive activity of the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis, medial and lateral hamstrings, and hip abductors and adductors. Vertical jump height and sprint speed were assessed with the VERTEC and infrared timing devices, respectively. Results: Multivariate analyses of variance revealed significant (P < .05) increases in firing of adductor muscles during the preparatory phase, with significant interactions for area, mean, and peak. A Tukey honestly significant difference post hoc analysis revealed significant increases in preparatory adductor area, mean, and peak for experimental group. A significant (P = .037) increase in preparatory adductor-to-abductor muscle coactivation in the experimental group was identified, as well as a trend (P = .053) toward reactive quadriceps-to- hamstring muscle coactivation in the experimental group. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed significant between-groups adaptations in muscle activity patterns pretest to posttest. Although not significant, experimental and control subjects had average increases of 5.8% and 2.0% in vertical jump height, respectively. Conclusions: The increased preparatory adductor activity and abductor-to-adductor coactivation represent preprogrammed motor strategies learned during the plyometric training. These data strongly support the role of hip-musculature activation strategies for dynamic restraint and control of lower extremity alignment at ground contact. Plyometric exercises should be incorporated into the training regimens of female athletes and may reduce the risk of injury by enhancing functional joint stability in the lower extremity. PMID:15085208

University ESL Teachers' Socialization in School Workplace toward Teaching Culturally Diverse Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Hsiang-Ling

2011-01-01

Employing interpretive theory, this study investigated 331 university ESL teachers' socialization in language programs for international students. Looking beyond teacher preparatory education, in-service teachers' workplace experiences are essential to study because experience is instrumental in the shaping of belief systems (Wu and Shaffer,…

"I want to be 100 years old, but I smoke too much": Exploring the gap between positive aging goals and reported preparatory actions in different social circumstances.

PubMed

Craciun, Catrinel; Flick, Uwe

2015-12-01

Preparing for positive aging is shaped by the social context a person lives in. The present qualitative study explores and compares representations about preparatory actions in precarious workers (i.e., with temporary job contracts and insecure pension plans) and individuals with secure pension plans living in Germany. It also examines, the discrepancy between what middle-aged persons think they should be doing in preparation and what they report doing for aging well. Findings from the analysis of the semi-structured interviews conducted here show that people who have insecure pension plans tend to see themselves as social networkers and optimists, while those with secure pension plans see themselves as social activists and careful planners of old age. All participants value an active, healthy body but manage to do little in order to attain it due to lacking time and discipline. In accordance with the socioemotional selectivity theory, perceiving a short-time perspective makes precarious individuals focus on emotional goals, while financially secure individuals value social goals. Implications for practice and policy change are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Knee and Hip Joint Kinematics Predict Quadriceps and Hamstrings Neuromuscular Activation Patterns in Drop Jump Landings.

PubMed

Malfait, Bart; Dingenen, Bart; Smeets, Annemie; Staes, Filip; Pataky, Todd; Robinson, Mark A; Vanrenterghem, Jos; Verschueren, Sabine

2016-01-01

The purpose was to assess if variation in sagittal plane landing kinematics is associated with variation in neuromuscular activation patterns of the quadriceps-hamstrings muscle groups during drop vertical jumps (DVJ). Fifty female athletes performed three DVJ. The relationship between peak knee and hip flexion angles and the amplitude of four EMG vectors was investigated with trajectory-level canonical correlation analyses over the entire time period of the landing phase. EMG vectors consisted of the {vastus medialis(VM),vastus lateralis(VL)}, {vastus medialis(VM),hamstring medialis(HM)}, {hamstring medialis(HM),hamstring lateralis(HL)} and the {vastus lateralis(VL),hamstring lateralis(HL)}. To estimate the contribution of each individual muscle, linear regressions were also conducted using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping. The peak knee flexion angle was significantly positively associated with the amplitudes of the {VM,HM} and {HM,HL} during the preparatory and initial contact phase and with the {VL,HL} vector during the peak loading phase (p<0.05). Small peak knee flexion angles were significantly associated with higher HM amplitudes during the preparatory and initial contact phase (p<0.001). The amplitudes of the {VM,VL} and {VL,HL} were significantly positively associated with the peak hip flexion angle during the peak loading phase (p<0.05). Small peak hip flexion angles were significantly associated with higher VL amplitudes during the peak loading phase (p = 0.001). Higher external knee abduction and flexion moments were found in participants landing with less flexed knee and hip joints (p<0.001). This study demonstrated clear associations between neuromuscular activation patterns and landing kinematics in the sagittal plane during specific parts of the landing. These findings have indicated that an erect landing pattern, characterized by less hip and knee flexion, was significantly associated with an increased medial and posterior neuromuscular activation (dominant hamstrings medialis activity) during the preparatory and initial contact phase and an increased lateral neuromuscular activation (dominant vastus lateralis activity) during the peak loading phase.

Neural correlates of preparatory and regulatory control over positive and negative emotion.

PubMed

Seo, Dongju; Olman, Cheryl A; Haut, Kristen M; Sinha, Rajita; MacDonald, Angus W; Patrick, Christopher J

2014-04-01

This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activation during preparatory and regulatory control while participants (N = 24) were instructed either to simply view or decrease their emotional response to, pleasant, neutral or unpleasant pictures. A main effect of emotional valence on brain activity was found in the right precentral gyrus, with greater activation during positive than negative emotion regulation. A main effect of regulation phase was evident in the bilateral anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC), precuneus, posterior cingulate cortex, right putamen and temporal and occipital lobes, with greater activity in these regions during preparatory than regulatory control. A valence X regulation interaction was evident in regions of ventromedial PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, reflecting greater activation while regulating negative than positive emotion, but only during active emotion regulation (not preparation). Conjunction analyses revealed common brain regions involved in differing types of emotion regulation including selected areas of left lateral PFC, inferior parietal lobe, temporal lobe, right cerebellum and bilateral dorsomedial PFC. The right lateral PFC was additionally activated during the modulation of both positive and negative valence. Findings demonstrate significant modulation of brain activity during both preparation for, and active regulation of positive and negative emotional states.

Preparatory attention in visual cortex.

PubMed

Battistoni, Elisa; Stein, Timo; Peelen, Marius V

2017-05-01

Top-down attention is the mechanism that allows us to selectively process goal-relevant aspects of a scene while ignoring irrelevant aspects. A large body of research has characterized the effects of attention on neural activity evoked by a visual stimulus. However, attention also includes a preparatory phase before stimulus onset in which the attended dimension is internally represented. Here, we review neurophysiological, functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies investigating the neural basis of preparatory attention, both when attention is directed to a location in space and when it is directed to nonspatial stimulus attributes (content-based attention) ranging from low-level features to object categories. Results show that both spatial and content-based attention lead to increased baseline activity in neural populations that selectively code for the attended attribute. TMS studies provide evidence that this preparatory activity is causally related to subsequent attentional selection and behavioral performance. Attention thus acts by preactivating selective neurons in the visual cortex before stimulus onset. This appears to be a general mechanism that can operate on multiple levels of representation. We discuss the functional relevance of this mechanism, its limitations, and its relation to working memory, imagery, and expectation. We conclude by outlining open questions and future directions. © 2017 New York Academy of Sciences.

The Neutrality Act of 1935: An Inquiry into the Uses of History. Teacher and Student Manuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scudder, Edson F.

This unit, geared initially for college-preparatory students at the high school level, asks the student to consider ways in which the past, however incompletely or inaccurately perceived, shapes our views of the present. Evidence is presented to show how both the isolationists and internationalists justified their actions by their interpretations…

Impact of Auditory Context on Executed Motor Actions

PubMed Central

Yoles-Frenkel, Michal; Avron, Maayan; Prut, Yifat

2016-01-01

The auditory and motor systems are strongly coupled, as is evident in the specifically tight motor synchronization that occurs in response to regularly occurring auditory cues compared with cues of other modalities. Timing of rhythmic action is known to rely on multiple neural centers including the cerebellum and the basal-ganglia which have access to both motor cortical and spinal circuitries. To date, however, there is little information on the motor mechanisms that operate during preparation and execution of rhythmic vs. non-rhythmic movements. We measured acceleration profile and muscle activity while subjects performed tapping movements in response to auditory cues. We found that when tapping at random intervals there was a higher variability of both acceleration profile and muscle activity during motor preparation compared to rhythmic tapping. However, the specific rhythmic context (cued, self-paced, or syncopation) did not affect the motor parameters of the executed taps. Finally, during entrainment we found a gradual as opposed to episodic change in low-level motor parameters (i.e., preparatory muscle activity) that was strongly correlated with changes in high-level parameters (i.e., shift in the reaction time to negative asynchrony). These findings suggest that motor entrainment involves not only adjusting the timing of movement but also modifying parameters that are related to its production. These changes in motor output were insensitive to the specifics of the rhythmic cue: although it took subjects different times to become entrained to different types of rhythmic cues, the motor actions produced once entrainment was obtained were indistinguishable. These findings suggest that motor entrainment involves not only adjusting the timing of movement but also modifying parameters related to its production. The reduced variability of muscle activity during the preparatory period could be one mechanism used by the motor system to enhance the accuracy of motor timing. PMID:26834584

Dissociable effects of top-down and bottom-up attention during episodic encoding

PubMed Central

Uncapher, Melina R.; Hutchinson, J. Benjamin; Wagner, Anthony D.

2011-01-01

It is well established that the formation of memories for life’s experiences—episodic memory—is influenced by how we attend to those experiences, yet the neural mechanisms by which attention shapes episodic encoding are still unclear. We investigated how top-down and bottom-up attention contribute to memory encoding of visual objects in humans by manipulating both types of attention during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of episodic memory formation. We show that dorsal parietal cortex—specifically, intraparietal sulcus (IPS)—was engaged during top-down attention and was also recruited during the successful formation of episodic memories. By contrast, bottom-up attention engaged ventral parietal cortex—specifically, temporoparietal junction (TPJ)—and was also more active during encoding failure. Functional connectivity analyses revealed further dissociations in how top-down and bottom-up attention influenced encoding: while both IPS and TPJ influenced activity in perceptual cortices thought to represent the information being encoded (fusiform/lateral occipital cortex), they each exerted opposite effects on memory encoding. Specifically, during a preparatory period preceding stimulus presentation, a stronger drive from IPS was associated with a higher likelihood that the subsequently attended stimulus would be encoded. By contrast, during stimulus processing, stronger connectivity with TPJ was associated with a lower likelihood the stimulus would be successfully encoded. These findings suggest that during encoding of visual objects into episodic memory, top-down and bottom-up attention can have opposite influences on perceptual areas that subserve visual object representation, suggesting that one manner in which attention modulates memory is by altering the perceptual processing of to-be-encoded stimuli. PMID:21880922

The Use of L1 as a Teaching Strategy by Native and Non-Native EFL Instructors at a Language Preparatory Program in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balabakgil, Burcin; Mede, Enisa

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research study is to find out and compare the use of L1 as a teaching strategy by native and nonnative instructors in elementary level EFL classrooms at a preparatory program of a foundation (non-profit, private) university in Istanbul, Turkey. Specifically, the study aims to investigate the perceptions of native and non-native…

Preparation breeds success: Brain activity predicts remembering.

PubMed

Herron, Jane E; Evans, Lisa H

2018-05-09

Successful retrieval of episodic information is thought to involve the adoption of memory states that ensure that stimulus events are treated as episodic memory cues (retrieval mode) and which can bias retrieval toward specific memory contents (retrieval orientation). The neural correlates of these memory states have been identified in many neuroimaging studies, yet critically there is no direct evidence that they facilitate retrieval success. We cued participants before each test item to prepare to complete an episodic (retrieve the encoding task performed on the item at study) or a non-episodic task. Our design allowed us to separate event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by the preparatory episodic cue according to the accuracy of the subsequent memory judgment. We predicted that a correlate of retrieval orientation should be larger in magnitude preceding correct source judgments than that preceding source errors. This hypothesis was confirmed. Preparatory ERPs at bilateral frontal sites were significantly more positive-going when preceding correct source judgments than when preceding source errors or correct responses in a non-episodic baseline task. Furthermore this effect was not evident prior to recognized items associated with incorrect source judgments. This pattern of results indicates a direct contribution of retrieval orientation to the recovery of task-relevant information and highlights the value of separating preparatory neural activity at retrieval according to subsequent memory accuracy. Moreover, at a more general level this work demonstrates the important role of pre-stimulus processing in ecphory, which has remained largely neglected to date. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Relationships between stress, coping and depressive symptoms among overseas university preparatory Chinese students: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Mental health problems in young people are an important public health issue. Students leaving their hometown and family at a young age to pursue better educational opportunities overseas are confronted with life adjustment stress, which in turn affects their mental health and academic performance. This study aimed to examine the relationships among stress, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms using the stress coping framework in overseas Chinese university preparatory students in Taiwan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at an overseas Chinese university preparatory institute in Taiwan. Of enrolled overseas Chinese university preparatory students at 2009, 756 completed a structured questionnaire measuring stress, strategies for coping with it, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results High levels of stress significantly predicted the adoption of active, problem-focused coping strategies (R2 = 0.13, p < .01) and passive, emotion-focused coping strategies (R2 = 0.24, p < .01). Acceptable CFI, SRMR, and RMSEA values from the structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the model satisfactorily fits the stress coping framework, after active coping strategies were eliminated from the model. Results from the Sobel test revealed that passive coping strategies mediated the relation between stress and depressive symptoms (z = 8.06, p < .001). Conclusion Our study results suggested that stress is associated with coping strategies and depressive symptoms and passive strategies mediate the relation between stress and depressive symptoms in overseas Chinese university preparatory students. PMID:21595974

Knee and Hip Joint Kinematics Predict Quadriceps and Hamstrings Neuromuscular Activation Patterns in Drop Jump Landings

PubMed Central

Malfait, Bart; Dingenen, Bart; Smeets, Annemie; Staes, Filip; Pataky, Todd; Robinson, Mark A.; Vanrenterghem, Jos; Verschueren, Sabine

2016-01-01

Purpose The purpose was to assess if variation in sagittal plane landing kinematics is associated with variation in neuromuscular activation patterns of the quadriceps-hamstrings muscle groups during drop vertical jumps (DVJ). Methods Fifty female athletes performed three DVJ. The relationship between peak knee and hip flexion angles and the amplitude of four EMG vectors was investigated with trajectory-level canonical correlation analyses over the entire time period of the landing phase. EMG vectors consisted of the {vastus medialis(VM),vastus lateralis(VL)}, {vastus medialis(VM),hamstring medialis(HM)}, {hamstring medialis(HM),hamstring lateralis(HL)} and the {vastus lateralis(VL),hamstring lateralis(HL)}. To estimate the contribution of each individual muscle, linear regressions were also conducted using one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping. Results The peak knee flexion angle was significantly positively associated with the amplitudes of the {VM,HM} and {HM,HL} during the preparatory and initial contact phase and with the {VL,HL} vector during the peak loading phase (p<0.05). Small peak knee flexion angles were significantly associated with higher HM amplitudes during the preparatory and initial contact phase (p<0.001). The amplitudes of the {VM,VL} and {VL,HL} were significantly positively associated with the peak hip flexion angle during the peak loading phase (p<0.05). Small peak hip flexion angles were significantly associated with higher VL amplitudes during the peak loading phase (p = 0.001). Higher external knee abduction and flexion moments were found in participants landing with less flexed knee and hip joints (p<0.001). Conclusion This study demonstrated clear associations between neuromuscular activation patterns and landing kinematics in the sagittal plane during specific parts of the landing. These findings have indicated that an erect landing pattern, characterized by less hip and knee flexion, was significantly associated with an increased medial and posterior neuromuscular activation (dominant hamstrings medialis activity) during the preparatory and initial contact phase and an increased lateral neuromuscular activation (dominant vastus lateralis activity) during the peak loading phase. PMID:27101130

Clinical leadership as an integral curriculum thread in pre-registration nursing programmes.

PubMed

Brown, Angela; Dewing, Jan; Crookes, Patrick

2016-03-01

In recent years there has been a growth in leadership development frameworks in health for the existing workforce. There has also been a related abundance of leadership programmes developed specifically for qualified nurses. There is a groundswell of opinion that clinical leadership preparation needs to extend to preparatory programmes leading to registration as a nurse. To this end a doctoral research study has been completed that focused specifically on the identification and verification of the antecedents of clinical leadership (leadership and management) so they can shape the curriculum content and the best way to deliver the curriculum content as a curriculum thread. To conceptualise how the curriculum content, identified and verified empirically, can be structured within a curriculum thread and to contribute to the discussion on effective pedagogical approaches and educational strategies for learning and teaching of clinical leadership. A multi-method design was utilised in the research in Australia. Drawing on core principles in critical social theory, an integral curriculum thread is proposed for pre-registration nursing programmes that identifies the antecedents of clinical leadership; the core concepts, together with the continuum of enlightenment, empowerment, and emancipation. The curriculum content, the effective pedagogical approaches and the educational strategies are supported theoretically and we believe this offers a design template for action and a way of thinking about this important aspect of preparatory nursing education. Moreover, we hope to have created a process contributing to a heighten sense of awareness in the nursing student (and other key stakeholders) of the what, how and when of clinical leadership for a novice registered nurse. The next stage is to further test through research the proposed integral curriculum thread. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Boot cAMP: educational outcomes after 4 successive years of preparatory simulation-based training at onset of internship.

PubMed

Fernandez, Gladys L; Page, David W; Coe, Nicholas P; Lee, Patrick C; Patterson, Lisa A; Skylizard, Loki; St Louis, Myron; Amaral, Marisa H; Wait, Richard B; Seymour, Neal E

2012-01-01

Preparatory training for new trainees beginning residency has been used by a variety of programs across the country. To improve the clinical orientation process for our new postgraduate year (PGY)-1 residents, we developed an intensive preparatory training curriculum inclusive of cognitive and procedural skills, training activities considered essential for early PGY-1 clinical management. We define our surgical PGY-1 Boot Camp as preparatory simulation-based training implemented at the onset of internship for introduction of skills necessary for basic surgical patient problem assessment and management. This orientation process includes exposure to simulated patient care encounters and technical skills training essential to new resident education. We report educational results of 4 successive years of Boot Camp training. Results were analyzed to determine if performance evidenced at onset of training was predictive of later educational outcomes. Learners were PGY-1 residents, in both categorical and preliminary positions, at our medium-sized surgical residency program. Over a 4-year period, from July 2007 to July 2010, all 30 PGY-1 residents starting surgical residency at our institution underwent specific preparatory didactic and skills training over a 9-week period. This consisted of mandatory weekly 1-hour and 3-hour sessions in the Simulation Center, representing a 4-fold increase in time in simulation laboratory training compared with the remainder of the year. Training occurred in 8 procedural skills areas (instrument use, knot-tying, suturing, laparoscopic skills, airway management, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, central venous catheter, and chest tube insertion) and in simulated patient care (shock, surgical emergencies, and respiratory, cardiac, and trauma management) using a variety of high- and low-tech simulation platforms. Faculty and senior residents served as instructors. All educational activities were structured to include preparatory materials, pretraining briefing sessions, and immediate in-training or post-training review and debriefing. Baseline cognitive skills were assessed with written tests on basic patient management. Post-Boot Camp tests similarly evaluated cognitive skills. Technical skills were assessed using a variety of task-specific instruments, and expressed as a mean score for all activities for each resident. All measurements were expressed as percent (%) best possible score. Cognitive and technical performance in Boot Camp was compared with subsequent clinical and core curriculum evaluations including weekly quiz scores, annual American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination (ABSITE) scores, program in-training evaluations (New Innovations, Uniontown, Ohio), and operative assessment instrument scores (OP-Rate, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, Massachusetts) for the remainder of the PGY-1 year. Performance data were available for 30 PGY-1 residents over 4 years. Baseline cognitive skills were lower for the first year of Boot Camp as compared with subsequent years (71 ± 13, 83 ± 9, 84 ± 11, and 86 ± 6, respectively; p = 0.028, analysis of variance; ANOVA). Performance improved between pretests and final testing (81 ± 11 vs 89 ± 7; p < 0.001 paired t test). There was statistically significant correlation between Boot Camp final cognitive test results and American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination scores (p = 0.01; n = 22), but not quite significant for weekly curriculum quiz scores (p = 0.055; n = 22) and New Innovations cognitive assessments (p = 0.09; n = 25). Statistically significant correlation was also noted between Boot Camp mean overall skills and New Innovations technical skills assessments (p = 0.002; n = 25) and OP-Rate assessments (p = 0.01; n = 12). Individual simulation-based Boot Camp performance scores for cognitive and procedural skills assessments in PGY-1 residents correlate with subjective and objective clinical performance evaluations. This concurrent correlation with multiple traditional evaluation methods used to express competency in our residency program supports the use of Boot Camp performance measures as needs assessment tools as well as adjuncts to cumulative resident evaluation data. Copyright © 2012 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence for two concurrent inhibitory mechanisms during response preparation

PubMed Central

Duque, Julie; Lew, David; Mazzocchio, Riccardo; Olivier, Etienne; Ivry, Richard B.

2010-01-01

Inhibitory mechanisms are critically involved in goal-directed behaviors. To gain further insight into how such mechanisms shape motor representations during response preparation, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and H-reflexes were recorded from left hand muscles during choice reaction time tasks. The imperative signal, which indicated the required response, was always preceded by a preparatory cue. During the post-cue delay period, left MEPs were suppressed when the left hand had been cued for the forthcoming response, suggestive of a form of inhibition specifically directed at selected response representations. H-reflexes were also suppressed on these trials, indicating that the effects of this inhibition extend to spinal circuits. In addition, left MEPs were suppressed when the right hand was cued, but only when left hand movements were a possible response option before the onset of the cue. Notably, left hand H-reflexes were not modulated on these trials, consistent with a cortical locus of inhibition that lowers the activation of task-relevant, but non-selected responses. These results suggest the concurrent operation of two inhibitory mechanisms during response preparation: one decreases the activation of selected responses at the spinal level, helping to control when selected movements should be initiated by preventing their premature release; a second, upstream mechanism helps to determine what response to make during a competitive selection process. PMID:20220014

Utilization of reward-prospect enhances preparatory attention and reduces stimulus conflict.

PubMed

van den Berg, Berry; Krebs, Ruth M; Lorist, Monicque M; Woldorff, Marty G

2014-06-01

The prospect of gaining money is an incentive widely at play in the real world. Such monetary motivation might have particularly strong influence when the cognitive system is challenged, such as when needing to process conflicting stimulus inputs. Here, we employed manipulations of reward-prospect and attentional-preparation levels in a cued-Stroop stimulus conflict task, along with the high temporal resolution of electrical brain recordings, to provide insight into the mechanisms by which reward-prospect and attention interact and modulate cognitive task performance. In this task, the cue indicated whether or not the participant needed to prepare for an upcoming Stroop stimulus and, if so, whether there was the potential for monetary reward (dependent on performance on that trial). Both cued attention and cued reward-prospect enhanced preparatory neural activity, as reflected by increases in the hallmark attention-related negative-polarity ERP slow wave (contingent negative variation [CNV]) and reductions in oscillatory Alpha activity, which was followed by enhanced processing of the subsequent Stroop stimulus. In addition, similar modulations of preparatory neural activity (larger CNVs and reduced Alpha) predicted shorter versus longer response times (RTs) to the subsequent target stimulus, consistent with such modulations reflecting trial-to-trial variations in attention. Particularly striking were the individual differences in the utilization of reward-prospect information. In particular, the size of the reward effects on the preparatory neural activity correlated across participants with the degree to which reward-prospect both facilitated overall task performance (shorter RTs) and reduced conflict-related behavioral interference. Thus, the prospect of reward appears to recruit attentional preparation circuits to enhance processing of task-relevant target information.

Utilization of reward-prospect enhances preparatory attention and reduces stimulus conflict

PubMed Central

van den Berg, Berry; Krebs, Ruth M.; Lorist, Monicque M.; Woldorff, Marty G.

2015-01-01

The prospect of gaining money is an incentive widely at play in the real world. Such monetary motivation might have particularly strong influence when the cognitive system is challenged, such as when needing to process conflicting stimulus inputs. Here, we employed manipulations of reward-prospect and attentional-preparation levels in a cued-Stroop stimulus-conflict task, along with the high temporal resolution of electrical brain recordings, to provide insight into the mechanisms by which reward-prospect and attention interact and modulate cognitive-task performance. In this task the cue indicated whether or not the subject needed to prepare for an upcoming Stroop stimulus, and if so, whether there was the potential for monetary reward (dependent on performance on that trial). Both cued-attention and cued-reward-prospect enhanced preparatory neural activity, as reflected by increases in the hallmark attention-related negative-polarity ERP slow wave (CNV) and reductions in oscillatory Alpha activity, which was followed by enhanced processing of the subsequent Stroop stimulus. In addition, similar modulations of preparatory neural activity (larger CNVs and reduced Alpha) predicted faster versus slower response times (RTs) to the subsequent target stimulus, consistent with such modulations reflecting trial-to-trial variations in attention. Particularly striking were the individual differences in the utilization of reward-prospect information. In particular, the size of the reward effects on the preparatory neural activity correlated across-subjects with the degree to which reward-prospect both facilitated overall task performance (faster RTs) and reduced conflict-related behavioral interference. Thus, the prospect of reward appears to recruit attentional preparation circuits to enhance processing of task-relevant target information. PMID:24820263

I Invite You To Know the Earth II. 5th to 8th Grade of Preparatory School Teacher's Guide [and] 5th to 8th Grade of Preparatory School Textbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.

The student textbook is designed for grades 5-8 and explores various earth science topics. A cartoon character named Tommy Tsumi explores earth facts and concepts throughout the text. Activities, materials, and learning objectives for each unit in the textbook are presented in the teacher's guide. Units in both books include: (1) "The Outside…

Differential Go/NoGo Activity in Both Contingent Negative Variation and Spectral Power

PubMed Central

Funderud, Ingrid; Lindgren, Magnus; Løvstad, Marianne; Endestad, Tor; Voytek, Bradley; Knight, Robert T.; Solbakk, Anne-Kristin

2012-01-01

We investigated whether both the contingent negative variation (CNV), an event-related potential index of preparatory brain activity, and event-related oscillatory EEG activity differentiated Go and NoGo trials in a delayed response task. CNV and spectral power (4–100 Hz) were calculated from EEG activity in the preparatory interval in 16 healthy adult participants. As previously reported, CNV amplitudes were higher in Go compared to NoGo trials. In addition, event-related spectral power of the Go condition was reduced in the theta to low gamma range compared to the NoGo condition, confirming that preparing to respond is associated with modulation of event-related spectral activity as well as the CNV. Altogether, the impact of the experimental manipulation on both slow event-related potentials and oscillatory EEG activity may reflect coordinated dynamic changes in the excitability of distributed neural networks involved in preparation. PMID:23119040

EEG Correlates of Preparatory Orienting, Contextual Updating, and Inhibition of Sensory Processing in Left Spatial Neglect.

PubMed

Lasaponara, Stefano; D'Onofrio, Marianna; Pinto, Mario; Dragone, Alessio; Menicagli, Dario; Bueti, Domenica; De Lucia, Marzia; Tomaiuolo, Francesco; Doricchi, Fabrizio

2018-04-11

Studies with event-related potentials have highlighted deficits in the early phases of orienting to left visual targets in right-brain-damaged patients with left spatial neglect (N+). However, brain responses associated with preparatory orienting of attention, with target novelty and with the detection of a match/mismatch between expected and actual targets (contextual updating), have not been explored in N+. Here in a study in healthy humans and brain-damaged patients of both sexes we demonstrate that frontal activity that reflects supramodal mechanisms of attentional orienting (Anterior Directing Attention Negativity, ADAN) is entirely spared in N+. In contrast, posterior responses that mark the early phases of cued orienting (Early Directing Attention Negativity, EDAN) and the setting up of sensory facilitation over the visual cortex (Late Directing Attention Positivity, LDAP) are suppressed in N+. This uncoupling is associated with damage of parietal-frontal white matter. N+ also exhibit exaggerated novelty reaction to targets in the right side of space and reduced novelty reaction for those in the left side (P3a) together with impaired contextual updating (P3b) in the left space. Finally, we highlight a drop in the amplitude and latency of the P1 that over the left hemisphere signals the early blocking of sensory processing in the right space when targets occur in the left one: this identifies a new electrophysiological marker of the rightward attentional bias in N+. The heterogeneous effects and spatial biases produced by localized brain damage on the different phases of attentional processing indicate relevant functional independence among their underlying neural mechanisms and improve the understanding of the spatial neglect syndrome. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our investigation answers important questions: are the different components of preparatory orienting (EDAN, ADAN, LDAP) functionally independent in the healthy brain? Is preparatory orienting of attention spared in left spatial neglect? Does the sparing of preparatory orienting have an impact on deficits in reflexive orienting and in the assignment of behavioral relevance to the left space? We show that supramodal preparatory orienting in frontal areas is entirely spared in neglect patients though this does not counterbalance deficits in preparatory parietal-occipital activity, reflexive orienting, and contextual updating. This points at relevant functional dissociations among different components of attention and suggests that improving voluntary attention in N+ might be behaviorally ineffective unless associated with stimulations boosting the response of posterior parietal-occipital areas. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/383792-17$15.00/0.

Speed-Dependent Contribution of Callosal Pathways to Ipsilateral Movements

PubMed Central

Tazoe, Toshiki

2013-01-01

Transcallosal inhibitory interactions between primary motor cortices are important to suppress unintended movements in a resting limb during voluntary activation of the contralateral limb. The functional contribution of transcallosal inhibition targeting the voluntary active limb remains unknown. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation, we examined transcallosal inhibition [by measuring interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) and the ipsilateral silent period (iSP)] in the preparatory and execution phases of isotonic slower self-paced and ballistic movements performed by the ipsilateral index finger into abduction and the elbow into flexion in intact humans. We demonstrate decreased IHI in the preparatory phase of self-paced and ballistic index finger and elbow movements compared to rest; the decrease in IHI was larger during ballistic than self-paced movements. In contrast, in the execution phase, IHI and the iSP increased during ballistic compared to self-paced movements. Transcallosal inhibition was negatively correlated with reaction times in the preparatory phase and positively correlated with movement amplitude in the execution phase. Together, our results demonstrate a widespread contribution of transcallosal inhibition to ipsilateral movements of different speeds with a functional role during rapid movements; at faster speeds, decreased transcallosal inhibition in the preparatory phase may contribute to start movements rapidly, while the increase in the execution phase may contribute to stop the movement. We argue that transcallosal pathways enable signaling of the time of discrete behavioral events during ipsilateral movements, which is amplified by the speed of a movement. PMID:24107950

Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain.

PubMed

Fouragnan, Elsa; Retzler, Chris; Mullinger, Karen; Philiastides, Marios G

2015-09-08

Avoiding repeated mistakes and learning to reinforce rewarding decisions is critical for human survival and adaptive actions. Yet, the neural underpinnings of the value systems that encode different decision-outcomes remain elusive. Here coupling single-trial electroencephalography with simultaneously acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging, we uncover the spatiotemporal dynamics of two separate but interacting value systems encoding decision-outcomes. Consistent with a role in regulating alertness and switching behaviours, an early system is activated only by negative outcomes and engages arousal-related and motor-preparatory brain structures. Consistent with a role in reward-based learning, a later system differentially suppresses or activates regions of the human reward network in response to negative and positive outcomes, respectively. Following negative outcomes, the early system interacts and downregulates the late system, through a thalamic interaction with the ventral striatum. Critically, the strength of this coupling predicts participants' switching behaviour and avoidance learning, directly implicating the thalamostriatal pathway in reward-based learning.

A Map of Anticipatory Activity in Mouse Motor Cortex.

PubMed

Chen, Tsai-Wen; Li, Nuo; Daie, Kayvon; Svoboda, Karel

2017-05-17

Activity in the mouse anterior lateral motor cortex (ALM) instructs directional movements, often seconds before movement initiation. It is unknown whether this preparatory activity is localized to ALM or widely distributed within motor cortex. Here we imaged activity across motor cortex while mice performed a whisker-based object localization task with a delayed, directional licking response. During tactile sensation and the delay epoch, object location was represented in motor cortex areas that are medial and posterior relative to ALM, including vibrissal motor cortex. Preparatory activity appeared first in deep layers of ALM, seconds before the behavioral response, and remained localized to ALM until the behavioral response. Later, widely distributed neurons represented the outcome of the trial. Cortical area was more predictive of neuronal selectivity than laminar location or axonal projection target. Motor cortex therefore represents sensory, motor, and outcome information in a spatially organized manner. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The NPOESS Community Collaborative Calibration/Validation Program for the NPOESS Preparatory Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilcoyne, H.; Feeley, J.; Guenther, B.; Hoffman, C. W.; Reed, B.; St. Germain, K.; Zhou, L.; Plonski, M.; Hauss, B.

2009-12-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) team is currently executing pre-launch activities and planning post-launch activities to efficiently integrate the NPOESS Sensor Data Records (SDRs) and Environmental Data Records (EDRs) into Customer applications to reduce risk in achieving NPOESS Mission Success. The NPP Cal/Val Team, led by the Integrated Program Office (IPO), includes members from the Contractor team producing the data products and subject matter experts from the Customer and User communities, bringing together the expertise with the production algorithms, product use, and science community. This presentation will highlight the progress made in the past year in defining the post-launch activity schedule, involvement of the science and operational data users, and techniques and correlative data used.

Temporal Dynamics of Motivation-Cognitive Control Interactions Revealed by High-Resolution Pupillometry

PubMed Central

Chiew, Kimberly S.; Braver, Todd S.

2013-01-01

Motivational manipulations, such as the presence of performance-contingent reward incentives, can have substantial influences on cognitive control. Previous evidence suggests that reward incentives may enhance cognitive performance specifically through increased preparatory, or proactive, control processes. The present study examined reward influences on cognitive control dynamics in the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT), using high-resolution pupillometry. In the AX-CPT, contextual cues must be actively maintained over a delay in order to appropriately respond to ambiguous target probes. A key feature of the task is that it permits dissociable characterization of preparatory, proactive control processes (i.e., utilization of context) and reactive control processes (i.e., target-evoked interference resolution). Task performance profiles suggested that reward incentives enhanced proactive control (context utilization). Critically, pupil dilation was also increased on reward incentive trials during context maintenance periods, suggesting trial-specific shifts in proactive control, particularly when context cues indicated the need to overcome the dominant target response bias. Reward incentives had both transient (i.e., trial-by-trial) and sustained (i.e., block-based) effects on pupil dilation, which may reflect distinct underlying processes. The transient pupillary effects were present even when comparing against trials matched in task performance, suggesting a unique motivational influence of reward incentives. These results suggest that pupillometry may be a useful technique for investigating reward motivational signals and their dynamic influence on cognitive control. PMID:23372557

Prismatic Adaptation Modulates Oscillatory EEG Correlates of Motor Preparation but Not Visual Attention in Healthy Participants

PubMed Central

Veniero, Domenica; Oliveri, Massimiliano

2018-01-01

Prismatic adaption (PA) has been proposed as a tool to induce neural plasticity and is used to help neglect rehabilitation. It leads to a recalibration of visuomotor coordination during pointing as well as to aftereffects on a number of sensorimotor and attention tasks, but whether these effects originate at a motor or attentional level remains a matter of debate. Our aim was to further characterize PA aftereffects by using an approach that allows distinguishing between effects on attentional and motor processes. We recorded EEG in healthy human participants (9 females and 7 males) while performing a new double step, anticipatory attention/motor preparation paradigm before and after adaptation to rightward-shifting prisms, with neutral lenses as a control. We then examined PA aftereffects through changes in known oscillatory EEG signatures of spatial attention orienting and motor preparation in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Our results were twofold. First, we found PA to rightward-shifting prisms to selectively affect EEG signatures of motor but not attentional processes. More specifically, PA modulated preparatory motor EEG activity over central electrodes in the right hemisphere, contralateral to the PA-induced, compensatory leftward shift in pointing movements. No effects were found on EEG signatures of spatial attention orienting over occipitoparietal sites. Second, we found the PA effect on preparatory motor EEG activity to dominate in the beta frequency band. We conclude that changes to intentional visuomotor, rather than attentional visuospatial, processes underlie the PA aftereffect of rightward-deviating prisms in healthy participants. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prismatic adaptation (PA) has been proposed as a tool to induce neural plasticity in both healthy participants and patients, due to its aftereffect impacting on a number of visuospatial and visuomotor functions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying PA aftereffects are poorly understood as only little neuroimaging evidence is available. Here, we examined, for the first time, the origin of PA aftereffects studying oscillatory brain activity. Our results show a selective modulation of preparatory motor activity following PA in healthy participants but no effect on attention-related activity. This provides novel insight into the PA aftereffect in the healthy brain and may help to inform interventions in neglect patients. PMID:29255004

Left Posterior Parietal Cortex Participates in Both Task Preparation and Episodic Retrieval

PubMed Central

Phillips, Jeffrey S.; Velanova, Katerina; Wolk, David A.; Wheeler, Mark E.

2012-01-01

Optimal memory retrieval depends not only on the fidelity of stored information, but also on the attentional state of the subject. Factors such as mental preparedness to engage in stimulus processing can facilitate or hinder memory retrieval. The current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to distinguish preparatory brain activity before episodic and semantic retrieval tasks from activity associated with retrieval itself. A catch-trial imaging paradigm permitted separation of neural responses to preparatory task cues and memory probes. Episodic and semantic task preparation engaged a common set of brain regions, including the bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS), left fusiform gyrus (FG), and the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA). In the subsequent retrieval phase, the left IPS was among a set of frontoparietal regions that responded differently to old and new stimuli. In contrast, the right IPS responded to preparatory cues with little modulation during memory retrieval. The findings support a strong left-lateralization of retrieval success effects in left parietal cortex, and further indicate that left IPS performs operations that are common to both task preparation and memory retrieval. Such operations may be related to attentional control, monitoring of stimulus relevance, or retrieval. PMID:19285142

Regular College Preparatory Students' Perceptions of the Student Teams Achievement Divisions Approach in an Academic College Preparatory Biology Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Aarti P.

2009-01-01

Cooperative learning allows individuals with varying abilities to work alongside their peers. Students are placed into achievement levels based on placement test scores. The Regular College Preparatory (RCP) level is a score of 59% or lower and Academic College Preparatory (ACP) level is a score of 60-92% on the placement test. The purpose of this…

Sources of stress for students in high school college preparatory and general education programs: group differences and associations with adjustment.

PubMed

Suldo, Shannon M; Shaunessy, Elizabeth; Thalji, Amanda; Michalowski, Jessica; Shaffer, Emily

2009-01-01

Navigating puberty while developing independent living skills may render adolescents particularly vulnerable to stress, which may ultimately contribute to mental health problems (Compas, Orosan, & Grant, 1993; Elgar, Arlett, & Groves, 2003). The academic transition to high school presents additional challenges as youth are required to interact with a new and larger peer group and manage greater academic expectations. For students enrolled in academically rigorous college preparatory programs, such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, the amount of stress perceived may be greater than typical (Suldo, Shaunessy, & Hardesty, 2008). This study investigated the environmental stressors and psychological adjustment of 162 students participating in the IB program and a comparison sample of 157 students in general education. Factor analysis indicated students experience 7 primary categories of stressors, which were examined in relation to students' adjustment specific to academic and psychological functioning. The primary source of stress experienced by IB students was related to academic requirements. In contrast, students in the general education program indicated higher levels of stressors associated with parent-child relations, academic struggles, conflict within family, and peer relations, as well as role transitions and societal problems. Comparisons of correlations between categories of stressors and students' adjustment by curriculum group reveal that students in the IB program reported more symptoms of psychopathology and reduced academic functioning as they experienced higher levels of stress, particularly stressors associated with academic requirements, transitions and societal problems, academic struggles, and extra-curricular activities. Applied implications stem from findings suggesting that students in college preparatory programs are more likely to (a) experience elevated stress related to academic demands as opposed to more typical adolescent concerns, and (b) manifest worse outcomes in the face of stress.

Preparatory planning framework for Created Out of Mind: Shaping perceptions of dementia through art and science

PubMed Central

Brotherhood, Emilie; Ball, Philip; Camic, Paul M; Evans, Caroline; Fox, Nick; Murphy, Charlie; Walsh, Fergus; West, Julian; Windle, Gill; Billiald, Sarah; Firth, Nicholas; Harding, Emma; Harrison, Charles; Holloway, Catherine; Howard, Susanna; McKee-Jackson, Roberta; Jones, Esther; Junghaus, Janette; Martin, Harriet; Nolan, Kailey; Rollins, Bridie; Shapiro, Lillian; Shapiro, Lionel; Twigg, Jane; van Leeuwen, Janneke; Walton, Jill; Warren, Jason; Wray, Selina; Yong, Keir; Zeilig, Hannah; Crutch, Sebastian

2017-01-01

Created Out of Mind is an interdisciplinary project, comprised of individuals from arts, social sciences, music, biomedical sciences, humanities and operational disciplines. Collaboratively we are working to shape perceptions of dementias through the arts and sciences, from a position within the Wellcome Collection. The Collection is a public building, above objects and archives, with a porous relationship between research, museum artefacts, and the public.  This pre-planning framework will act as an introduction to Created Out of Mind. The framework explains the rationale and aims of the project, outlines our focus for the project, and explores a number of challenges we have encountered by virtue of working in this way. PMID:29387805

Preparatory Body State before Reacting to an Opponent: Short-Term Joint Torque Fluctuation in Real-Time Competitive Sports.

PubMed

Fujii, Keisuke; Yamashita, Daichi; Kimura, Tetsuya; Isaka, Tadao; Kouzaki, Motoki

2015-01-01

In a competitive sport, the outcome of a game is determined by an athlete's relationship with an unpredictable and uncontrolled opponent. We have previously analyzed the preparatory state of ground reaction forces (GRFs) dividing non-weighted and weighted states (i.e., vertical GRFs below and above 120% of body weight, respectively) in a competitive ballgame task and demonstrated that the non-weighted state prevented delay of the defensive step and promoted successful guarding. However, the associated kinetics of lower extremity joints during a competitive sports task remains unknown. The present study aims to investigate the kinetic characteristics of a real-time competitive sport before movement initiation. As a first kinetic study on a competitive sport, we initially compared the successful defensive kinetics with a relatively stable preparatory state and the choice-reaction sidestep as a control movement. Then, we investigated the kinetic cause of the outcome in a 1-on-1 dribble in terms of the preparatory states according to our previous study. The results demonstrated that in successful defensive motions in the non-weighted state guarding trial, the times required for the generation of hip abduction and three extension torques for the hip, knee, and ankle joints were significantly shortened compared with the choice-reaction sidestep, and hip abduction and hip extension torques were produced almost simultaneously. The sport-specific movement kinetics emerges only in a more-realistic interactive experimental setting. A comparison of the outcomes in the 1-on-1 dribble and preparatory GRF states showed that, in the non-weighted state, the defenders guarded successfully in 68.0% of the trials, and the defender's initiation time was earlier than that in the weighted state (39.1%). In terms of kinetics, the root mean squares of the derivative of hip abduction and three extension torques in the non-weighted state were smaller than those in the weighted state, irrespective of the outcome. These results indicate that the preparatory body state as explained by short-term joint torque fluctuations before the defensive step would help explain the performance in competitive sports, and will give insights into understanding human adaptive behavior in unpredicted and uncontrolled environments.

Neural systems for preparatory control of imitation.

PubMed

Cross, Katy A; Iacoboni, Marco

2014-01-01

Humans have an automatic tendency to imitate others. Previous studies on how we control these tendencies have focused on reactive mechanisms, where inhibition of imitation is implemented after seeing an action. This work suggests that reactive control of imitation draws on at least partially specialized mechanisms. Here, we examine preparatory imitation control, where advance information allows control processes to be employed before an action is observed. Drawing on dual route models from the spatial compatibility literature, we compare control processes using biological and non-biological stimuli to determine whether preparatory imitation control recruits specialized neural systems that are similar to those observed in reactive imitation control. Results indicate that preparatory control involves anterior prefrontal, dorsolateral prefrontal, posterior parietal and early visual cortices regardless of whether automatic responses are evoked by biological (imitative) or non-biological stimuli. These results indicate both that preparatory control of imitation uses general mechanisms, and that preparatory control of imitation draws on different neural systems from reactive imitation control. Based on the regions involved, we hypothesize that preparatory control is implemented through top-down attentional biasing of visual processing.

Tropical Animal Tour Packet. Metro.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metro Washington Park Zoo, Portland, OR. Educational Services Div.

This packet is designed to assist teachers in creating a tropical animals lesson plan that centers around a visit to the zoo. A teacher packet is divided into eight parts: (1) goals and objectives; (2) what to expect at the zoo; (3) student activities (preparatory activities, on-site activities, and follow-up activities); (4) background…

Shape memory system with integrated actuation using embedded particles

DOEpatents

Buckley, Patrick R [New York, NY; Maitland, Duncan J [Pleasant Hill, CA

2009-09-22

A shape memory material with integrated actuation using embedded particles. One embodiment provides a shape memory material apparatus comprising a shape memory material body and magnetic pieces in the shape memory material body. Another embodiment provides a method of actuating a device to perform an activity on a subject comprising the steps of positioning a shape memory material body in a desired position with regard to the subject, the shape memory material body capable of being formed in a specific primary shape, reformed into a secondary stable shape, and controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape; including pieces in the shape memory material body; and actuating the shape memory material body using the pieces causing the shape memory material body to be controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape and perform the activity on the subject.

Shape memory system with integrated actuation using embedded particles

DOEpatents

Buckley, Patrick R [New York, NY; Maitland, Duncan J [Pleasant Hill, CA

2012-05-29

A shape memory material with integrated actuation using embedded particles. One embodiment provides a shape memory material apparatus comprising a shape memory material body and magnetic pieces in the shape memory material body. Another embodiment provides a method of actuating a device to perform an activity on a subject comprising the steps of positioning a shape memory material body in a desired position with regard to the subject, the shape memory material body capable of being formed in a specific primary shape, reformed into a secondary stable shape, and controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape; including pieces in the shape memory material body; and actuating the shape memory material body using the pieces causing the shape memory material body to be controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape and perform the activity on the subject.

Shape memory system with integrated actuation using embedded particles

DOEpatents

Buckley, Patrick R.; Maitland, Duncan J.

2014-04-01

A shape memory material with integrated actuation using embedded particles. One embodiment provides a shape memory material apparatus comprising a shape memory material body and magnetic pieces in the shape memory material body. Another embodiment provides a method of actuating a device to perform an activity on a subject comprising the steps of positioning a shape memory material body in a desired position with regard to the subject, the shape memory material body capable of being formed in a specific primary shape, reformed into a secondary stable shape, and controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape; including pieces in the shape memory material body; and actuating the shape memory material body using the pieces causing the shape memory material body to be controllably actuated to recover the specific primary shape and perform the activity on the subject.

Cognitive and emotional factors associated with elective breast augmentation among young women.

PubMed

Moser, Stephanie E; Aiken, Leona S

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to propose and evaluate a psychosocial model of young women's intentions to obtain breast implants and the preparatory steps taken towards having breast implant surgery. The model integrated anticipated regret, descriptive norms and image norms from the media into the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Focus groups (n = 58) informed development of measures of outcome expectancies, preparatory steps and normative influence. The model was tested and replicated among two samples of young women who had ever considered getting breast implants (n = 200, n = 152). Intentions and preparatory steps served as outcomes. Model constructs and outcomes were initially assessed; outcomes were re-assessed 11 weeks later. Evaluative attitudes and anticipated regret predicted intentions; in turn, intentions, along with descriptive norms, predicted subsequent preparatory steps. Perceived risk (susceptibility, severity) of negative medical consequences of breast implants predicted anticipated regret, which predicted evaluative attitudes. Intentions and preparatory steps exhibited interplay over time. This research provides the first comprehensive model predicting intentions and preparatory steps towards breast augmentation surgery. It supports the addition of anticipated regret to the TPB and suggests mutual influence between intentions and preparatory steps towards a final behavioural outcome.

29 CFR 776.28 - Covered preparatory activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or.... 28 Devine v. Levy, 39 F. Supp. 44. 29 Straughn v. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp., 72 F. Supp. 511... to the Act, preliminary activities, such as surveying, clearing, draining and leveling the land...

29 CFR 776.28 - Covered preparatory activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or.... 28 Devine v. Levy, 39 F. Supp. 44. 29 Straughn v. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp., 72 F. Supp. 511... to the Act, preliminary activities, such as surveying, clearing, draining and leveling the land...

29 CFR 776.28 - Covered preparatory activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or.... 28 Devine v. Levy, 39 F. Supp. 44. 29 Straughn v. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp., 72 F. Supp. 511... to the Act, preliminary activities, such as surveying, clearing, draining and leveling the land...

29 CFR 776.28 - Covered preparatory activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or.... 28 Devine v. Levy, 39 F. Supp. 44. 29 Straughn v. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp., 72 F. Supp. 511... to the Act, preliminary activities, such as surveying, clearing, draining and leveling the land...

29 CFR 776.28 - Covered preparatory activities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... claims, surveying, clearing the land, assembling materials and equipment, erecting sheds, derricks or.... 28 Devine v. Levy, 39 F. Supp. 44. 29 Straughn v. Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp., 72 F. Supp. 511... to the Act, preliminary activities, such as surveying, clearing, draining and leveling the land...

Online Damage Detection on Metal and Composite Space Structures by Active and Passive Acoustic Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheerer, M.; Cardone, T.; Rapisarda, A.; Ottaviano, S.; Ftancesconi, D.

2012-07-01

In the frame of ESA funded programme Future Launcher Preparatory Programme Period 1 “Preparatory Activities on M&S”, Aerospace & Advanced Composites and Thales Alenia Space-Italia, have conceived and tested a structural health monitoring approach based on integrated Acoustic Emission - Active Ultrasound Damage Identification. The monitoring methods implemented in the study are both passive and active methods and the purpose is to cover large areas with a sufficient damage size detection capability. Two representative space sub-structures have been built and tested: a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) and a curved, stiffened Al-Li panel. In each structure, typical critical damages have been introduced: delaminations caused by impacts in the COPV and a crack in the stiffener of the Al-Li panel which was grown during a fatigue test campaign. The location and severity of both types of damages have been successfully assessed online using two commercially available systems: one 6 channel AE system from Vallen and one 64 channel AU system from Acellent.

Muscle Activation During Side-Step Cutting Maneuvers in Male and Female Soccer Athletes

PubMed Central

Hanson, Ashley M; Padua, Darin A; Troy Blackburn, J; Prentice, William E; Hirth, Christopher J

2008-01-01

Context: Female soccer athletes are at greater risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury than males. Sex differences in muscle activation may contribute to the increased incidence of ACL injuries in female soccer athletes. Objective: To examine sex differences in lower extremity muscle activation between male and female soccer athletes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level during 2 side-step cutting maneuvers. Design: Cross-sectional with 1 between-subjects factor (sex) and 2 within-subjects factors (cutting task and phase of contact). Setting: Sports medicine research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty males (age = 19.4 ± 1.4 years, height = 176.5 ± 5.5 cm, mass = 74.6 ± 6.0 kg) and 20 females (age = 19.8 ± 1.1 years, height = 165.7 ± 4.3 cm, mass = 62.2 ± 7.2 kg). Intervention(s): In a single testing session, participants performed the running-approach side-step cut and the box-jump side-step cut tasks. Main Outcome Measure(s): Surface electromyographic activity of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, medial hamstrings, lateral hamstrings, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus was recorded for each subject. Separate mixed-model, repeated-measures analysis of variance tests were used to compare the dependent variables across sex during the preparatory and loading contact phases of each cutting task. Results: Females displayed greater vastus lateralis activity and quadriceps to hamstrings coactivation ratios during the preparatory and loading phases, as well as greater gluteus medius activation during the preparatory phase only. No significant differences were noted between the sexes for muscle activation in the other muscles analyzed during each task. Conclusions: The quadriceps-dominant muscle activation pattern observed in recreationally active females is also present in female soccer athletes at the Division I level when compared with similarly trained male soccer athletes. The relationship between increased quadriceps activation and greater incidence of noncontact ACL injury in female soccer athletes versus males requires further study. PMID:18345337

The impact of preparatory activities on medical school selection outcomes: a cross-sectional survey of applicants to the university of Adelaide medical school in 2007

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Selection into medical school is highly competitive with more applicants than places. Little is known about the preparation that applicants undertake for this high stakes process. The study aims to determine what preparatory activities applicants undertake and what difficulties they encounter for each stage of the application process to medical school and in particular what impact these have on the outcome. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 1097 applicants who applied for a place in the University of Adelaide Medical School in 2007 and participated in the UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) and oral assessment components of the selection process. The main outcome measures were an offer of an interview and offer of a place in the medical school and were analysed using logistic regression. Results The odds of a successful outcome increased with each additional preparatory activity undertaken for the UMAT (odds ratio 1.22, 95% confidence interval 1.11 to 1.33; P < 0.001) and the oral assessment (1.36, 1.19 to 1.55; P < 0.001) stage of selection. The UMAT preparatory activities associated with the offer of an interview were attendance of a training course by a private organisation (1.75, 1.35 to 2.27: P < 0.001), use of online services of a private organisation (1.58, 1.23 to 2.04; P < 0.001), and familiarising oneself with the process (1.52, 1.15 to 2.00; p = 0.021). The oral assessment activities associated with an offer of a place included refining and learning a personal resume (9.73, 2.97 to 31.88; P < 0.001) and learning about the course structure (2.05, 1.29 to 3.26; P = 0.022). For the UMAT, applicants who found difficulties with learning for this type of test (0.47, 0.35 to 0.63: P < 0.001), with the timing of UMAT in terms of school exams (0.48, 0.5 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and with the inability to convey personal skills with the UMAT (0.67, 0.52 to 0.86; P = 0.026) were significantly less likely to be offered an interview. Conclusions Medical schools make an enormous effort to undertake a selection process that is fair and equitable and which selects students most appropriate for medical school and the course they provide. Our results indicate that performance in the selection processes can be improved by training. However, if these preparatory activities may be limited to those who can access them, the playing field is not even and increasing equity of access to medical schools will not be achieved. PMID:24289521

Shadow Capital: The Democratization of College Preparatory Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cipollone, Kristin; Stich, Amy E.

2017-01-01

In this article, we examine the manifestation and consequences of shadow capital within two public, urban, nonselective, college preparatory-designated high schools serving exclusively nondominant students. Informed by three years of ethnographic data, we argue that the transference of a historically elite college preparatory education from…

Focused and divided attention in a simulated cocktail-party situation: ERP evidence from younger and older adults.

PubMed

Getzmann, Stephan; Golob, Edward J; Wascher, Edmund

2016-05-01

Speech perception under complex listening conditions usually decreases in aging. This is especially true for listening conditions requiring divided attention among 2 and more relevant speakers. Using a speech perception task and event-related potential measures, we studied the ability of younger and older adults to attend to speech information from a single-target speaker (focused attention) or from 2 different (alternative) target speakers (divided attention). The focused and divided attention conditions were presented either in silence or in the presence of 3 concurrent speakers. In the presence of concurrent speakers, older participants showed worse performance with divided versus focused attention. In contrast, there was no effect of attention condition for the younger adults. Relative to the young, event-related potential analysis in older subjects indicated a decline in preparatory activity for the critical speech information (a delayed and smaller contingent negative variation), and delayed attentional control (indicated by a longer P2 latency). Standardized low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography revealed that the age-related decline in preparatory activity was associated with reduced activation of medial and superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate gyrus. The results suggest that age-related differences in these prefrontal brain areas reflect declines in preparatory attention and gating of subsequent task-related speech information, especially under conditions of divided attention. These findings may reflect mechanisms relating to impaired speech perception by older people in "cocktail-party" listening situations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MMI Preparatory School Computerized Model Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Everhart, Nancy

This booklet provides a detailed description of the computerization of the library of MMI Preparatory School, a private, non-sectarian college preparatory school in Pennsylvania for students in grades 7 through 12. Each of the following functions is investigated: (1) catalog card production; (2) online reference services; (3) circulation; (4) word…

(De)Motivation in Preparatory EFL Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vefali, Gülsen Musayeva; Ayan, Hatice Ç.

2015-01-01

This survey study aimed to explore EFL learners' (de)motivation in the preparatory classes at a tertiary institution in Northern Cyprus. It administered questionnaires to 105 preparatory learners and 30 language teachers. The statistical analysis revealed the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.88 for the Learners' version, and 0.89 for…

Temporal patterns of the trunk muscles remain altered in a low back-injured population despite subjective reports of recovery.

PubMed

Moreside, Janice M; Quirk, D Adam; Hubley-Kozey, Cheryl L

2014-04-01

To compare temporal activation patterns from 24 abdominal and lumbar muscles between healthy subjects and those who reported recovery from recent low back injury (LBI). Cross-sectional comparative study. University neuromuscular function laboratory. Healthy adult volunteers (N=81; 30 LBI, 51 asymptomatic subjects). Trunk muscle electromyographic activity was collected during 2 difficulty levels of a supine trunk stability test aimed at challenging lumbopelvic control. Principal component (PC) analysis was applied to determine differences in temporal and/or amplitude electromyographic patterns between groups. Mixed-model analyses of variance were performed on PC scores that explained more than 89% of the variance (α=.05). Four PCs explained 89% and 96% of the variance for the abdominal and back muscles, respectively, with both muscle groups having similar shapes in the first 3 PCs. Significant interactions or group main effects were found for all PC scores except PC4 for the back extensors. Overall activation amplitudes for both the abdominal and back muscles (PC1 scores) were significantly (P<.05) higher for the LBI group, with both abdominal and back muscles of the LBI group demonstrating an increased response to the leg-loading phase (PC2 scores) compared with the asymptomatic group. Differences were also found between groups in their preparatory activity (PC3 scores), with the LBI group having a higher early relative amplitude of abdominal and back extensor activity. Despite perceived readiness to return to work and low pain scores, muscle activation patterns remained altered in this LBI group, including reduced synergistic coactivation and increased overall amplitudes as well as greater relative amplitude differences during specific phases of the movement. Electromyographic measures provide objective information to help guide therapy and may assist with determining the level of healing and return-to-work readiness after an LBI. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparatory Body State before Reacting to an Opponent: Short-Term Joint Torque Fluctuation in Real-Time Competitive Sports

PubMed Central

Fujii, Keisuke; Yamashita, Daichi; Kimura, Tetsuya; Isaka, Tadao; Kouzaki, Motoki

2015-01-01

In a competitive sport, the outcome of a game is determined by an athlete’s relationship with an unpredictable and uncontrolled opponent. We have previously analyzed the preparatory state of ground reaction forces (GRFs) dividing non-weighted and weighted states (i.e., vertical GRFs below and above 120% of body weight, respectively) in a competitive ballgame task and demonstrated that the non-weighted state prevented delay of the defensive step and promoted successful guarding. However, the associated kinetics of lower extremity joints during a competitive sports task remains unknown. The present study aims to investigate the kinetic characteristics of a real-time competitive sport before movement initiation. As a first kinetic study on a competitive sport, we initially compared the successful defensive kinetics with a relatively stable preparatory state and the choice-reaction sidestep as a control movement. Then, we investigated the kinetic cause of the outcome in a 1-on-1 dribble in terms of the preparatory states according to our previous study. The results demonstrated that in successful defensive motions in the non-weighted state guarding trial, the times required for the generation of hip abduction and three extension torques for the hip, knee, and ankle joints were significantly shortened compared with the choice-reaction sidestep, and hip abduction and hip extension torques were produced almost simultaneously. The sport-specific movement kinetics emerges only in a more-realistic interactive experimental setting. A comparison of the outcomes in the 1-on-1 dribble and preparatory GRF states showed that, in the non-weighted state, the defenders guarded successfully in 68.0% of the trials, and the defender’s initiation time was earlier than that in the weighted state (39.1%). In terms of kinetics, the root mean squares of the derivative of hip abduction and three extension torques in the non-weighted state were smaller than those in the weighted state, irrespective of the outcome. These results indicate that the preparatory body state as explained by short-term joint torque fluctuations before the defensive step would help explain the performance in competitive sports, and will give insights into understanding human adaptive behavior in unpredicted and uncontrolled environments. PMID:26024485

Treatment preparatory to psychoanalysis: a reconsideration after twenty-five years.

PubMed

Bernstein, Stephen B

2010-02-01

The author's initial article on treatment preparatory to psychoanalysis (1983) challenged the long-held belief that a therapy with the same analyst would contaminate a subsequent analytic transference. The current article reconsiders the original process of transition from therapy to analysis and describes methods that can further its effectiveness. Although specific noninterpretive interventions to enhance preparation for analysis are rarely written about, they are discussed among colleagues and in supervision. Levy (1987) has described a bias against the description of strategic or tactical choices in analysis. It is increasingly clear that some patients' fear of exposing shameful defectiveness underlies their resistance to entering analysis, as does the originally described fear of an uncontrolled regression. It is useful to delay interpretation until shame sensitivity can be assessed and modulated. In the past there was pressure to keep the preparatory therapy brief so that the analyst would not become too well known to the patient. Less concern about strict anonymity allows more time for the patient's resistances to abate before the recommendation is made. Methods are described and clinical illustrations show how a deepening process can be fostered, how indications of readiness for the transition can be assessed, and when and how the recommendation can be made.

Effects of Cognitive Interventions on Sports Anxiety and Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Shane M.; Woolfolk, Robert L.

Oxendine (1970) hypothesized that the arousal-performance relationship varies across tasks, such that gross motor activities will require high arousal for optimal performance while fine motor activities will be facilitated by low arousal, but adversely affected by high arousal. Although the effects of preparatory arousal on strength performance…

READINESS AND READING FOR THE RETARDED CHILD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BERNSTEIN, BEBE

THIS TEACHER'S BOOK AND MANUAL, DESIGNED TO ACCOMPANY TWO WORKBOOKS, PRESENTS A FUNCTIONAL APPROACH TO READINESS AND READING FOR YOUNG EDUCABLE RETARDED CHILDREN. THE WORKBOOKS THEMSELVES OFFER PREPARATORY ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AT THE READINESS LEVEL AND SEQUENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND MATERIALS FOR THOSE AT THE BEGINNING READING STAGE. THE TEACHER'S…

Pythagoras Meets Van Hiele.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Alfinio

1993-01-01

Develops the Pythagorean Theorem in the context of the Van Hiele levels by presenting activities appropriate for each level. Activities point to preparatory development (level 0), give 3 different versions of Euclid's proof (levels 1, 2, and 3), give some generalizations of the theorem (level 3), and explore the Pythagorean relationship in other…

Soil Testing as a Classroom Exercise to Determine Soil-forming Processes and Soil Classification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bencloski, Joseph W.

1980-01-01

Describes a learning activity involving correctly matching soils with environments. The activity is intended for use in college level physical geography courses. Information is presented on instructional objectives, outline of preparatory lectures, soil test exercise worksheets, procedures, laboratory setting, testing procedures, collecting and…

Mira: Libro de apresto (Look: Preparatory Book).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Emiliano; And Others

This primer picture book may be used in various games and activities to extend the child's vocabulary and to provide pre-reading practice in letter and sound identification, categorization, and audio-visual discrimination. (Author/SK)

Using STEM Approach to Develop Visual Reasoning and Learning Independence for Preparatory Stage Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbas, Rasha Al-Sayed Sabry

2017-01-01

This research aimed at investigating the effectiveness of STEM approach in developing visual reasoning and learning independence for preparatory stage students. To achieve this aim, the researcher designed a program based on STEM approach in light of the principles of nanotechnology. Twenty one preparatory stage students participated in the…

Preparatory Behavior for Condom Use among Heterosexual Young Men: A Longitudinal Mediation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvalho, Telma; Alvarez, Maria-João; Barz, Milena; Schwarzer, Ralf

2015-01-01

Objective: Motivation is not sufficient to actually use condoms, as self-regulatory processes are needed to translate motivation into action. Buying condoms and carrying them constitute preparatory behaviors that may serve as proximal predictors of action. Whether or not such preparatory behaviors operate as mediators between intention and action…

Gum chewing improves adolescents’ math performance in an SAT preparatory course

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of gum chewing on students’ performance in a preparatory course for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). A total of 182 adolescents enrolled in an SAT preparatory class were randomized into one of two treatments: 1) gum chewing condition (G...

Illness-related hopelessness in advanced cancer: influence of anxiety, depression, and preparatory grief.

PubMed

Mystakidou, Kyriaki; Tsilika, Eleni; Parpa, Efi; Athanasouli, Paraskevi; Galanos, Antonis; Anna, Pagoropoulou; Vlahos, Lambros

2009-04-01

The growing interest in the psychological distress in patients with cancer has been the major reason for the conduction of this study. The aims were to assess the relationship of hopelessness, anxiety, distress, and preparatory grief, as well as their predictive power to hopelessness. Ninety-four patients with advanced cancer completed the study at a palliative care unit in Athens, Greece. Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Greek version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale, and the Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer Patients scale were administered. Information concerning patients' treatment was acquired from the medical records, whereas physicians recorded their clinical condition. Hopelessness correlated significantly with preparatory grief (r = .630, P < .0005), anxiety (r = .539, P < .0005), depression (r = .642, P < .0005), HAD-Total (r = .686, P < .0005), and age (r = -.212, P = .040). Multiple regression analyses showed that preparatory grief (P < .0005), depression (P < .0005), and age (P = .003) were predictors of hopelessness, explaining 58.8% of total variance. In this patient sample, depression, preparatory grief, and patients' age were predictors of hopelessness.

Rights and Responsibilities. User Guide for Grades K-6. My America: Building a Democracy Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fier, Harriet, Ed.; And Others

This user guide covers "Rights and Responsibilities," and offers suggestions for preparatory activities, lessons, and follow-up activities for primary, intermediate, and upper grade students. Goals for the series are to help children: (1) become familiar with the democratic process and active citizenship; (2) recognize what it means to be a…

Transient development of Zeeman electromagnetically induced transparency during propagation of Raman-Ramsey pulses through Rb buffer gas cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolić, S. N.; Radonjić, M.; Lučić, N. M.; Krmpot, A. J.; Jelenković, B. M.

2015-02-01

We investigate, experimentally and theoretically, time development of Zeeman electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) during propagation of two time separated polarization laser pulses, preparatory and probe, through Rb vapour. The pulses were produced by modifying laser intensity and degree of elliptical polarization. The frequency of the single laser beam is locked to the hyperfine {{F}g}=2\\to {{F}e}=1 transition of the D1 line in 87Rb. Transients in the intensity of {{σ }-} component of the transmitted light are measured or calculated at different values of the external magnetic field, during both preparatory and probe pulse. Zeeman EIT resonances at particular time instants of the pulse propagation are reconstructed by appropriate sampling of the transients. We observe how laser intensity, Ramsey sequence and the Rb cell temperature affect the time dependence of EIT line shapes, amplitudes and linewidths. We show that at early times of the probe pulse propagation, several Ramsey fringes are present in EIT resonances, while at later moments a single narrow peak prevails. Time development of EIT amplitudes are determined by the transmitted intensity of the {{σ }-} component during the pulse propagation.

Advance Preparation in Task-Switching: Converging Evidence from Behavioral, Brain Activation, and Model-Based Approaches

PubMed Central

Karayanidis, Frini; Jamadar, Sharna; Ruge, Hannes; Phillips, Natalie; Heathcote, Andrew; Forstmann, Birte U.

2010-01-01

Recent research has taken advantage of the temporal and spatial resolution of event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify the time course and neural circuitry of preparatory processes required to switch between different tasks. Here we overview some key findings contributing to understanding strategic processes in advance preparation. Findings from these methodologies are compatible with advance preparation conceptualized as a set of processes activated for both switch and repeat trials, but with substantial variability as a function of individual differences and task requirements. We then highlight new approaches that attempt to capitalize on this variability to link behavior and brain activation patterns. One approach examines correlations among behavioral, ERP and fMRI measures. A second “model-based” approach accounts for differences in preparatory processes by estimating quantitative model parameters that reflect latent psychological processes. We argue that integration of behavioral and neuroscientific methodologies is key to understanding the complex nature of advance preparation in task-switching. PMID:21833196

Structural determination of intact proteins using mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Kruppa, Gary [San Francisco, CA; Schoeniger, Joseph S [Oakland, CA; Young, Malin M [Livermore, CA

2008-05-06

The present invention relates to novel methods of determining the sequence and structure of proteins. Specifically, the present invention allows for the analysis of intact proteins within a mass spectrometer. Therefore, preparatory separations need not be performed prior to introducing a protein sample into the mass spectrometer. Also disclosed herein are new instrumental developments for enhancing the signal from the desired modified proteins, methods for producing controlled protein fragments in the mass spectrometer, eliminating complex microseparations, and protein preparatory chemical steps necessary for cross-linking based protein structure determination.Additionally, the preferred method of the present invention involves the determination of protein structures utilizing a top-down analysis of protein structures to search for covalent modifications. In the preferred method, intact proteins are ionized and fragmented within the mass spectrometer.

Markers of preparatory attention predict visual short-term memory performance.

PubMed

Murray, Alexandra M; Nobre, Anna C; Stokes, Mark G

2011-05-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) is limited in capacity. Therefore, it is important to encode only visual information that is most likely to be relevant to behaviour. Here we asked which aspects of selective biasing of VSTM encoding predict subsequent memory-based performance. We measured EEG during a selective VSTM encoding task, in which we varied parametrically the memory load and the precision of recall required to compare a remembered item to a subsequent probe item. On half the trials, a spatial cue indicated that participants only needed to encode items from one hemifield. We observed a typical sequence of markers of anticipatory spatial attention: early attention directing negativity (EDAN), anterior attention directing negativity (ADAN), late directing attention positivity (LDAP); as well as of VSTM maintenance: contralateral delay activity (CDA). We found that individual differences in preparatory brain activity (EDAN/ADAN) predicted cue-related changes in recall accuracy, indexed by memory-probe discrimination sensitivity (d'). Importantly, our parametric manipulation of memory-probe similarity also allowed us to model the behavioural data for each participant, providing estimates for the quality of the memory representation and the probability that an item could be retrieved. We found that selective encoding primarily increased the probability of accurate memory recall; that ERP markers of preparatory attention predicted the cue-related changes in recall probability. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Where one hand meets the other: limb-specific and action-dependent movement plans decoded from preparatory signals in single human frontoparietal brain areas.

PubMed

Gallivan, Jason P; McLean, D Adam; Flanagan, J Randall; Culham, Jody C

2013-01-30

Planning object-directed hand actions requires successful integration of the movement goal with the acting limb. Exactly where and how this sensorimotor integration occurs in the brain has been studied extensively with neurophysiological recordings in nonhuman primates, yet to date, because of limitations of non-invasive methodologies, the ability to examine the same types of planning-related signals in humans has been challenging. Here we show, using a multivoxel pattern analysis of functional MRI (fMRI) data, that the preparatory activity patterns in several frontoparietal brain regions can be used to predict both the limb used and hand action performed in an upcoming movement. Participants performed an event-related delayed movement task whereby they planned and executed grasp or reach actions with either their left or right hand toward a single target object. We found that, although the majority of frontoparietal areas represented hand actions (grasping vs reaching) for the contralateral limb, several areas additionally coded hand actions for the ipsilateral limb. Notable among these were subregions within the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), ventral premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, presupplementary motor area, and motor cortex, a region more traditionally implicated in contralateral movement generation. Additional analyses suggest that hand actions are represented independently of the intended limb in PPC and PMd. In addition to providing a unique mapping of limb-specific and action-dependent intention-related signals across the human cortical motor system, these findings uncover a much stronger representation of the ipsilateral limb than expected from previous fMRI findings.

Using Reading Circles Strategy for Developing Preparatory Students' Critical Reading Skills and Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdelrasoul, Mohamed Mahmoud Ibrahim

2014-01-01

The present study aimed at developing the necessary critical reading skills and social skills of the Egyptian EFL second year preparatory school students, through a proposed program based on using reading circles strategy. The study participants were 44 students from Sohag Experimental Preparatory School in Sohag Governorate. Instruments of the…

Overcoming Barriers to College Enrollment, Persistence, and Perceptions for Urban High School Students in a College Preparatory Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knaggs, Christine M.; Sondergeld, Toni A.; Schardt, Becky

2015-01-01

Although research shows college preparatory programs' effectiveness regarding academic achievement and college awareness, much less is known about whether programs affect college attendance and persistence. GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and other college preparatory programs claim that this is a primary…

Effects of a Preparatory Singing Pattern on Melodic Dictation Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buonviri, Nathan O.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of a preparatory contextual singing pattern on melodic dictation test scores. Forty-nine undergraduate music education majors took melodic dictations under three conditions. After hearing an orienting chord sequence, they (1) sang a preparatory solfége pattern in the key, meter, and tempo of the…

Contributions of the SDR Task Network tool to Calibration and Validation of the NPOESS Preparatory Project instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feeley, J.; Zajic, J.; Metcalf, A.; Baucom, T.

2009-12-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) team is planning post-launch activities to calibrate the NPP sensors and validate Sensor Data Records (SDRs). The IPO has developed a web-based data collection and visualization tool in order to effectively collect, coordinate, and manage the calibration and validation tasks for the OMPS, ATMS, CrIS, and VIIRS instruments. This tool is accessible to the multi-institutional Cal/Val teams consisting of the Prime Contractor and Government Cal/Val leads along with the NASA NPP Mission team, and is used for mission planning and identification/resolution of conflicts between sensor activities. Visualization techniques aid in displaying task dependencies, including prerequisites and exit criteria, allowing for the identification of a critical path. This presentation will highlight how the information is collected, displayed, and used to coordinate the diverse instrument calibration/validation teams.

Adapting to Changing Memory Retrieval Demands: Evidence from Event-Related Potentials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoit, Roland G.; Werkle-Bergner, Markus; Mecklinger, Axel; Kray, Jutta

2009-01-01

This study investigated preparatory processes involved in adapting to changing episodic memory retrieval demands. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants performed a general old/new recognition task and a specific task that also required retrieval of perceptual details. The relevant task remained either constant or changed…

Commercial Drivers License Workplace Literacy Project. Preparatory Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau, Minneapolis.

This course syllabus was developed for a workplace literacy project conducted cooperatively through the Minnesota Teamsters Service Bureau and Northeast Metro Technical College. It is part of the job-specific curriculum for commercial truck drivers developed during the project. This guide lists the courses necessary to complete a 24-credit diploma…

A Study of Cigarett Smoking Among Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mausner, Bernard

The various activities carried out under a grant from the Cancer Society are discussed, including preparatory work, pilot and exploratory studies, the conduct of the major study, and additional activities. The bulk of the report, however, is devoted to the major study in which measures were obtained of: 1) patterns of support for smoking; 2)…

32 CFR 903.7 - Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate... PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.7 Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to USAFA. USAFA Cadet Enrollment for Cadet Candidates who graduate from the Prepatory School with...

32 CFR 903.7 - Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate... PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.7 Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to USAFA. USAFA Cadet Enrollment for Cadet Candidates who graduate from the Prepatory School with...

32 CFR 903.7 - Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate... PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.7 Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to USAFA. USAFA Cadet Enrollment for Cadet Candidates who graduate from the Prepatory School with...

32 CFR 903.7 - Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate... PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.7 Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to USAFA. USAFA Cadet Enrollment for Cadet Candidates who graduate from the Prepatory School with...

32 CFR 903.7 - Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate... PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.7 Reassignment of cadet candidates who graduate from the preparatory school with an appointment to USAFA. USAFA Cadet Enrollment for Cadet Candidates who graduate from the Prepatory School with...

Vanguard Preparatory School Observations of the Double Star STF 1692

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Serenity; Buccola, Breck; Garcia, Karen; Gosney, Matthew; Housatchenko, Jonathan; Martinez, Lilian; Myskow, Wyatt; Renteria, Noah; Schlosser, Ruth; Thompson, Leone; Estrada, Reed; Estrada, Chris

2016-01-01

Using a 22-inch Newtonian Alt/Az telescope and a Celestron Micro Guide eyepiece, students from Vanguard Preparatory observed the binary star Cor Caroli (STF 1692) and found a position angle of 228 degrees as well as an average separation of 21.10". This project was a part of the Vanguard Preparatory Double Star Workshop 2015 in Apple Valley, California.

Advanced Cancer Patients' Perceptions of Dignity: The Impact of Psychologically Distressing Symptoms and Preparatory Grief.

PubMed

Kostopoulou, Sotiria; Parpa, Efi; Tsilika, Eleni; Katsaragakis, Stylianos; Papazoglou, Irene; Zygogianni, Anna; Galanos, Antonis; Mystakidou, Kyriaki

2018-04-01

The present study assesses the relationship between patient dignity in advanced cancer and the following variables: psychological distress, preparatory grief, and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. The sample consisted of 120 patients with advanced cancer. The self-administered questionnaires were as follows: the Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer Patients (PGAC), the Patient Dignity Inventory-Greek (PDI-Gr), the Greek Schedule for Attitudes toward Hastened Death (G-SAHD), and the Greek version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (G-HADS). Moderate to strong statistically significant correlations were found between the 4 subscales of PDI-Gr (psychological distress, body image and role identity, self-esteem, and social support) with G-HADS, G-SAHD, and PGAC ( P < .005), while physical distress and dependency was moderately correlated with depression. Multifactorial analyses showed that preparatory grief, depression, and age influenced psychological distress, while preparatory grief, depression, and performance status influenced body image and role identity. Preparatory grief, psychological distress, and physical symptoms had significant associations with perceptions of dignity among patients with advanced cancer. Clinicians should assess and attend to dignity-distressing factors in the care of patients with advanced cancer.

Liberty and Justice. User Guide for Grades K-6. My America: Building a Democracy Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fier, Harriet, Ed.; And Others

This user guide covers "Liberty and Justice," and offers suggestions for preparatory activities, lessons, and follow-up activities for primary, intermediate, and upper grade students. Goals for the series are to help children: (1) become familiar with the democratic process and active citizenship; (2) recognize what it means to be a citizen in a…

Does practicing a skill with the expectation of teaching alter motor preparatory cortical dynamics?

PubMed

Daou, Marcos; Lohse, Keith R; Miller, Matthew W

2018-05-01

Recent evidence suggests practicing a motor skill with the expectation of teaching it enhances learning by increasing information processing during motor preparation. However, the specific motor preparatory processes remain unknown. The present study sought to address this shortcoming by employing EEG to assess participants' motor preparatory processes while they completed a golf putting pretest, and then practiced putting with the expectation of (a) teaching another participant how to putt the next day (teach group, n = 30), or (b) being tested on their putting the next day (test group, n = 30). Participants' EEG during the 3-s prior to and 1-s after initiating putter movement was analyzed. All participants completed posttests 1 day after the practice session. The teach group exhibited better posttest performance (superior learning) relative to the test group, but no group differences in motor preparatory processing (EEG) emerged. However, participants in both groups exhibited linear decreases in both theta power at frontal midline and upper-alpha power over motor areas during putt initiation. These results suggest a decrease in working memory and action monitoring (frontal midline theta), and an increase in motor programming (motor upper-alpha) during putt initiation. Further, participants in both groups exhibited increased frontal midline theta from pretest to practice, but decreases in both upper motor-alpha and upper-alpha coherence between left/right temporal and motor planning regions. These results suggest participants utilized working memory and action monitoring to a greater extent during practice relative to pretest, while refining their motor programming and verbal-analytic/visuospatial involvement in motor programming. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Neural network communication facilitates verbal working memory.

PubMed

Kustermann, Thomas; Rockstroh, Brigitte; Miller, Gregory A; Popov, Tzvetan

2018-05-28

Oscillatory brain activity in the theta, alpha, and gamma frequency ranges has been associated with working memory (WM). In addition to alpha and theta activity associated with WM retention, and gamma band activity with item encoding, activity in the alpha band is related to the deployment of attention resources and information. The present study sought to specify distinct roles of neuromagnetic 4-7 Hz theta, 9-13 Hz alpha, and 50-70 Hz gamma power modulation and communication in fronto-parietal networks during cued, hemifield-specific item presentation in a modified Sternberg verbal WM task in 14 student volunteers. Lateralized posterior alpha and gamma power during encoding suggest a preparatory role of alpha oscillations. Bilateral alpha power increases during maintenance reflect information retention for the non-lateralized probe response. Lateralized alpha power increase during encoding was apparently driven by a monotonic increase in fronto-parietal 6 Hz phase, suggesting a mechanism facilitating WM encoding and successful performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Academic Work as Practical Activity--and Preparing (Business-School) Academics for Praxis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasanen, Keijo

2009-01-01

This text suggests a way of framing academic work and outlines a design for a preparatory event based on this understanding. It conceives academic work as "practical activity" and potential "praxis" in emergence by focusing on four issues: how can I do this work (tactical stance), what can I accomplish and achieve in it…

Inspiring the Civil Revolution: The Role of Bullying Education and Experiential Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Jacqueline A.; Raffo, Deana M.

2015-01-01

The authors explore service-learning as a pedagogy to promote bullying prevention within schools. Specifically, they explain the preparatory experiences necessary for students in an undergraduate Experiential Learning Principles of Management course to interface with high school freshmen and the reciprocal impact that students at both levels had…

College Lecturers' Perspectives on the Role of Nigerian Creole in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ukwuoma, Collins U.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the philosophical teaching perspectives of lecturers in teacher preparatory colleges in the Niger Delta of Nigeria as it relates to their choice of the language for classroom instruction. Specifically, the study explored the lecturers' perceptions regarding the role of Nigerian Creole in teacher…

Reflection as a Facilitator of Teachers' Innovative Work Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messmann, Gerhard; Mulder, Regina H.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of reflection as a preparatory mechanism for employees' engagement in innovative work behaviour (IWB). This issue was explored in a study with 67 teachers at the highest level of German secondary education. Specifically, we investigated whether teachers who reflected on work tasks, the social…

The preparatory state of ground reaction forces in defending against a dribbler in a basketball 1-on-1 dribble subphase.

PubMed

Fujii, Keisuke; Yoshioka, Shinsuke; Isaka, Tadao; Kouzaki, Motoki

2015-03-01

We previously demonstrated the relationship between sidestepping performance and the preparatory state of ground reaction forces (GRFs). The present study investigated the effect of the preparatory state of GRFs on defensive performance in 1-on-1 subphase of basketball. Ten basketball players participated in 1-on-1 dribble game of basketball. The outcomes (penetrating and guarding) and the preparatory state of GRFs (non-weighted and weighted states, i.e. vertical GRFs below and above 120% of body weight, respectively) were assessed by separating the phases. In the non-weighted state and the weighted state to determine the outcome, the probability of successful guarding was 78.8% and 29.6%, respectively. The non-weighted state prevented delay of the defensive step in the determination phase. Both the non-weighted and weighted states, immediately before the determination phase, were likely to change to the weighted state in the determination phase; during this time, the defender's preparatory state would be destabilised, presumably by the dribbler's movement. These results revealed that the preparatory GRFs before the defensive step help to explain the outcome of the 1-on-1 subphase, and suggest a better way to prevent delaying initiation of the defensive step and thereby to guard more effectively against a dribbler.

The attrition condition: use of a preparatory course to reduce EMT course attrition and improve performance on North Carolina certification exams.

PubMed

Renkiewicz, Ginny K; Hubble, Michael W

2015-01-01

A growing concern in emergency medical services (EMS) education is student attrition. Perchance, there is a population of nonmatriculate students lacking prerequisite academic skills or who are otherwise ill prepared for the unique requirements of the EMS profession. Consequently, addressing these issues could promote academic and occupational preparedness, thereby reducing emergency medical technician (EMT) course attrition. To measure the impact of a preparatory course designed to address academic and psychosocial skills affecting EMT course completion. We conducted a retrospective analysis of a 24-hour preparatory course using a before-and-after nonexperimental design. The course included the EMT preparatory curriculum, program orientation, work-force-preparedness skills, and an academic skills assessment. All students who were enrolled in an EMT course at a single study site between July 2008 and December 2011 were included. Chi-square analysis was performed on attrition categories defined by CoAEMSP (Academic, Disciplinary, Attendance, Health, Financial, Personal, Never Attended) and state exam categories (Airway, Medical, Trauma, Operations, Pediatrics, Preparatory, Assessment). A logistic regression model calculated the odds ratio (OR) of course completion as a function of preparatory course completion while controlling for demography. The historical control group consisted of 117 (58.5%) students enrolled prior to implementation of the preparatory course, while the remaining 83 (41.5%) students in the intervention group completed the course. Overall attrition was 115 (57.5%) students, with lower rates observed in the intervention group (32.5 vs. 75.2%, p < 0.01). Among noncompleters, the majority originated from the control groups in attrition categories of Academic (4.8 vs. 39.3%, p < 0.01) and Never Attended (1.2 vs. 14.5%, p < 0.01). Students who took the preparatory course were more likely to achieve course completion (OR = 5.17, p < 0.01). The use of the preparatory course produced a higher first-time test-taker pass rate despite showing little difference in individual categories. Students who participated in an EMS preparatory course were 5 times more likely to achieve course completion and perform higher on most portions of the state exam; and the proportion of students that enrolled but never attended an EMT course was reduced. Unlike prior studies, we did not observe a paradoxical increase in other attrition categories after addressing academic preparedness. These findings may prove useful for EMS educators tasked with program planning.

When Synchronizing to Rhythms Is Not a Good Thing: Modulations of Preparatory and Post-Target Neural Activity When Shifting Attention Away from On-Beat Times of a Distracting Rhythm.

PubMed

Breska, Assaf; Deouell, Leon Y

2016-07-06

Environmental rhythms potently drive predictive resource allocation in time, typically leading to perceptual and motor benefits for on-beat, relative to off-beat, times, even if the rhythmic stream is not intentionally used. In two human EEG experiments, we investigated the behavioral and electrophysiological expressions of using rhythms to direct resources away from on-beat times. This allowed us to distinguish goal-directed attention from the automatic capture of attention by rhythms. The following three conditions were compared: (1) a rhythmic stream with targets appearing frequently at a fixed off-beat position; (2) a rhythmic stream with targets appearing frequently at on-beat times; and (3) a nonrhythmic stream with matched target intervals. Shifting resources away from on-beat times was expressed in the slowing of responses to on-beat targets, but not in the facilitation of off-beat targets. The shifting of resources was accompanied by anticipatory adjustment of the contingent negative variation (CNV) buildup toward the expected off-beat time. In the second experiment, off-beat times were jittered, resulting in a similar CNV adjustment and also in preparatory amplitude reduction of beta-band activity. Thus, the CNV and beta activity track the relevance of time points and not the rhythm, given sufficient incentive. Furthermore, the effects of task relevance (appearing in a task-relevant vs irrelevant time) and rhythm (appearing on beat vs off beat) had additive behavioral effects and also dissociable neural manifestations in target-evoked activity: rhythm affected the target response as early as the P1 component, while relevance affected only the later N2 and P3. Thus, these two factors operate by distinct mechanisms. Rhythmic streams are widespread in our environment, and are typically conceptualized as automatic, bottom-up resource attractors to on-beat times-preparatory neural activity peaks at rhythm-on-beat times and behavioral benefits are seen to on-beat compared with off-beat targets. We show that this behavioral benefit is reversed when targets are more frequent at off-beat compared with on-beat times, and that preparatory neural activity, previously thought to be driven by the rhythm to on-beat times, is adjusted toward off-beat times. Furthermore, the effect of this relevance-based shifting on target-evoked brain activity was dissociable from the automatic effect of rhythms. Thus, rhythms can act as cues for flexible resource allocation according to the goal relevance of each time point, instead of being obligatory resource attractors. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/367154-13$15.00/0.

Close-Up After Preparatory Test of Drilling on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-07

After an activity called the mini drill test by NASA Mars rover Curiosity, the rover MAHLI camera recorded this view of the results. The test generated a ring of powdered rock for inspection in advance of the rover first full drilling.

The Effectiveness of Using the 7E's Learning Cycle Strategy on the Immediate and Delayed Mathematics Achievement and the Longitudinal Impact of Learning among Preparatory Year Students at King Saud University (KSU)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khashan, Khaled

2016-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching Mathematics by using 7E's Learning Cycle strategy in immediate and delayed achievement and retention among Preparatory Year students at King Saud University (KSU)--Saudi Arabia, in comparison with the traditional method. The study sample consisted of (73) Preparatory Year students at…

A Writing-Intensive Program for Teaching Retail Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darian, Jean C.; And Others

1992-01-01

Presents the writing-intensive design for a retailing management course developed by its instructor in accordance with writing-across-the-curriculum principles. Provides an overview of the semester-long project. Details project procedures for preparatory activities, field research, and writing the marketing plan. (SR)

An assessment of prospects for international cooperation on the Space Exploration Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cline, Lynn F. H.; Rosendhal, Jeffrey D.

1991-01-01

This paper discusses the unique characteristics of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) which will have to be taken into account if the Initiative is to become an international one; the technical capabilities offered by prospective international partners; the political and economic prospects for proceeding with the Initiative both in the United States and elsewhere; and the advantages and disadvantages of various possible approaches to international cooperation on SEI. SEI preparatory activities are likely to extend over a several-year period. Such an extended preparatory period should provide the time needed for coordinating studies, for identifing interests and potential contributions, and for resolving the numerous planning, budgeting, organizational and political issues which will have to be dealt with if such a complex undertaking is to be successfully internationalized.

The Effect of Corpus-Based Activities on Verb-Noun Collocations in EFL Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ucar, Serpil; Yükselir, Ceyhun

2015-01-01

This current study sought to reveal the impacts of corpus-based activities on verb-noun collocation learning in EFL classes. This study was carried out on two groups--experimental and control groups- each of which consists of 15 students. The students were preparatory class students at School of Foreign Languages, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University.…

Status of Biology Laboratory and Practical Activities in Some Selected Secondary and Preparatory Schools of Borena Zone, South Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daba, Tolessa Muleta; Anbassa, Baressa; Oda, Bula Kere; Degefa, Itefa

2016-01-01

Science laboratory is a very important resource input for teaching science. Learning science is enhanced and the understanding level is improved when students are engaged in science laboratory for practical experiments. The current study aimed to assess the status of Biology laboratory and practical activities in some selected secondary and…

Research exemption/experimental use in the European Union: patents do not block the progress of science.

PubMed

Jaenichen, Hans-Rainer; Pitz, Johann

2014-11-06

In the public debate about patents, specifically in the area of biotechnology, the position has been taken that patents block the progress of science. As we demonstrate in this review, this is not the case in the European Union (EU). The national patent acts of the EU member states define research and experimental use exemptions from patent infringement that allow sufficient room for research activities to promote innovation. This review provides a comparative overview of the legal requirements and the extent and limitations of experimental use exemptions, including the so-called Bolar provision, in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and The Netherlands. The legal framework in the respective countries is illustrated with reference to practical examples concerning tests on patent-protected genetic targets and antibodies. Specific questions concerning the use of patent-protected research tools, the outsourcing of research activities, and the use of preparatory and supplying acts for experimental purposes that are necessary for conducting experiments are covered. Copyright © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Exploring the Perceptions of Second-Generation Mexican Immigrants Regarding Their Preparation for the College Matriculation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bandre, Mark A.

2012-01-01

This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to examine the higher education preparatory experiences of a small group of central Arkansas resident teenaged males whose parents are first-generation Mexican immigrants. The participants each identify specific career aspirations and recognize the need for additional training in order to…

Educating All the Children of All the People. Bulletin, 1931, No. 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkham, Francis W.

1931-01-01

The education of all the children of all the people is an ideal that has received nation-wide acceptance in the United States. Historically, the secondary school is an institution preparatory to specific education for leadership. In old-established societies, admission has been conditioned chiefly by the social rank of the pupil. In America, its…

Evaluating the Impact of an Environmental Education Programme: An Empirical Study in Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruiz-Mallen, Isabel; Barraza, Laura; Bodenhorn, Barbara; Reyes-Garcia, Victoria

2009-01-01

This study draws on information from 11 in-depth interviews, two focus groups and 72 written questionnaires to evaluate an extra-curricular environmental education programme on forestry designed for preparatory school students from a small rural community in Mexico. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of the programme on the ecological…

Interactions between Language and Mathematics with Deaf Students: Defining the "Language-Mathematics" Equation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillegeist, Eleanor; Epstein, Kenneth

The study examined the relationship between language and mathematics with 11 classes of deaf students taking Algebra 1 or Algebra 2 at the Gallaudet University School of Preparatory Studies. Specifically, the study attempted to predict the difficulty of a variety of relatively simple algebra problems based on the abstractness of the math and the…

How Well Does the SAT and GPA Predict the Retention of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Business Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohr, Samuel L.

2013-01-01

This study examined the relationship between various admissions selection criteria utilized by a small, Liberal Arts College in Indiana. More specifically, the study examined if a higher college preparatory GPA and a higher aggregate score on the SAT helped predict the retention of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business…

Building Student Momentum from High School into College. Ready or Not: It's Time to Rethink the 12th Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Elisabeth

2016-01-01

Elisabeth Barnett of the Community College Research Center proposes a new dimension to the general understanding of how best to prepare high school students for higher education. She suggests considering the accumulation of momentum points--specific to college preparatory "experiences" and markers of educational "attainment" in…

The Effectiveness of Using Mobile on EFL Learners' Reading Practices in Najran University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazaea, Abduljalil Nasr; Alzubi, Ali Abbas

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the efficiency of using mobile technology in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading classroom of 30 male students at Preparatory Year, Najran University. Specifically, the study aims to explore the role of this new integrated method in enhancing the EFL learners' reading practices. Integrating Freebody and Luke's…

Report on the Audit of the U.S. Air Force Preparatory School

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-01-18

OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL Report REPORT ON THE AUDIT OF THE U.S. PREPARATORY SCHOOL No. 95-077 AIR FORCE January 18, 1995 :W:^>»*»!l...SUBJECT: Report on the Audit of the U.S. Air Force Preparatory School (Report No. 95-077) This final report is provided for your information and use. It...comments are required. The courtesies extended to the audit staff are appreciated. If you have questions on this audit, please contact Mr. Harlan M

[Response of primary care teams to manage mental health problems after the 2010 earthquake].

PubMed

Vitriol, Verónica; Minoletti, Alberto; Alvarado, Rubén; Sierralta, Paula; Cancino, Alfredo

2014-09-01

Thirty to 50% of people exposed to a natural disaster suffer psychological problems in the ensuing months. To characterize the activities in mental health developed by Primary Health Care centers after the earthquake that affected Chile on february 27th, 2010. A cross-sectional study analyzing 16 urban centers of Maule Region, was carried out. A questionnaire was developed to know the preparatory and supportive activities directed to the community and the training and self-care activities directed to Health Care personnel that were made during the 12 months following the catastrophe. In addition, a questionnaire evaluating structural aspects was designed. Only 1/3 of the centers made some preparatory activity and none of them made a diagnosis of population vulnerability. The average of protective Mental Health interventions coverage reached 35% of the population estimated to be most affected. The activities lasted 31 to 62% of the optimal duration standards set by experts (according to the type of action). Important differences between centers in economic and geographical accessibility, construction and professional resources were found. This study shows the difficulties faced by urban centers of Maule Region to deal with mental health problems caused by the earthquake, which were attributable to the absence of local planning and drills, and to the lack of intra and inter sectorial coordination.

Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

PubMed

Lochner, Lukas; Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

2016-02-21

The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome. Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize 'student passivity' as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes.

Phasic alertness cues modulate visual processing speed in healthy aging.

PubMed

Haupt, Marleen; Sorg, Christian; Napiórkowski, Natan; Finke, Kathrin

2018-05-31

Warning signals temporarily increase the rate of visual information in younger participants and thus optimize perception in critical situations. It is unclear whether such important preparatory processes are preserved in healthy aging. We parametrically assessed the effects of auditory alertness cues on visual processing speed and their time course using a whole report paradigm based on the computational Theory of Visual Attention. We replicated prior findings of significant alerting benefits in younger adults. In conditions with short cue-target onset asynchronies, this effect was baseline-dependent. As younger participants with high baseline speed did not show a profit, an inverted U-shaped function of phasic alerting and visual processing speed was implied. Older adults also showed a significant cue-induced benefit. Bayesian analyses indicated that the cueing benefit on visual processing speed was comparably strong across age groups. Our results indicate that in aging individuals, comparable to younger ones, perception is active and increased expectancy of the appearance of a relevant stimulus can increase the rate of visual information uptake. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Voluntary control over prestimulus activity related to encoding

PubMed Central

Gruber, Matthias J.; Otten, Leun J.

2010-01-01

A new development in our understanding of human long-term memory is that effective memory formation relies on neural activity just before an event. It is unknown whether such prestimulus activity is under voluntary control or a reflection of random fluctuations over time. In the present study, we addressed two issues: (i) whether prestimulus activity is influenced by an individual's motivation to encode, and (ii) at what point in time encoding-related activity emerges. Electrical brain activity was recorded while healthy male and female adults memorized series of words. Each word was preceded by a cue, which indicated the monetary reward that would be received if the following word was later remembered. Memory was tested after a short delay with a five-way recognition task to separate different sources of recognition. Electrical activity elicited by the reward cue predicted later memory of a word. Crucially, however, this was only observed when the incentive to memorize a word was high. Encoding-related activity preceded high reward words that were later recollected. This activity started shortly after cue onset and persisted until word onset. Prestimulus activity thus not only signals cue-related processing, but also an ensuing preparatory state. In contrast, reward-related activity was limited to the time period immediately following the reward cue. These findings indicate that engaging neural activity that benefits the encoding of an upcoming event is under voluntary control, reflecting a strategic preparatory state in anticipation of processing an event. PMID:20660262

Health status of male preparatory school students lodging at a dormitory in Japan.

PubMed

Sakurada, I; Kido, T; Suwazono, Y; Kobayashi, E; Kinouchi, N; Nogawa, K

1999-04-01

An investigation on the health status of 79 male preparatory school students lodging at a dormitory in Japan was carried out by questionnaire on lifestyles, subjective symptoms and mental status, as compared with two control groups: 73 medical students and 36 new employees. About 83 % of them slept less than 6 hours and 70 % of them did not exercise. Many students are troubled with back pain or lumbago(47%), sensation of incomplete bladder emptying(l6%), loss of visual acuity(55%) and eye fatigue(65%). Self-rating depression scale score of preparatory school students was not significantly higher than those of the control groups. The lifestyles of preparatory school students found to be very restricted and strained. However, no significant differences on mental adverse health effects was found among three groups.

There Is No Debriefing without Prior Briefing: Writing a Briefing Memo as a Preparatory Activity to Make the Most of the Pedagogical Potential of Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Druliolle, Vincent

2017-01-01

Simulations are traditionally divided into three phases, namely preparation, interaction, and debriefing. This article argues that the first phase has been neglected. The preparation phase is indeed widely seen as necessary but merely instrumental to the interaction phase of simulations rather than as a self-contained activity that may also…

Preparing Rural Students for an Urban Environment. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swift, Doug

Continued, substantial migration of rural students to urban areas for work or further education can be expected, and preparing students for the move from rural to metropolitan areas is an important responsibility for educators. The differences between rural and metropolitan areas are significant, and appropriate preparatory activities in high…

Exploring Teaching/Learning Activities for Sight Translation: Effectiveness from Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Karen Chung-chien

2016-01-01

In recent years, although many translation and interpretation (T&I) courses have been offered in undergraduate programs among universities in Taiwan, sight translation (ST), the suggested preparatory course for learning interpreting (Ilg & Lambert, 1996) is not commonly offered as a separate course but an included component in other…

Interpersonal Skills Training in a Dental Setting: A Group Interaction Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eigenbrode, Charles R.

1983-01-01

General curriculum emphases on behavioral science in the first- and second-year dental curriculum culminate in a course on doctor-patient relationships, preparatory to clinic activity. The course includes discussion and essay quizzes about videotape recordings of typical doctor-patient encounters. Topics and issues included are outlined. (MSE)

The Cost of Action Miscues: Hemispheric Asymmetries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shenal, Brian V.; Hinze, Stephan; Heilman, Kenneth M.

2012-01-01

Adaptive behaviors require preparation and when necessary inhibition or alteration of actions. The right hemisphere has been posited to be dominant for preparatory motor activation. This experiment was designed to learn if there are hemispheric asymmetries in the control of altered plans of actions. Cues, both valid and invalid, which indicate the…

PGY-1 surgery preparatory course design: identification of key curricular components.

PubMed

Antonoff, Mara B; D'Cunha, Jonathan

2011-01-01

The importance of preparing senior medical students (SMS) for surgical internship is clear, and initiatives to standardize such curricula are of national interest. Less clear, however, are the specific subject areas most important for inclusion in such courses. In this study, we aimed to identify key curricular components in the development of a PGY-1 Surgery Preparatory Course. A month-long PGY-1 preparatory course was offered to SMS entering surgical residencies, consisting of 55 sessions providing instruction in 3 main areas: 19 Ward Management Tasks (WMT), 12 Operative and Technical Skills (OTS), and 4 Professionalism Skillsets (PS). To determine curricular topics most valued and needed by students, data were reviewed from precourse and postcourse surveys, knowledge tests, and performance examinations. Pretest/posttest scores were compared using t-tests, α = 0.05. In all, 22 SMS enrolled in the course. Prior to course participation, students placed greatest importance on WMT (4.35 ± 0.05) over OTS (4.09 ± 0.06) and PS (3.90 ± 0.15), p < 0.05. Precourse confidence levels were lowest in WMT (2.28 ± 0.12), versus OTS (2.41 ± 0.20) and PS (3.50 ± 0.30). Mean pretest scores were 54.8 ± 2.1% in WMT and 82.7 ± 2.5% in OTS, with significant improvement to 82.2 ± 1.9% and 93.2 ± 1.3%, respectively (p < 0.05 for both), further showing greater need for instruction in WMT. SMS participating in a PGY-1 Surgery Preparatory Course identified WMT as more important than OTS and PS. Further, they demonstrated the lowest precourse confidence in this area and found that course participation most dramatically improved their perceived ability to execute these types of tasks. As efforts continue to formalize the transition from medical school to surgical residency, these findings will be instrumental in developing standardized curricula. Copyright © 2011 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Boosting Student Comprehension of Informational Materials at the Secondary Level at Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampley, Jolyne K.

2008-01-01

Without proficiency in content reading skills, seventh grade students were at risk of not being able to achieve understanding of what they read in non-fiction texts, a skill that is absolutely necessary for college-bound students. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate whether an approach that involved specific and focused…

Strategies Used by Intellectually Gifted Students to Cope with Stress during Their Participation in a High School International Baccalaureate Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaunessy, Elizabeth; Suldo, Shannon M.

2010-01-01

Individuals respond to threats to affiliation and achievement needs through drawing on a repertoire of coping strategies specific to a given situation. Gifted adolescents in college-preparatory high school programs may be faced with novel stressors, and may have unique coping strategies to manage these challenges. The current study considers…

An electronic diary study of contextual triggers and ADHD: get ready, get set, get mad.

PubMed

Whalen, Carol K; Henker, Barbara; Ishikawa, Sharon S; Jamner, Larry D; Floro, Joshua N; Johnston, Joseph A; Swindle, Ralph

2006-02-01

This study was designed to examine context effects or provocation ecologies in the daily lives of children with ADHD. Across 7 days, mothers and children (27 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] taking stimulant medication; 25 children without ADHD; ages 7-12 years) provided electronic diary reports every 30 +/- 5 minutes during non-school hours. Child and maternal perceptions of behaviors, moods, and interaction quality during preparatory and transitional ("getting ready") activities were compared with those during other activities. Maternal reports revealed that child symptomatic behaviors and negative moods, maternal negative moods, and parent-child disagreement were elevated in the ADHD but not in the comparison group while getting ready versus other activities. Children's self-ratings also revealed situational effects, indicating that school-age children with ADHD can give meaningful self-reports using carefully structured electronic diaries. Even when children with ADHD are receiving stimulant pharmacotherapy, the preparatory tasks of daily living are especially challenging and linked disproportionately to child behavior problems, parent negative affect, and contentious interactions. Treatment targeted on these transitional hurdles may improve child behavior patterns and enhance parent-child relationships and family harmony.

Principles of Bobath neuro-developmental therapy in cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Klimont, L

2001-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present the basics of Bobath Neurodevelopment Therapy (NDT) for the rehabilitation of patients with cerebral palsy, based on the fundamentals of neurophysiology.
Two factors are continually stressed in therapy: first, postural tension, whose quality provides the foundation for the development of motor coordination, both normal and pathological, and plays a role in shaping the mechanism of the normal postural reflex; and secondly, the impact of damage to the central nervous system on the process of its growth and development.
The practical application of the theoretical assumptions includes the use of inhibition, facilitation, and stimulation by key points of control, preparatory to evoking more nearly normal motor responses.

Comparison of gluteal and hamstring activation during five commonly used plyometric exercises.

PubMed

Struminger, Aaron H; Lewek, Michael D; Goto, Shiho; Hibberd, Elizabeth; Blackburn, J Troy

2013-08-01

Anterior cruciate ligament injuries occur frequently in athletics, and anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs may decrease injury risk. However, previous prevention programs that include plyometrics use a variety of exercises with little justification of exercise inclusion. Because gluteal and hamstring activation is thought to be important for preventing knee injuries, the purpose of this study was to determine which commonly used plyometric exercises produce the greatest activation of the gluteals and hamstrings. EMG (Electromyography) amplitudes of the hamstring and gluteal muscles during preparatory and loading phases of landing were recorded in 41 subjects during 5 commonly used plyometric exercises. Repeated measures ANOVAs (Analysis of Variance) were used on 36 subjects to examine differences in muscle activation. Differences in hamstring (P<.01) and gluteal (P<.01) activities were identified across exercises during the preparatory and landing phases. The single-leg sagittal plane hurdle hops produced the greatest gluteal and hamstring activity in both phases. The 180° jumps did not produce significantly greater gluteal or hamstring activity than any other exercise. Single-leg sagittal plane hurdle hops may be the most effective exercise to activate the gluteals and hamstrings and may be important to include in anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention programs, given the importance of these muscles for limiting valgus loading of the knee. Because 180° jumps do not produce greater gluteal and hamstring activation than other plyometric exercises, their removal from injury prevention programs may be warranted without affecting program efficacy. © 2013.

Manufacturing Gender Inequality in the New Economy: High School Training for Work in Blue-Collar Communities

PubMed Central

Sutton, April; Bosky, Amanda; Muller, Chandra

2016-01-01

Tensions between the demands of the knowledge-based economy and remaining, blue-collar jobs underlie renewed debates about whether schools should emphasize career and technical training or college-preparatory curricula. We add a gendered lens to this issue, given the male-dominated nature of blue-collar jobs and women’s greater returns to college. Using the ELS:2002, this study exploits spatial variation in school curricula and jobs to investigate local dynamics that shape gender stratification. Results suggest a link between high school training and jobs in blue-collar communities that structures patterns of gender inequality into early adulthood. Although high school training in blue-collar communities reduced both men’s and women’s odds of four-year college enrollment, it had gender-divergent labor market consequences. Men in blue-collar communities took more blue-collar courses, had higher rates of blue-collar employment, and earned similar wages relative to otherwise comparable men from non-blue-collar communities. Women were less likely to work and to be employed in professional occupations, and they suffered severe wage penalties relative to their male peers and women from non-blue-collar communities. These relationships were due partly to high schools in blue-collar communities offering more blue-collar and fewer advanced college-preparatory courses. This curricular tradeoff may benefit men, but it appears to disadvantage women. PMID:27818522

Manufacturing Gender Inequality in the New Economy: High School Training for Work in Blue-Collar Communities.

PubMed

Sutton, April; Bosky, Amanda; Muller, Chandra

2016-08-01

Tensions between the demands of the knowledge-based economy and remaining, blue-collar jobs underlie renewed debates about whether schools should emphasize career and technical training or college-preparatory curricula. We add a gendered lens to this issue, given the male-dominated nature of blue-collar jobs and women's greater returns to college. Using the ELS:2002, this study exploits spatial variation in school curricula and jobs to investigate local dynamics that shape gender stratification. Results suggest a link between high school training and jobs in blue-collar communities that structures patterns of gender inequality into early adulthood. Although high school training in blue-collar communities reduced both men's and women's odds of four-year college enrollment, it had gender-divergent labor market consequences. Men in blue-collar communities took more blue-collar courses, had higher rates of blue-collar employment, and earned similar wages relative to otherwise comparable men from non-blue-collar communities. Women were less likely to work and to be employed in professional occupations, and they suffered severe wage penalties relative to their male peers and women from non-blue-collar communities. These relationships were due partly to high schools in blue-collar communities offering more blue-collar and fewer advanced college-preparatory courses. This curricular tradeoff may benefit men, but it appears to disadvantage women.

College and Careers Project, 1993-96. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fixman, Carol S.

The College and Careers Project sought to increase college attendance of at-risk students in the Philadelphia public high schools and to help students link their college and career planning. Over a three-year period, 48 students from 4 high schools participated. Students took part in college preparatory and career awareness activities throughout…

The Effectiveness of Using Corpus-Based Materials in Vocabulary Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paker, Turan; Özcan, Yeliz Ergül

2017-01-01

Our study aimed at finding out the effectiveness of corpus-based vocabulary teaching activities as well as students' attitudes towards concordance-based materials when corpus-based tasks in English vocabulary learning are used. The study was conducted in a preparatory school in a private university. The participants were 28 intermediate level…

"I Want to Study Psychology": Vocational Interests and Values of University Preparatory Students with a Preference for Studying Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernández-Franco, Vicente; Baena, Belén Charro; Prieto-Ursúa, María; Toro, Laura Bermejo

2018-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the specific vocational identity of secondary school students whose first choice of degree program is Psychology. In particular, this study analyzes when their interest in Psychology began, the curriculum track taken in high school and their profile of vocational interests and values. Method: The…

English language proficiency and academic performance: A study of a medical preparatory year program in Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Kaliyadan, Feroze; Thalamkandathil, Nazer; Parupalli, Srinivas Rao; Amin, Tarek Tawfik; Balaha, Magdy Hassan; Al Bu Ali, Waleed Hamad

2015-01-01

Introduction: All medical schools in Saudi Arabia have English as the primary official medium of instruction. Most of the high school education, however, is delivered in Arabic and hence the transition to an English based learning environment tends to be difficult for some students. Our study aims to correlate English language proficiency with academic performance among medical students in their preparatory year. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. Test scores of 103 preparatory year students (54 female and 49 male) were analyzed after the students completed an English language course and medical introductory course in their preparatory year. The total score obtained in the English course assessment was compared to each component of the medical content assessment. Results: A significantly positive correlation (Spearman's Rho, at 0.01 levels) was seen between the scores of the English exam and the written exam (P <0.001) and the oral exam (P = −0.003) parts respectively of the medical examination. Significant correlation with the English exam score was not obtained for the other components of the medical assessment, namely; student assignments, presentations and portfolios. Conclusion: English language proficiency is an important factor in determining academic proficiency of medical students in our college at the preparatory year level. PMID:26629471

English language proficiency and academic performance: A study of a medical preparatory year program in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Kaliyadan, Feroze; Thalamkandathil, Nazer; Parupalli, Srinivas Rao; Amin, Tarek Tawfik; Balaha, Magdy Hassan; Al Bu Ali, Waleed Hamad

2015-01-01

All medical schools in Saudi Arabia have English as the primary official medium of instruction. Most of the high school education, however, is delivered in Arabic and hence the transition to an English based learning environment tends to be difficult for some students. Our study aims to correlate English language proficiency with academic performance among medical students in their preparatory year. A cross-sectional study design was used. Test scores of 103 preparatory year students (54 female and 49 male) were analyzed after the students completed an English language course and medical introductory course in their preparatory year. The total score obtained in the English course assessment was compared to each component of the medical content assessment. A significantly positive correlation (Spearman's Rho, at 0.01 levels) was seen between the scores of the English exam and the written exam (P <0.001) and the oral exam (P = -0.003) parts respectively of the medical examination. Significant correlation with the English exam score was not obtained for the other components of the medical assessment, namely; student assignments, presentations and portfolios. English language proficiency is an important factor in determining academic proficiency of medical students in our college at the preparatory year level.

Young Children's Developing Understanding of Geometric Shapes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannibal, Mary Anne

1999-01-01

Presents research findings and suggestions on how children learn to categorize shapes. Discusses specific ways to present developmentally appropriate activities designed to enhance children's understanding of basic shapes. Contains 12 references. (ASK)

Combining traditional anatomy lectures with e-learning activities: how do students perceive their learning experience?

PubMed Central

Wieser, Heike; Waldboth, Simone; Mischo-Kelling, Maria

2016-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate how students perceived their learning experience when combining traditional anatomy lectures with preparatory e-learning activities that consisted of fill-in-the-blank assignments, videos, and multiple-choice quizzes. Methods A qualitative study was conducted to explore changes in study behaviour and perception of learning. Three group interviews with students were conducted and thematically analysed. Results Data was categorized into four themes: 1. Approaching the course material, 2. Understanding the material, 3. Consolidating the material, and 4. Perceived learning outcome.  Students appreciated the clear structure of the course, and reported that online activities encouraged them towards a first engagement with the material. They felt that they were more active during in-class sessions, described self-study before the end-of-term exam as easier, and believed that contents would remain in their memories for a longer time. Conclusions By adjusting already existing resources, lectures can be combined fairly easily and cost-effectively with preparatory e-learning activities. The creation of online components promote well-structured courses, can help minimize ‘student passivity’ as a characteristic element of lectures, and can support students in distributing their studies throughout the term, thus suggesting enhanced learning. Further research work should be designed to confirm the afore-mentioned findings through objective measurements of student learning outcomes. PMID:26897012

College Preparatory Mathematics: Change from Within.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kysh, Judith M.

1995-01-01

The College Preparatory Mathematics: Change from Within Project (CPM) was created to develop a rich, integrated mathematics curriculum, based on the best current wisdom of how people learn and the mathematics needed in an era of computers, and involving teachers in materials development. (MKR)

32 CFR 903.3 - Selection criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... must furnish a certified transcript from each high school or civilian preparatory school attended... Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE MILITARY TRAINING AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.3 Selection criteria. (a) Cadet candidates for the HQ USAFA/PL...

32 CFR 903.3 - Selection criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... must furnish a certified transcript from each high school or civilian preparatory school attended... Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE MILITARY TRAINING AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.3 Selection criteria. (a) Cadet candidates for the HQ USAFA/PL...

32 CFR 903.3 - Selection criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... must furnish a certified transcript from each high school or civilian preparatory school attended... Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE MILITARY TRAINING AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.3 Selection criteria. (a) Cadet candidates for the HQ USAFA/PL...

Physics Teacher Demonstrations for the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murfee, Lee

2005-04-01

A sharing of physics and physics teaching demonstrations by Lee Murfee, a teacher of students learning physics and mathematics at Berkeley Preparatory School and the United States Military Academy for 21 years, and active member of the Florida Section of American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). Presentation is a fast paced array of physics and physics teaching demonstrations. Topics include who and what we teach, a successful science department philosophy, forces, acceleration, impulse, momentum, observations, pendulums, springs, friction, inclined plane, rotational motion, moment of inertia, teaching description of motion with data, equations and graphing, slope, uniform circular motion, derivatives, integrals, PASCO Data Studio sensor applications, students presenting to students, flashboards, sound, pressure, and sensitivity analysis in determining specific heat. Demonstrations apply to high school and college introductory physics teaching; handouts and some door prizes/gifts will be provided.

Identification of reproduction-related genes and SSR-markers through expressed sequence tags analysis of a monsoon breeding carp rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton).

PubMed

Sahu, Dinesh K; Panda, Soumya P; Panda, Sujata; Das, Paramananda; Meher, Prem K; Hazra, Rupenangshu K; Peatman, Eric; Liu, Zhanjiang J; Eknath, Ambekar E; Nandi, Samiran

2013-07-15

Labeo rohita (Ham.) also called rohu is the most important freshwater aquaculture species on the Indian sub continent. Monsoon dependent breeding restricts its seed production beyond season indicating a strong genetic control about which very limited information is available. Additionally, few genomic resources are publicly available for this species. Here we sought to identify reproduction-relevant genes from normalized cDNA libraries of the brain-pituitary-gonad-liver (BPGL-axis) tissues of adult L. rohita collected during post preparatory phase. 6161 random clones sequenced (Sanger-based) from these libraries produced 4642 (75.34%) high-quality sequences. They were assembled into 3631 (78.22%) unique sequences composed of 709 contigs and 2922 singletons. A total of 182 unique sequences were found to be associated with reproduction-related genes, mainly under the GO term categories of reproduction, neuro-peptide hormone activity, hormone and receptor binding, receptor activity, signal transduction, embryonic development, cell-cell signaling, cell death and anti-apoptosis process. Several important reproduction-related genes reported here for the first time in L. rohita are zona pellucida sperm-binding protein 3, aquaporin-12, spermine oxidase, sperm associated antigen 7, testis expressed 261, progesterone receptor membrane component, Neuropeptide Y and Pro-opiomelanocortin. Quantitative RT-PCR-based analyses of 8 known and 8 unknown transcripts during preparatory and post-spawning phase showed increased expression level of most of the transcripts during preparatory phase (except Neuropeptide Y) in comparison to post-spawning phase indicating possible roles in initiation of gonad maturation. Expression of unknown transcripts was also found in prolific breeder common carp and tilapia, but levels of expression were much higher in seasonal breeder rohu. 3631 unique sequences contained 236 (6.49%) putative microsatellites with the AG (28.16%) repeat as the most frequent motif. Twenty loci showed polymorphism in 36 unrelated individuals with allele frequency ranging from 2 to 7 per locus. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.096 to 0.774 whereas the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.109 to 0.801. Identification of 182 important reproduction-related genes and expression pattern of 16 transcripts in preparatory and post-spawning phase along with 20 polymorphic EST-SSRs should be highly useful for the future reproductive molecular studies and selection program in Labeo rohita. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Exemplary Program for Occupational Preparation in Selected Agricultural and Industrial Activities for Small High Schools in Utah. An Integrated Shop Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasden, Jed W.

Many educational problems center around vocational education--its place in the total educational program, its relation to academic education, when vocational education should be started, and who should participate. Vocational education, the alternative to college preparatory programs, is frequently rejected and more often misunderstood by…

Similarities and Differences in Classroom Interaction between Remedial and College Mathematics Courses in a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mesa, V.

2011-01-01

Through an analysis of instruction in mathematics classrooms at a community college, the author describes the nature of the interaction and the complexity of the mathematical activities evident in two types of courses: remedial and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college preparatory courses. Although both types of courses…

Preparing Medical Students to Undertake a Cultural Immersion Experience: Introducing Frameworks for Preparatory and Post-Immersion Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mak, Donna B.; Watson, Rashmi; Hadden, John

2011-01-01

Recruiting and retaining practitioners to rural and remote locations is a challenge for many industries including health and education. The medical, nursing and teaching professions have utilized immersion experiences for trainees and students to better prepare them and to address workforce shortages in crosscultural and underserved areas. This…

Technological Modeling: Faculty Use of Technologies in Preservice Teacher Education from 2004 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Joan E.; Liu, Sa; Lim, Mihyun

2016-01-01

This 7-year, cross-sectional study of a 1:1 laptop teacher preparatory program in the United States examined the nature and change in faculty technological modeling. Using survey methods, preservice teachers (n = 932) reported their faculty's use of technological activities in coursework. Through descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and…

A Tracking Analysis of Compact Students within Level 1 of Their Higher Education Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wakely, Katrina; Saunders, Danny

2004-01-01

This article presents a tracking analysis of level 1 undergraduates who entered the University of Glamorgan through the Compact schools initiative. The Compact initiative aims to widen access to higher education by encouraging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend a range of preparatory activities and by offering lower entry…

The College Connection: A Handbook for High School Students. Links to Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houston Independent School District, TX.

This handbook is a year-by-year planning guide to college preparatory activities for high school students and it begins with the 9th grade. These topics are included: (1) introduction to planning and the decision-making process; (2) educational and occupational alternatives; (3) considerations in choosing a college; (4) types of academic…

29 CFR 1926.850 - Preparatory operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... wall openings, the opening shall be protected to a height of approximately 42 inches. (h) When debris..., shall be posted at each level. Removal shall not be permitted in this lower area until debris handling..., holes through which to drop materials, preparation of storage space, and similar necessary preparatory...

29 CFR 1926.850 - Preparatory operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... wall openings, the opening shall be protected to a height of approximately 42 inches. (h) When debris..., shall be posted at each level. Removal shall not be permitted in this lower area until debris handling..., holes through which to drop materials, preparation of storage space, and similar necessary preparatory...

29 CFR 1926.850 - Preparatory operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... wall openings, the opening shall be protected to a height of approximately 42 inches. (h) When debris..., shall be posted at each level. Removal shall not be permitted in this lower area until debris handling..., holes through which to drop materials, preparation of storage space, and similar necessary preparatory...

29 CFR 1926.850 - Preparatory operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... wall openings, the opening shall be protected to a height of approximately 42 inches. (h) When debris..., shall be posted at each level. Removal shall not be permitted in this lower area until debris handling..., holes through which to drop materials, preparation of storage space, and similar necessary preparatory...

29 CFR 1926.850 - Preparatory operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... wall openings, the opening shall be protected to a height of approximately 42 inches. (h) When debris..., shall be posted at each level. Removal shall not be permitted in this lower area until debris handling..., holes through which to drop materials, preparation of storage space, and similar necessary preparatory...

What Do You Mean You Don't Do Advanced Placement?: Confessions of an Educational Heretic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briley, Ron

2000-01-01

Explains why Advanced Placement courses are not offered at Sandia Preparatory School, a college preparatory school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Focuses on the school mission, overall philosophy, and how this relates to the history classroom in particular. (CMK)

Living the Dream: The Lived Experience of an English Language Arts Professional Learning Community at a College Preparatory Boarding School for Underserved Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worth, Kim A.

2014-01-01

Teachers working in schools where the majority of the population is underserved students often feel a sense of helplessness. The purpose of the study is to uncover the lived experience of a small group of English Language Arts teachers working in such an environment. Specifically, the purpose is to determine if working within an effective…

What Top-Down Task Sets Do for Us: An ERP Study on the Benefits of Advance Preparation in Visual Search

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eimer, Martin; Kiss, Monika; Nicholas, Susan

2011-01-01

When target-defining features are specified in advance, attentional target selection in visual search is controlled by preparatory top-down task sets. We used ERP measures to study voluntary target selection in the absence of such feature-specific task sets, and to compare it to selection that is guided by advance knowledge about target features.…

Technical skill improvement with surgical preparatory courses: What advantages are reflected in residency?

PubMed

Green, Courtney A; Huang, Emily; Zhao, Nina W; O'Sullivan, Patricia S; Kim, Edward; Chern, Hueylan

2017-11-01

Sustainability of skill acquisition gained from graduating medical student (GMS) preparatory courses remains uncertain. GMS skills were assessed before (T1) and after a preparatory course (T2) and then again 2 (T3) and 4 (T4) months into residency and compared to surgical interns without such a course. In April, GMS took the preparatory course. In July-August all interns participated in a basic skills curriculum. Learners completed four technical exercises pre/post each course. Three surgeons scored performances. GMS scores were compared across the 4 time points. Control interns were compared at T3 and T4. Thirty-two interns completed all pre/post course assessments (T3 and T4); seven of those were GMSs. GMS scores increased from 74.5%(T1) to 94.2%(T2) (p < 0.001), and were maintained into residency. Control interns also improved (65.8%(T3) to 91.8%(T4), p < 0.001). GMS-interns scored higher starting residency compared to control interns (T3, 89.08% vs 65.03%, p < 0.001). These findings support existing literature and demonstrate that students maintain their skills into residency. Preparatory courses provide a head start. Without such course, interns require a steep learning curve. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Eating a healthy lunch improves serum alanine aminotransferase activity.

PubMed

Iwamoto, Masako; Yagi, Kaori; Yazumi, Kayoko; Komine, Airi; Shirouchi, Bungo; Sato, Masao

2013-09-14

Nutritional guidance and diet control play important roles in the treatment of obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver. However, in Japan, nutritional guidance is difficult to provide in practice. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of providing the 'once-a-day' intervention of a healthy lunch on various metabolic parameters. For a 1-month preparatory period, 10 subjects generally consumed the lunches that were provided by the worksite cafeteria. This was followed by a 1-week washout period, after which, the subjects consumed healthy, low-calorie, well-balanced lunches for a 1-month test period. After the preparatory and test periods, blood samples were obtained from all subjects. The serum levels of indices relevant to metabolic syndrome and fatty liver were measured. Serum alanine aminotransferase activity significantly decreased by 20.3% after the healthy intervention. However, the indices of metabolic syndrome did not significantly change. Analysis of the relationship between serum alanine aminotransferase activity and nutrient content indicated that the improvement of serum alanine aminotransferase status was due to the higher vegetable content and lower animal-source protein of the meals provided. In summary, the 'once-a-day' intervention of providing a healthy lunch improved serum alanine aminotransferase status. A diet high in vegetables and low in animal-based protein is important in maintaining a healthy condition.

Vocational Preparatory Instruction: Staff Self-Training Program. Workplace Readiness Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palladino, Dolores

Designed for learning managers in a vocational preparatory instruction (VPI) lab, this three-part Workplace Readiness module provides teaching strategies they can use with students to: identify vocational interest and aptitude in making career choices; demonstrate job acquisition and job retention skills; and apply Secretary's Commission on…

9 CFR 114.9 - Outline of Production guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... each satisfactory test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Other tests. VI. Post preparatory steps. A... test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Moisture, if desiccated. E. Any other tests. VI. Post.... Potency. D. Any other tests. E. Include any additional pertinent information. IV. Post preparatory steps...

9 CFR 114.9 - Outline of Production guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... each satisfactory test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Other tests. VI. Post preparatory steps. A... test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Moisture, if desiccated. E. Any other tests. VI. Post.... Potency. D. Any other tests. E. Include any additional pertinent information. IV. Post preparatory steps...

9 CFR 114.9 - Outline of Production guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... each satisfactory test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Other tests. VI. Post preparatory steps. A... test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Moisture, if desiccated. E. Any other tests. VI. Post.... Potency. D. Any other tests. E. Include any additional pertinent information. IV. Post preparatory steps...

9 CFR 114.9 - Outline of Production guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... each satisfactory test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Other tests. VI. Post preparatory steps. A... test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Moisture, if desiccated. E. Any other tests. VI. Post.... Potency. D. Any other tests. E. Include any additional pertinent information. IV. Post preparatory steps...

9 CFR 114.9 - Outline of Production guidelines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... each satisfactory test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Other tests. VI. Post preparatory steps. A... test. A. Purity. B. Safety. C. Potency. D. Moisture, if desiccated. E. Any other tests. VI. Post.... Potency. D. Any other tests. E. Include any additional pertinent information. IV. Post preparatory steps...

An Analysis of Preservice Teacher Perceptions of Instrumentality through the Lens of Epistemological Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowson, H. Michael

This paper examines the relationship between preservice teachers' epistemological beliefs and their perceptions of their college preparatory work as being instrumental to their futures, arguing that preservice teachers often find little relevance in the theoretical, philosophical, and historical content presented in their preparatory classes. Nor…

Students' Motivation toward Computer-Based Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genc, Gulten; Aydin, Selami

2011-01-01

The present article examined some factors affecting the motivation level of the preparatory school students in using a web-based computer-assisted language-learning course. The sample group of the study consisted of 126 English-as-a-foreign-language learners at a preparatory school of a state university. After performing statistical analyses…

Effects of Morphological Awareness on Second Language Vocabulary Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbulut, Fatma Demiray

2017-01-01

This research has analysed the impact of morphological treatment in English morphological awareness task. The main aim of this study is to understand the relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary knowledge of university preparatory class students. In second language learning environment, fifty-two preparatory class students have…

The Effect of Preparatory Set on Musical Response in College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartel, Lee R.

1992-01-01

Presents study results on the cognitive-affective response to music as affected by three dimensions of preparatory set. Explores self-perception of musicality, attitude toward style concepts and valuing of music experiences, and beliefs and expectations of music listening. Concludes that perception of musicality, general attitude, style…

9 CFR 77.29 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.29 Section 77.29 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.14 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.14 Section 77.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.29 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.29 Section 77.29 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.14 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.14 Section 77.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.14 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.14 Section 77.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.29 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.29 Section 77.29 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.29 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.29 Section 77.29 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.14 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.14 Section 77.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.29 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.29 Section 77.29 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

9 CFR 77.14 - Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 9 Animals and Animal Products 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Interstate movement from accreditation preparatory States and zones. 77.14 Section 77.14 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF ANIMALS (INCLUDING POULTRY) AND...

Achievement Attributions of Preparatory Class Learners in Learning English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paker, Turan; Özkardes-Dögüs, Alev

2017-01-01

The aim of the study is to find out the achievement attributions of preparatory class learners studying at preintermediate and intermediate levels for their perceived success or failure, and to investigate whether there is a significant relationship between achievement attributions of learners, their gender and level of language proficiency. The…

Academic Optimism, Organizational Citizenship Behaviors, and Student Achievement at Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guvercin, Mustafa

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among academic optimism, Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs), and student achievement in college preparatory charter schools. A purposeful sample of elementary school teachers from college preparatory charter schools (N = 226) in southeast Texas was solicited to complete the…

University Instructors' Views about and Approaches to Reading Instruction and Reading Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabaroglu, Nese; Yurdaisik, Aysun

2008-01-01

The present study investigates university preparatory school teachers' views about and approaches to reading instruction and reading strategies. Fifty instructors who work at preparatory schools of Cag University, Cukurova University and Mersin University in Turkey participated in the study. To investigate instructors' views about and approaches…

Preparatory co-activation of the ankle muscles may prevent ankle inversion injuries

PubMed Central

DeMers, Matthew S.; Hicks, Jennifer L.; Delp, Scott L.

2018-01-01

Ankle inversion sprains are the most frequent acute musculoskeletal injuries occurring in physical activity. Interventions that retrain muscle coordination have helped rehabilitate injured ankles, but it is unclear which muscle coordination strategies, if any, can prevent ankle sprains. The purpose of this study was to determine whether coordinated activity of the ankle muscles could prevent excessive ankle inversion during a simulated landing on a 30-degree incline. We used a set of musculoskeletal simulations to evaluate the efficacy of two strategies for coordinating the ankle evertor and invertor muscles during simulated landing scenarios: planned co-activation and stretch reflex activation with physiologic latency (60-millisecond delay). A full-body musculoskeletal model of landing was used to generate simulations of a subject dropping onto an inclined surface with each coordination condition. Within each condition, the intensity of evertor and invertor co-activity or stretch reflexes were varied systematically. The simulations revealed that strong preparatory co-activation of the ankle evertors and invertors prior to ground contact prevented ankle inversion from exceeding injury thresholds by rapidly generating eversion moments after initial contact. Conversely, stretch reflexes were too slow to generate eversion moments before the simulations reached the threshold for inversion injury. These results suggest that training interventions to protect the ankle should focus on stiffening the ankle with muscle co-activation prior to landing. The musculoskeletal models, controllers, software, and simulation results are freely available online at http://simtk.org/home/ankle-sprains, enabling others to reproduce the results and explore new injury scenarios and interventions. PMID:28057351

[Third preparatory committee for the International Conference on Population and Development. Peru presentation].

PubMed

Lopez, C

1994-01-01

This address by the Peruvian delegation to the Third Preparatory Committee Meeting for the International Conference on Population and Development focuses on four points in the proposed Plan of Action that might require further development. First, the link between drug trafficking and environmental degradation should be recognized. Cultivation of narcotic plants contributes to deforestation of the tropical forest and contamination of rivers, and along with terrorism has caused considerable population movement in Peru. The second point is that widespread poverty, limited investment in human capital, insufficient institutional capacity, and the external debt burden of the developing countries are clearly interrelated with sociodemographic processes and decisively affect the capacity of the nation to implement population policies and programs as a function of current and future international commitments. The third point is that, in the area of information, education, and communication, attention should be given to the entire life cycle and the entirety of themes related to population. Finally, coordinated programs between public and private institutions and nongovernmental organizations at the national level, and between the U.N. Population Fund, the Population Commission, and the Commission on Sustainable Development at the international level, should be organized to assure effective follow-up on Plan of Action proposals and agreements. Peru has participated in a wide variety of international conferences and activities related to population, and was a major participant in the subregional preparatory conference of the Andean nations.

Meeting Developmental Challenges during Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Personality and Social Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shulman, Shmuel; Kalnitzki, Esther; Shahar, Golan

2009-01-01

A one-year follow-up study examined the role of developmental challenges, personality (dependency, self-criticism, and personal efficacy), and support systems in adaptation among Israeli emerging adults (N = 236) participating in a preparatory academic program. Participants were assessed during their enrollment in the preparatory academic program…

Out of the Valley of the Shadow of Death via Cader Idris: A Study of Disease and Drains, Health, and Hygiene in Victorian Public and Preparatory Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leinster-Mackay, D. P.

1976-01-01

Examines the circumstances that led to the flight of a school from Uppingham to North Wales, and goes on to consider the many facets of health and hygiene in Victorian public and preparatory schools. (Author/IRT)

The Segmentation of Elite Education Institutions and of Their Students: The New Preparatory Courses for The French "Grandes Écoles"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daverne-Bailly, Carole; Dutercq, Yves

2016-01-01

The present paper focuses on the preparatory courses for the French "grandes écoles" ("CPGEs"), which are selective higher education programmes that enable "good" students to bypass mass higher education and study under "favourable" conditions. These "CPGEs," originally intended to educate the…

The Preparatory Year in a Queensland Non-Government School: Exploring Parents' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Gorman, Lyndal

2008-01-01

This paper reports the findings of a research project investigating parents' conceptions of an early childhood program in Queensland. During 2007, early childhood education and care (ECEC) in Queensland underwent significant reform associated with the introduction of a full-time Preparatory Year program in all schools throughout the state. The…

Morphological Analysis as a Vocabulary Strategy for L1 and L2 College Preparatory Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellomo, Tom S.

2009-01-01

Students enrolled in a college preparatory reading class were categorized based on language origin. Native English speakers comprised one group and foreign students were dichotomized into Latin-based (for example, Spanish) and non Latin-based (for example, Japanese) language groups. A pretest assessment quantified existing knowledge of Latinate…

Towards a Knowledge-Rich Learning Environment in Preparatory Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Schaik, Martijn; van Oers, Bert; Terwel, Jan

2011-01-01

In this case study a novel educational programme for students in preparatory vocational education was studied. The research questions were: (1) Which teaching/learning processes occur in a simulated workplace using the concept of a "knowledge-rich" workplace? (2) What is the role of models and modelling in the teaching/learning…

Predicting Arithmetic Abilities: The Role of Preparatory Arithmetic Markers and Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stock, Pieter; Desoete, Annemie; Roeyers, Herbert

2009-01-01

Arithmetic abilities acquired in kindergarten are found to be strong predictors for later deficient arithmetic abilities. This longitudinal study (N = 684) was designed to examine if it was possible to predict the level of children's arithmetic abilities in first and second grade from their performance on preparatory arithmetic abilities in…

Graphic Communications--Preparatory Area. Book I--Typography and Modern Typesetting. Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertz, Andrew

Intended for use with a companion student manual, this teacher's guide lists procedures and teaching tips for each unit of a secondary or postsecondary course of study in typography and modern typesetting. Course objectives are listed for developing student skills in the following preparatory functions of the graphic communications industry: copy…

Making the Grade. The Chemical Bank Study of Colleges, Universities, & Prep Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chemical Bank, New York, NY. Health Care and Education Finance Group.

In order to determine the financial concerns and needs of higher education institutions and preparatory schools, 200 telephone interviews were conducted during January and February 1990 with 150 colleges or universities and 50 preparatory schools randomly selected and located in New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Results showed that schools…

Development and Validation of the Hospice Professionals' Understanding of Preparatory Grief Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prost, Stephanie Grace

2017-01-01

Purpose: It is critical to assess hospice professionals' discrimination between adaptive and maladaptive reactions to terminal illness in persons at the end-of-life to assure targeted intervention aimed at maintaining quality of life. The proposed measure, the Hospice Professionals Understanding of Preparatory Grief scale (HPPG), contains…

Columbus Preparatory Academy: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Chad R.

2017-01-01

Columbus Preparatory Academy (CPA) was a school in Academic Emergency and in jeopardy of being closed in 2007. In 2016, CPA was ranked "Excellent with Distinction" and has been the top-ranked academic school for five consecutive years. There have been many "how-to" books written about how to turn schools around, but few…

Career Education and the Quality of Working Life. Monographs on Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Paul

A career continuum has evolved with career education being the preparatory phase in the schools and the quality of working life or career development in the profit and nonprofit sectors representing the participatory aspect. Historically, career education has emphasized preparatory processes providing learners with attitudes, knowledge, and skills…

The Effective English Language Teacher from the Perspectives of Turkish Preparatory School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arikan, Arda; Taser, Duygu; Sarac-Suzer, H. Sezgi

2008-01-01

In this study, Turkish EFL students' conceptualization of an effective English language teacher is studied. A survey formerly developed by Yu-Hsin (1999) was adapted and administered to 100 foreign language learners studying at two state universities' English language preparatory schools. Also, participants' written responses were collected to…

Graphic Communications--Preparatory Area. Book I--Typography and Modern Typesetting. Student Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hertz, Andrew

Designed to develop in the student skills in all of the preparatory functions of the graphic communications industry, this student guide covers copy preparation, art preparation, typography, camera, stripping, production management, and forms design, preparation, and analysis. In addition to the skills areas, material is included on the history of…

An Evaluation of Two Hands-On Lab Styles for Plant Biodiversity in Undergraduate Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basey, John M.; Maines, Anastasia P.; Francis, Clinton D.; Melbourne, Brett

2014-01-01

We compared learning cycle and expository formats for teaching about plant biodiversity in an inquiry-oriented university biology lab class (n = 465). Both formats had preparatory lab activities, a hands-on lab, and a postlab with reflection and argumentation. Learning was assessed with a lab report, a practical quiz in lab, and a multiple-choice…

29 CFR 785.23 - Employees residing on employer's premises or working at home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... premises. Ordinarily, he may engage in normal private pursuits and thus have enough time for eating... switchboard in her own home. (Skelly Oil Co. v. Jackson, 194 Okla. 183, 148 P. 2d 182 (Okla. Sup. Ct. 1944; Thompson v. Loring Oil Co., 50 F. Supp. 213 (W.D. La. 1943).) Preparatory and Concluding Activities ...

29 CFR 785.23 - Employees residing on employer's premises or working at home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... premises. Ordinarily, he may engage in normal private pursuits and thus have enough time for eating... switchboard in her own home. (Skelly Oil Co. v. Jackson, 194 Okla. 183, 148 P. 2d 182 (Okla. Sup. Ct. 1944; Thompson v. Loring Oil Co., 50 F. Supp. 213 (W.D. La. 1943).) Preparatory and Concluding Activities ...

29 CFR 785.23 - Employees residing on employer's premises or working at home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... premises. Ordinarily, he may engage in normal private pursuits and thus have enough time for eating... switchboard in her own home. (Skelly Oil Co. v. Jackson, 194 Okla. 183, 148 P. 2d 182 (Okla. Sup. Ct. 1944; Thompson v. Loring Oil Co., 50 F. Supp. 213 (W.D. La. 1943).) Preparatory and Concluding Activities ...

29 CFR 785.23 - Employees residing on employer's premises or working at home.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... premises. Ordinarily, he may engage in normal private pursuits and thus have enough time for eating... switchboard in her own home. (Skelly Oil Co. v. Jackson, 194 Okla. 183, 148 P. 2d 182 (Okla. Sup. Ct. 1944; Thompson v. Loring Oil Co., 50 F. Supp. 213 (W.D. La. 1943).) Preparatory and Concluding Activities ...

Better Education at Ishik University Preparatory School with Extracurricular Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildiz, Yunus

2015-01-01

It cannot be said that education today in institutions is better than the previous century. Because in the past, students' minds were not as full of time-consuming things like spending enormous time in front of a computer or a television as today. Subsequently, teachers used to concentrate their job well and students used to focus on the study…

An Approach to the Articulation and Coordination of Occupational Preparatory Curriculums from the High School Through the Community College; Paper and Reports of Task Forces I and II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Employment, Salem.

The primary objective of this project was to produce a suggested plan for promoting and guiding the development and expansion of occupational education in Oregon high schools and community colleges. To achieve the major objective, special task force groups were assembled to work on specific aspects of the total project: labor market data,…

Specific Previous Experience Affects Perception of Harmony and Meter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creel, Sarah C.

2011-01-01

Prior knowledge shapes our experiences, but which prior knowledge shapes which experiences? This question is addressed in the domain of music perception. Three experiments were used to determine whether listeners activate specific musical memories during music listening. Each experiment provided listeners with one of two musical contexts that was…

The Shape of an Ellipse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foley, Gregory D.

2011-01-01

Ellipses vary in shape from circular to nearly parabolic. An ellipse's eccentricity indicates the location of its foci, but its aspect ratio is a direct measure of its shape. This article takes a careful look at the shape of an ellipse and offers practical suggestions and specific activities to deepen students' understanding of the geometry of an…

Values education: a new direction for medical education.

PubMed Central

Grundstein-Amado, R

1995-01-01

This paper suggests that medical education should redirect resources to values education, specifically developing new strategies to improve the process of clarification of values. The author suggests using the values journal method which is based on a systematic record of students' personal value systems reflected in their stories and life experience; and on their responses to case presentation. Generating a personal values journal helps students define who they are, what their social and professional roles are, what their expectations are and where they are going. Keeping values journals promotes students' decision-making capacity, and equips them with the necessary skills to teach their future patients how to generate their own value systems. The development of a well defined values journal is a preparatory stage for active participation in clinical conferences or group discussion, and for effective communal dialogue among the group's members. PMID:7674284

Sleep deprivation influences some but not all processes of supervisory attention

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jennings, J. R.; Monk, T. H.; van der Molen, M. W.

2003-01-01

Does one night of sleep deprivation alter processes of supervisory attention in general or only a specific subset of such processes? Twenty college-aged volunteers, half female, performed a choice reaction time task. A cue indicated that compatible (e.g., right button, right-pointing arrow) or incompatible (e.g., left button, right-pointing arrow) responses were to be given to a stimulus that followed 50 or 500 ms later. The paradigm assessed response inhibition, task-shifting skill, and task strategy-processes inherent in supervisory attention. Performance, along with heart rate, was assessed for 12 hr following normal sleep or a night of complete sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation altered neither preparation for task shifting nor response inhibition. The ability to use preparatory bias to speed performance did decrease with sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation appears to selectively affect this supervisory attention process, which is perceived as an active effort to cope with a challenging task.

Sleep deprivation influences some but not all processes of supervisory attention.

PubMed

Jennings, J R; Monk, T H; van der Molen, M W

2003-09-01

Does one night of sleep deprivation alter processes of supervisory attention in general or only a specific subset of such processes? Twenty college-aged volunteers, half female, performed a choice reaction time task. A cue indicated that compatible (e.g., right button, right-pointing arrow) or incompatible (e.g., left button, right-pointing arrow) responses were to be given to a stimulus that followed 50 or 500 ms later. The paradigm assessed response inhibition, task-shifting skill, and task strategy-processes inherent in supervisory attention. Performance, along with heart rate, was assessed for 12 hr following normal sleep or a night of complete sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation altered neither preparation for task shifting nor response inhibition. The ability to use preparatory bias to speed performance did decrease with sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation appears to selectively affect this supervisory attention process, which is perceived as an active effort to cope with a challenging task.

Dissociated active and passive tactile shape recognition: a case study of pure tactile apraxia.

PubMed

Valenza, N; Ptak, R; Zimine, I; Badan, M; Lazeyras, F; Schnider, A

2001-11-01

Disorders of tactile object recognition (TOR) may result from primary motor or sensory deficits or higher cognitive impairment of tactile shape representations or semantic memory. Studies with healthy participants suggest the existence of exploratory motor procedures directly linked to the extraction of specific properties of objects. A pure deficit of these procedures without concomitant gnostic disorders has never been described in a brain-damaged patient. Here, we present a patient with a right hemispheric infarction who, in spite of intact sensorimotor functions, had impaired TOR with the left hand. Recognition of 2D shapes and objects was severely deficient under the condition of spontaneous exploration. Tactile exploration of shapes was disorganized and exploratory procedures, such as the contour-following strategy, which is necessary to identify the precise shape of an object, were severely disturbed. However, recognition of 2D shapes under manually or verbally guided exploration and the recognition of shapes traced on the skin were intact, indicating a dissociation in shape recognition between active and passive touch. Functional MRI during sensory stimulation of the left hand showed preserved activation of the spared primary sensory cortex in the right hemisphere. We interpret the deficit of our patient as a pure tactile apraxia without tactile agnosia, i.e. a specific inability to use tactile feedback to generate the exploratory procedures necessary for tactile shape recognition.

Examining the Preparatory Effects of Problem Generation and Solution Generation on Learning from Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapur, Manu

2018-01-01

The goal of this paper is to isolate the preparatory effects of problem-generation from solution generation in problem-posing contexts, and their underlying mechanisms on learning from instruction. Using a randomized-controlled design, students were assigned to one of two conditions: (a) problem-posing with solution generation, where they…

Gender Disparity Analysis in Academic Achievement at Higher Education Preparatory Schools: Case of South Wollo, Ethiopia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eshetu, Amogne Asfaw

2015-01-01

Gender is among the determinant factors affecting students' academic achievement. This paper tried to investigate the impact of gender on academic performance of preparatory secondary school students based on 2014 EHEECE result. Ex post facto research design was used. To that end, data were collected from 3243 students from eight purposively…

Analysis the Competences and Contents of "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration" Subject Syllabus for Preparatory Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dulama, Maria Eliza; Magda?, Ioana

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze some aspects related to "Mathematics and Environmental Exploration" subject syllabus for preparatory grade approved by Minister of National Education of Romania. The analysis aim the place of the subject syllabus into the Framework Plan; the syllabus structure and the argumentation of studying this subject; the…

Article Errors in the English Writing of Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alhaisoni, Eid; Gaudel, Daya Ram; Al-Zuoud, Khalid M.

2017-01-01

This study aims at providing a comprehensive account of the types of errors produced by Saudi EFL students enrolled in the preparatory year programe in their use of articles, based on the Surface Structure Taxonomies (SST) of errors. The study describes the types, frequency and sources of the definite and indefinite article errors in writing…

32 CFR 903.6 - Reassignment of Air Force members to become cadet candidates at the preparatory school.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... members at technical training schools remain there in casual status until the earliest reporting date for the HQ USAFA/PL. Students must not leave their training school without coordinating with HQ USAFA/RR. ... (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE MILITARY TRAINING AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL...

The Preparatory Workshop: A Partial Solution to an English Compulsory Exam Failure Rate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naugle, Helen; McGuire, Peter

Georgia Institute of Technology has created a preparatory workshop that avoids focusing composition courses on the state competency exam while helping its students pass the exam. In checking the exams of students who had failed, three problems appeared: lack of motivation, lack of awareness of the standards for grading the exam, and an inability…

The Impact of Task Type on Oral Performance of English Language Preparatory School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baturay, Meltem Huri; Sancar Tokmak, Hatice; Dogusoy, Berrin; Daloglu, Aysegul

2011-01-01

In this study, the effects of narrative, descriptive and prediction-personal reaction task types with visuals on the oral performance of intermediate level English language learners were compared. The study was carried out at Gazi University Preparatory School, Research and Application Center for the Instruction of Foreign Languages with the…

Preparatory Year Program Courses as Predictors of First Calculus Course Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yushau, B; Omar, M. H

2007-01-01

This study investigates the effect of the preparatory year program courses on the first calculus course (Calculus I) at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The data consists of more than 2,000 bilingual Arab university students studying in the English language, tracked over seven semesters. These students represent over 70% of…

Louis D. Brandeis High School. Demonstration Bilingual Enrichment College Preparatory Program. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1981-1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Effie Papatzikou; Cotayo, Armando

The Demonstration Bilingual Enrichment College Preparatory Program at Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City is designed to address the needs of the "academically more able" student with limited English proficiency. The program supplements the school's existing services for 120 Spanish-dominant students, and offers instructional…

English Language Teachers' Perceptions on Knowing and Applying Contemporary Language Teaching Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sucuoglu, Esen

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of English language teachers teaching at a preparatory school in relation to their knowing and applying contemporary language teaching techniques in their lessons. An investigation was conducted of 21 English language teachers at a preparatory school in North Cyprus. The SPSS statistical…

Investigation of Burnout among Instructors Working at ESOGU Preparatory School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özkanal, Ümit; Arikan, Nadire

2010-01-01

Burnout is an issue to be taken seriously in the workplaces where human interaction is salient and very important. The aim of the research is to investigate burnout among the instructors working at ESOGU preparatory school and find out what factors affect their levels of burnout. 28 instructors working in this institution participated in the…

Moving beyond the College-Preparatory High School Model to a College-Going Culture in Urban Catholic High Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldana, Ursula S.

2014-01-01

A college-going culture has been found to improve academic outcomes for underrepresented high school students (Allen, Kimura-Walsh, & Griffin, 2009; Stanton-Salazar, 2010). The research on Catholic high schools shows their college-preparatory environment ability to produce successful outcomes for African-American and Latino students (Bryk,…

Factors Affecting the Quality of English Language Teaching in Preparatory Year, University of Jeddah

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dakhiel, Maysoon A.

2017-01-01

Several Universities in Saudi Arabia have recently made it their priority to pursue excellence in effective EFL teaching-learning starting from the Preparatory Year Program (PYP). That is due to the rapid expansion of English as a lingua franca in tertiary education especially in science and technology, scientific and educational publication,…

Saudi EFL Preparatory Year Students' Perception about Corrective Feedback in Oral Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alhaysony, Maha

2016-01-01

This study sought to investigate the attitudes of Saudi EFL students towards corrective feedback (henceforth CF) on classroom oral errors. The subjects were 3200 (1223 male and 1977 female) students enrolled in an intensive English language programme in the preparatory year at the University of Ha'il. A questionnaire was the main instrument. This…

A Needs Analysis Study for Preparatory Class ELT Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulum, Ömer Gökhan

2015-01-01

With this study, to have a general understanding of academic needs for the development of speaking skill, the needs of preparatory class university students at an English Language Teaching Department were assessed. Based upon a descriptive research design, an adapted questionnaire with open-ended questions was administered to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th…

The Effects of Computer Assisted English Instruction on High School Preparatory Students' Attitudes towards Computers and English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ates, Alev; Altunay, Ugur; Altun, Eralp

2006-01-01

The aim of this research was to discern the effects of computer assisted English instruction on English language preparatory students' attitudes towards computers and English in a Turkish-medium high school with an intensive English program. A quasi-experimental time series research design, also called "before-after" or "repeated…

The Correlation among EFL Learners' Test Anxiety, Foreign Language Anxiety and Language Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakici, Dilek

2016-01-01

The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlation among test anxiety (TA), foreign language anxiety (FLA) and language achievement of university preparatory students learning English as a foreign language. The sample of the research consisted of 301 (211 females, 90 males) attending a one-year EFL preparatory school at Ondokuz Mayis…

Parents' Positive Role in Students' Learning Process at Ishik University Preparatory School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tosun, Mustafa

2015-01-01

The reason that motivated me to initiate this writing is to emphasize the deficiency in the motivation and unwillingness of university youth cause of the parents approach toward the education at preparatory school. Moreover, my aim is to declare realistic suggestions about the issue with the help of observations that have been gained during the…

On Becoming College Prep: Examining the Challenges Charter School Staff Members Face while Executing a School's Mission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer-Hinton, Raquel L.

2006-01-01

This article draws from a case study investigating the organizational characteristics of a college preparatory charter high school and the impact of that college preparatory climate on the postsecondary plans of the school's graduating classes. Although charters provide local communities with alternatives to existing educational institutions, many…

Teaching Assistants Who Instruct Preparatory Mathematics to Academically-Challenged First-Year College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tawfeeq, Dante A. L.

2011-01-01

Teaching preparatory mathematics to first-time college students--who come from economically impoverished high schools that have not prepared their students to do college level mathematics--can be a daunting task for teaching assistants (TAs). The preparation of TAs to assist such students in the mastery of mathematical content is a complex…

No Strangers Here? A Study of the Experience of Low-Income Students of Color in High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Keefe, Joseph M.

In 1963 Catholic leaders in New York (New York) began the Higher Achievement Program (HAP), a high-school based, 6-week college preparatory program for boys from low-income families that takes place in the summer after seventh grade. Academic study in the morning is followed by athletics, field trips, and other social or artistic activities in the…

Participation in Armed Forces, National, and International Sports Activities

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-09

American Games , Olympic Games , and other authorized national and international sports competitions (to include qualifying and preparatory events) as long...concerning the participation of Armed Forces personnel in Armed Forces, national, and international sports competitions ; establishes a Senior Military Sports ...program is to ensure that the U.S. Armed Forces are appropriately represented in national and international sports competitions . 3. The purpose of this

The Musculoskeletal Readiness Screening Tool-Injury Predictor for United States Military Academy Preparatory Cadets

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-30

predictors of ACL injury.25 189 Several studies investigate the effects of faulty movement and injury 190 prediction for the lower extremity. In 2006...at 40% and 39% of the total injuries, respectively.16 In 2012, 83 193 NCAA Division I football players participated in a survey to assess low back...recent study , firefighters performed the FMS™ and firefighter-specific testing. Two 218 of the musculoskeletal movement variables were predictive of

Developing intra-curricular photonics educational material for secondary schools in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Amrita; Debaes, Nathalie; Fischer, Robert; Thienpont, Hugo

2014-07-01

There is an imminent shortage of skilled workforce facing Europe's hi-tech industries mainly due to the declining interest of young people in science and engineering careers. To avert this trend the European Union funded the development of the `Photonics Explorer' - an intra-curricular educational kit designed to engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with optics hands-on, in their own classrooms! Each kit equips teachers with class sets of experimental components provided within a supporting didactic framework based on guided inquiry based learning techniques. The material has been specifically designed to integrate into the curriculum and enhance and complement the teaching and learning of science in the classroom. The kits are provided free of charge to teachers, in conjunction with teacher training courses. The main challenge of this program was the development of educational material that seamlessly integrates into the various national curricula across Europe. To achieve this, the development process included a preparatory EU wide curricula survey and a special `Review and Revise' process bringing together the expertise of over 35 teachers and pedagogic experts. This paper reports on the results of the preparatory study which identified two specific age groups at secondary schools for photonics educational material, the didactic content of the Photonics Explorer kit resulting from a pan-European collaboration of key stakeholders, EU wide dissemination and sustainability of the program.

Cognitive control in context: working memory capacity and proactive control.

PubMed

Redick, Thomas S

2014-01-01

Working memory is important for maintaining critical information in an active state to guide future behavior. The executive-attention theory of working memory capacity (WMC; Engle & Kane, 2004) argues that goal maintenance is important for response selection when stimuli are associated with competing responses. Braver, Burgess, and Gray (2007) have labeled this type of preparatory activity proactive control. Previous WMC studies have not allowed individuals to use goal information to prepare a specific response in advance of the stimulus. The current experiment used different versions of a cue-probe task to examine the relationship between individual differences in WMC and proactive control. Across three versions of the AX version of the Continuous Performance Test, the proportion of targets was manipulated to affect both the predictive validity of the A cue and the prepotency of the target response to X probes. The results indicated that the high-WMC individuals used the cue information to prepare responses in advance only when a specific probe was likely to occur. In contrast, the performance of the low-WMC individuals was less dependent upon the cue and more contingent upon overall response frequencies. The results indicate that individual differences in WMC are related to proactive control and anticipation, and important for translating cognition into action. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Peripheral hearing loss reduces the ability of children to direct selective attention during multi-talker listening.

PubMed

Holmes, Emma; Kitterick, Padraig T; Summerfield, A Quentin

2017-07-01

Restoring normal hearing requires knowledge of how peripheral and central auditory processes are affected by hearing loss. Previous research has focussed primarily on peripheral changes following sensorineural hearing loss, whereas consequences for central auditory processing have received less attention. We examined the ability of hearing-impaired children to direct auditory attention to a voice of interest (based on the talker's spatial location or gender) in the presence of a common form of background noise: the voices of competing talkers (i.e. during multi-talker, or "Cocktail Party" listening). We measured brain activity using electro-encephalography (EEG) when children prepared to direct attention to the spatial location or gender of an upcoming target talker who spoke in a mixture of three talkers. Compared to normally-hearing children, hearing-impaired children showed significantly less evidence of preparatory brain activity when required to direct spatial attention. This finding is consistent with the idea that hearing-impaired children have a reduced ability to prepare spatial attention for an upcoming talker. Moreover, preparatory brain activity was not restored when hearing-impaired children listened with their acoustic hearing aids. An implication of these findings is that steps to improve auditory attention alongside acoustic hearing aids may be required to improve the ability of hearing-impaired children to understand speech in the presence of competing talkers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Achieving Flex in the Inflexible: Dealing with Individual Differences in Highly Structured EFL Preparatory College Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghamdi, Fatimah M. A.; Alnowaiser, Sarah A. M.

2017-01-01

This study explores a field-motivated concern among English as a Foregin Language (EFL) teachers at a college preparatory English language program. The course syllabus for this program is fixed and systematically paced over four, seven-week modules. Despite formal assessment measures that result in placing the learners into four levels of English…

College Preparatory Curriculum for All: Academic Consequences of Requiring Algebra and English I for Ninth Graders in Chicago

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allensworth, Elaine; Nomi, Takako; Montgomery, Nicholas; Lee, Valerie E.

2009-01-01

There is a national movement to universalize the high school curriculum so that all students graduate prepared for college. The present work evaluates a policy in Chicago that ended remedial classes and mandated college preparatory course work for all students. Based on an interrupted time-series cohort design with multiple comparisons, this study…

The Silence about Oral Presentation Skills in Distance and Online Education: New Perspectives from an Australian University Preparatory Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDougall, Jenny; Holden, Helen

2017-01-01

Oral presentation skills are considered essential workplace skills and are therefore highly valued in higher education. However, research into this aspect of adult learning is limited, especially in the context of distance and online education. This paper reports on an innovative approach used in a university preparatory program in Australia.…

George W. Wingate High School Bilingual Demonstration College Preparatory Program, 1981-1982. O.E.E. Evaluation Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zephirin, Henriot; And Others

In its first year of operation, 1981-82, the Bilingual Demonstration College Preparatory Program in New York City served 81 students of Hispanic origin with limited English proficiency. The program stresses the acquisition of English skills as well as the development of the students' native language and is geared toward mainstreaming students as…

George W. Wingate High School, Bilingual Demonstration College Preparatory Program. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjostrom, Barbara R.; Sica, Michael

The Bilingual Demonstration College Preparatory Program, in its second year of funding, provided English as a second language (ESL) and native language instruction, in addition to bilingual instruction in mathematics, social studies, and science, to 120 Spanish-speaking students in grades 9-12 at George W. Wingate High School (Brooklyn, New York).…

Louis D. Brandeis High School, Demonstration Bilingual Enrichment College Preparatory Program. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Effie Papatzikou; Collins, Carla

The Enrichment College Preparatory Program, an Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title VII bilingual demonstration project at a Manhattan, New York City, high school, completed the final year of a two-year funding cycle in June 1983. The program, which provided cultural enrichment and advanced academic experiences to 160 intellectually…

Stated Briefly: Participation and Pass Rates for College Preparatory Transition Courses in Kentucky. REL 2015-060

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cramer, Eric; Mokher, Christine

2015-01-01

This study examines Kentucky high school students' participation and pass rates in college preparatory transition courses, voluntary remedial courses in math and reading offered to grade 12 students. These courses are targeted to students scoring just below the state's college readiness benchmarks on the ACT in grade 11. The study found that:…

Participation in Kentucky's College Preparatory Transition Courses: An Update. REL 2017-211

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flory, Michael; Cramer, Eric

2017-01-01

Kentucky offers college preparatory transition courses in math, reading, and English to grade 12 students. The courses are designed as one possible intervention for students who do not meet state college readiness benchmarks in one or more of those subjects on the ACT in grade 11. This study updates a previous Regional Educational Laboratory (REL)…

Teaching Children with down Syndrome in the Early Years of School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFadden, Amanda; Tangen, Donna; Spooner-Lane, Rebecca; Mergler, Amanda

2017-01-01

We explored 3 general classroom teachers' experiences of including a child with Down syndrome in their early years classrooms. Located at 3 different Australian school settings, 1 teacher was the head of a Preparatory class, 1 was a Year 3 teacher, and the third was a teacher of a split Preparatory/Year 1 class. Interview data were drawn from a…

Seeking to Expand Middle Level Success to All Students: A Not-So-Secret Recipe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Jesse

2014-01-01

The recipe for success of Strive Preparatory Charter School (formerly West Denver Preparatory Charter School) is not a secret. This summer program, turned four-campus, middle level phenomenon, is proving to satisfy the appetite of parents hungry for a change in their children's educational opportunities. The intent of this article is to share a…

CLAST Results by College Preparatory Experience: Passing Rates under Current and Increased Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabe, LiAnne C.

A study was conducted at Broward Community College (BCC) to compare the performance on the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) of examinees with college preparatory experience to that of examinees without this experience. Data were drawn from CLAST tapes for the 1988-89 academic year and from BCC's admissions file. Passing rates for each…

The Value and Attributes of an Effective Preparatory English Program: Perceptions of Saudi University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullen, Maram George

2014-01-01

This study investigates the effects of gender and geographical location on the perceptions of Saudi university students regarding the value of preparatory English programs and their attributes. Data was collected during the fall of 2013 from three sample universities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) using an online survey as the instrument.…

Effectiveness of a preparatory aid in facilitating oral assessment in a group of Saudi children with autism spectrum disorders in Central Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Murshid, Ebtissam Z.

2017-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a specially-designed dental book (preparatory aid) on the behavior of a group of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Saudi children during their first dental visit to the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional double-blinded pre-and post clinical study consisting of 2 parts; a survey targeting the parents, and a clinical oral examination of their ASD children was conducted between January and June of 2016. Results: A total of 40 children (75% males and 25% females) with an average age of 6.1 years were included. Approximately 47.5% children acted positively during the dental procedure. The dental book had a positive effect on the behavior of 37.5% children according to their parents’ evaluation and highly effective in enhancing the parents’ dental knowledge (67.5%). Conclusion: Parents expressed positive opinions regarding the use of preparatory aids in the dental environment. Approximately half of the ASD children benefit from the preparatory aid used according to the parents’ opinion, and the follow up survey showed improvement in the parent’s dental knowledge and oral hygiene practices. PMID:28439605

Effectiveness of a first-aid intervention program applied by undergraduate nursing students to preparatory school children.

PubMed

Wafik, Wagida; Tork, Hanan

2014-03-01

Childhood injuries constitute a major public health problem worldwide. First aid is an effective life-preservation tool at work, school, home, and in public locations. In this study, the effectiveness of a first-aid program delivered by undergraduate nursing students to preparatory school children was examined. This quasi-experimental study was carried out on 100 school children in governmental preparatory schools in Egypt. The researchers designed a program for first-aid training, and this was implemented by trained nursing students. The evaluation involved immediate post-test and follow-up assessment after two months. The results showed generally low levels of satisfactory knowledge and inadequate situational practice among the school students before the intervention. Statistically-significant improvements were shown at the post- and follow-up tests. Multivariate regression analysis identified the intervention and the type of school as the independent predictors of the change in students' knowledge score, while the intervention and the knowledge score were the predictors of the practice score. The study concluded that a first-aid training program delivered by nursing students to preparatory school children is effective in improving their knowledge and practice. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Assessment of adolescents' communication on sexual and reproductive health matters with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools' students in Debremarkos town, North West Ethiopia.

PubMed

Shiferaw, Kasiye; Getahun, Frehiwot; Asres, Getahun

2014-01-08

Sexuality and reproductive health are among the most fundamental aspects of life. Poor parental involvement in preparing young people for safe sexual life and good reproductive health was part of the blame for the lack of skills on sexual decision making. Despite the growing needs, there is no adequate health service or counseling specifically suitable for this specific age group and research on the role of parents in this process has yielded inconsistent results. The objective of the study is to assess adolescents' communication on sexual and reproductive health issues with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town. School based study was conducted among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town, from April 8 to 21, 2012. Multistage sampling and self administered questionnaires were employed. The proportion of the students who had discussion on sexual & reproductive health issues with their parent was found to be 254 (36.9%). Mother who able to read and write (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1), adolescents accepting discussion of sexual & reproductive health issues (AOR = 2.5 95% CI 1.3 to 4.5), adolescents who ever got SRH information (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9), adolescents who ever had sexual intercourse (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.6) were found to have significant positive associations, and being grade 12 students (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.7) and having less than three family size (AOR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) showed significant negative associations. Study unveils that parent -adolescent communications on sexual and reproductive health issues is low, only about one third of the students were communicating on SRH issues. Therefore; there is a need to equip and educate parents on different sexual & reproductive health issues. Comprehensive family life education should also be initiated for the students and parents.

Assessment of adolescents’ communication on sexual and reproductive health matters with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools’ students in Debremarkos town, North West Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Sexuality and reproductive health are among the most fundamental aspects of life. Poor parental involvement in preparing young people for safe sexual life and good reproductive health was part of the blame for the lack of skills on sexual decision making. Despite the growing needs, there is no adequate health service or counseling specifically suitable for this specific age group and research on the role of parents in this process has yielded inconsistent results. Objective The objective of the study is to assess adolescents’ communication on sexual and reproductive health issues with parents and associated factors among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town. Methods School based study was conducted among secondary and preparatory schools students in Debremarkos town, from April 8 to 21, 2012. Multistage sampling and self administered questionnaires were employed. Results The proportion of the students who had discussion on sexual & reproductive health issues with their parent was found to be 254 (36.9%). Mother who able to read and write (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1), adolescents accepting discussion of sexual & reproductive health issues (AOR = 2.5 95% CI 1.3 to 4.5), adolescents who ever got SRH information (AOR = 2; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.9), adolescents who ever had sexual intercourse (AOR = 1.7; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.6) were found to have significant positive associations, and being grade 12 students (AOR = 0.4; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.7) and having less than three family size (AOR = 0.5; 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9) showed significant negative associations. Conclusion and recommendation Study unveils that parent –adolescent communications on sexual and reproductive health issues is low, only about one third of the students were communicating on SRH issues. Therefore; there is a need to equip and educate parents on different sexual & reproductive health issues. Comprehensive family life education should also be initiated for the students and parents. PMID:24401028

Move faster, think later: Women who play action video games have quicker visually-guided responses with later onset visuomotor-related brain activity.

PubMed

Gorbet, Diana J; Sergio, Lauren E

2018-01-01

A history of action video game (AVG) playing is associated with improvements in several visuospatial and attention-related skills and these improvements may be transferable to unrelated tasks. These facts make video games a potential medium for skill-training and rehabilitation. However, examinations of the neural correlates underlying these observations are almost non-existent in the visuomotor system. Further, the vast majority of studies on the effects of a history of AVG play have been done using almost exclusively male participants. Therefore, to begin to fill these gaps in the literature, we present findings from two experiments. In the first, we use functional MRI to examine brain activity in experienced, female AVG players during visually-guided reaching. In the second, we examine the kinematics of visually-guided reaching in this population. Imaging data demonstrate that relative to women who do not play, AVG players have less motor-related preparatory activity in the cuneus, middle occipital gyrus, and cerebellum. This decrease is correlated with estimates of time spent playing. Further, these correlations are strongest during the performance of a visuomotor mapping that spatially dissociates eye and arm movements. However, further examinations of the full time-course of visuomotor-related activity in the AVG players revealed that the decreased activity during motor preparation likely results from a later onset of activity in AVG players, which occurs closer to beginning motor execution relative to the non-playing group. Further, the data presented here suggest that this later onset of preparatory activity represents greater neural efficiency that is associated with faster visually-guided responses.

Move faster, think later: Women who play action video games have quicker visually-guided responses with later onset visuomotor-related brain activity

PubMed Central

Gorbet, Diana J.; Sergio, Lauren E.

2018-01-01

A history of action video game (AVG) playing is associated with improvements in several visuospatial and attention-related skills and these improvements may be transferable to unrelated tasks. These facts make video games a potential medium for skill-training and rehabilitation. However, examinations of the neural correlates underlying these observations are almost non-existent in the visuomotor system. Further, the vast majority of studies on the effects of a history of AVG play have been done using almost exclusively male participants. Therefore, to begin to fill these gaps in the literature, we present findings from two experiments. In the first, we use functional MRI to examine brain activity in experienced, female AVG players during visually-guided reaching. In the second, we examine the kinematics of visually-guided reaching in this population. Imaging data demonstrate that relative to women who do not play, AVG players have less motor-related preparatory activity in the cuneus, middle occipital gyrus, and cerebellum. This decrease is correlated with estimates of time spent playing. Further, these correlations are strongest during the performance of a visuomotor mapping that spatially dissociates eye and arm movements. However, further examinations of the full time-course of visuomotor-related activity in the AVG players revealed that the decreased activity during motor preparation likely results from a later onset of activity in AVG players, which occurs closer to beginning motor execution relative to the non-playing group. Further, the data presented here suggest that this later onset of preparatory activity represents greater neural efficiency that is associated with faster visually-guided responses. PMID:29364891

Low-back electromyography (EMG) data-driven load classification for dynamic lifting tasks.

PubMed

Totah, Deema; Ojeda, Lauro; Johnson, Daniel D; Gates, Deanna; Mower Provost, Emily; Barton, Kira

2018-01-01

Numerous devices have been designed to support the back during lifting tasks. To improve the utility of such devices, this research explores the use of preparatory muscle activity to classify muscle loading and initiate appropriate device activation. The goal of this study was to determine the earliest time window that enabled accurate load classification during a dynamic lifting task. Nine subjects performed thirty symmetrical lifts, split evenly across three weight conditions (no-weight, 10-lbs and 24-lbs), while low-back muscle activity data was collected. Seven descriptive statistics features were extracted from 100 ms windows of data. A multinomial logistic regression (MLR) classifier was trained and tested, employing leave-one subject out cross-validation, to classify lifted load values. Dimensionality reduction was achieved through feature cross-correlation analysis and greedy feedforward selection. The time of full load support by the subject was defined as load-onset. Regions of highest average classification accuracy started at 200 ms before until 200 ms after load-onset with average accuracies ranging from 80% (±10%) to 81% (±7%). The average recall for each class ranged from 69-92%. These inter-subject classification results indicate that preparatory muscle activity can be leveraged to identify the intent to lift a weight up to 100 ms prior to load-onset. The high accuracies shown indicate the potential to utilize intent classification for assistive device applications. Active assistive devices, e.g. exoskeletons, could prevent back injury by off-loading low-back muscles. Early intent classification allows more time for actuators to respond and integrate seamlessly with the user.

VIIRS Product Evaluation at the Ocean PEATE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patt, Frederick S.; Feldman, Gene C.

2010-01-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) mission will support the continuation of climate records generated from NASA missions. The NASA Science Data Segment (SDS) relies upon discipline-specific centers of expertise to evaluate the NPP data products for suitability as climate data records, The Ocean Product Evaluation and Analysis Tool Element (PEATE) will build upon Well established NASA capabilities within the Ocean Color program in order to evaluate the NPP Visible and Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Ocean Color and Chlorophyll data products. The specific evaluation methods will support not only the evaluation of product quality but also the sources of differences with existing data records.

A Program Based on English Digital Stories to Develop the Writing Performance and Reflective Thinking of Preparatory School Pupils

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassan Seifeddin, Ahmed; Zakareya Ahmed, Samah; Yahia Mohammed Ebrahim, Eman

2015-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a program based on English digital stories on second-year preparatory pupils' writing performance and reflective thinking. Two writing performance tests (pretest and posttest) as well as a reflective thinking test were prepared by the researchers. Two 2nd-year intact classes from El Sadat Prep School…

A Reciprocal Model of Psychographic Attributes Related to Their Learning among Preparatory Year of Undergraduate Students in West Saudi Arabia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talafha, Feras

2015-01-01

This study examines the level of psychographic attributes among the preparatory year students enrolled at the University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The study sample consists of 209 students chosen with the help of random sampling and questionnaire survey was employed for data collection. Based on the findings, the entire study variables, which are…

The Use of Learner Autonomy in English as a Foreign Language Context among Saudi Undergraduates Enrolled in Preparatory Year Deanship at Najran University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alzubi, Ali Abbas Falah; Singh, Manjet Kaur Mehar; Pandian, Ambigapathy

2017-01-01

This paper explores the current practices of learner autonomy among Saudi undergraduates at Preparatory Year, Najran University. The Short List questionnaire developed by Dixon (2011) was administered to measure the use of autonomous learning in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. Quantitative data were gathered from 208 male students in…

Errors Analysis of Solving Linear Inequalities among the Preparatory Year Students at King Saud University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-khateeb, Mahmoud M. A.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study aims to investigate the errors classes occurred by the Preparatory year students at King Saud University, through analysis student responses to the items of the study test, and to identify the varieties of the common errors and ratios of common errors that occurred in solving inequalities. In the collection of the data,…

NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) Science Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, James J.

2011-01-01

NPP Instruments are: (1) well understood thanks to instrument comprehensive test, characterization and calibration programs. (2) Government team ready for October 25 launch followed by instrument activation and Intensive Calibration/Validation (ICV). NPP Data Products preliminary work includes: (1) JPSS Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) team ready to support NPP ICV and operational data products. (2) NASA NPP science team ready to support NPP ICV and EOS data continuity.

Fundamental Education: Common Ground for All Peoples. Report of a Special Committee to the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

A landmark document, the out-of-print volume prepared for the first session of the UNESCO general conference, provides a preliminary outline of the proposed plan for fundamental education. Fundamental education is used to indicate a global field of activity that includes and goes beyond mass education, adult literacy, popular education, and…

From the School Newsroom to the Courtroom. Lessons on the Hazelwood Case and Free Expression Policy Making in the Public Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenblum, Warren; And Others

The purpose of this lesson packet is to raise issues about student rights of free expression in public schools. Included are preparatory reading material and two classroom simulation activities. The lessons are based on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, in which a Missouri high school principal and school district were sued by…

Comparison of the two cerebral hemispheres in inhibitory processes operative during movement preparation

PubMed Central

Klein, Pierre-Alexandre; Duque, Julie; Labruna, Ludovica; Ivry, Richard B.

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies suggest that in right-handed individuals, the left hemisphere plays a dominant role in praxis, relative to the right hemisphere. However hemispheric asymmetries assessed with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has not shown consistent differences in corticospinal (CS) excitability of the two hemispheres during movements. In the current study, we systematically explored hemispheric asymmetries in inhibitory processes that are manifest during movement preparation and initiation. Single-pulse TMS was applied over the left or right primary motor cortex (M1LEFT and M1RIGHT, respectively) to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the contralateral hand while participants performed a two-choice reaction time task requiring a cued movement of the left or right index finger. In Experiments 1 and 2, TMS probes were obtained during a delay period following the presentation of the preparatory cue that provided partial or full information about the required response. MEPs were suppressed relative to baseline regardless of whether they were elicited in a cued or uncued hand. Importantly, the magnitude of these inhibitory changes in CS excitability was similar when TMS was applied over M1LEFT or M1RIGHT, irrespective of the amount of information carried by the preparatory cue. In Experiment 3, there was no preparatory cue and TMS was applied at various time points after the imperative signal. When CS excitability was probed in the cued effector, MEPs were initially inhibited and then rose across the reaction time interval. This function was similar for M1LEFT and M1RIGHT TMS. When CS excitability was probed in the uncued effector, MEPs remained inhibited throughout the RT interval. However, MEPs in right FDI became more inhibited during selection and initiation of a left hand movement, whereas MEPs in left FDI remained relatively invariant across RT interval for the right hand. In addition to these task-specific effects, there was a global difference in CS excitability across experiments between the two hemispheres. When the intensity of stimulation was set to 115% of the resting threshold, MEPs were larger when the TMS probe was applied over the M1LEFT than over M1RIGHT. In summary, while the latter result suggests that M1LEFT is more excitable than M1RIGHT, the recruitment of preparatory inhibitory mechanisms is similar within the two cerebral hemispheres. PMID:26458519

A new concept for active bistable twisting structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Marc R.

2005-05-01

A novel type of morphing structure capable of a large change in shape with a small energy input is discussed in this paper. The considered structures consist of two curved shells that are joined in a specific manner to form a bistable airfoil-like structure. The two stable shapes have a difference in axial twist, and the structure may be transformed between the stable shapes by a simple snap-through action. The benefit of a bistable structure of this type is that, if the stable shapes are operational shapes, power is needed only to transform the structure from one shape to another. The discussed structures could be used in aerodynamic applications such as morphing wings, or as aerodynamic control surfaces. The investigation discussed in this paper considers both experiment and finite-element analysis. Several graphite-epoxy composite and one steel device were created as proof-of-concept models. To demonstrate active control of these structures, piezocomposite actuators were applied to one of the composite structures and used to transform the structure between stable shapes. The analysis was used to compare the predicted shapes with the experimental shapes, and to study how changes to the geometric input values affected the shape and operational characteristics of the structures. The predicted shapes showed excellent agreement with the experimental shapes, and the results of the parametric study suggest that the shapes and the snap-through characteristics can be easily tailored to meet specific needs.

Segmenting lung fields in serial chest radiographs using both population-based and patient-specific shape statistics.

PubMed

Shi, Y; Qi, F; Xue, Z; Chen, L; Ito, K; Matsuo, H; Shen, D

2008-04-01

This paper presents a new deformable model using both population-based and patient-specific shape statistics to segment lung fields from serial chest radiographs. There are two novelties in the proposed deformable model. First, a modified scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) local descriptor, which is more distinctive than the general intensity and gradient features, is used to characterize the image features in the vicinity of each pixel. Second, the deformable contour is constrained by both population-based and patient-specific shape statistics, and it yields more robust and accurate segmentation of lung fields for serial chest radiographs. In particular, for segmenting the initial time-point images, the population-based shape statistics is used to constrain the deformable contour; as more subsequent images of the same patient are acquired, the patient-specific shape statistics online collected from the previous segmentation results gradually takes more roles. Thus, this patient-specific shape statistics is updated each time when a new segmentation result is obtained, and it is further used to refine the segmentation results of all the available time-point images. Experimental results show that the proposed method is more robust and accurate than other active shape models in segmenting the lung fields from serial chest radiographs.

A three-dimensional actuated origami-inspired transformable metamaterial with multiple degrees of freedom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Overvelde, Johannes T. B.; de Jong, Twan A.; Shevchenko, Yanina; Becerra, Sergio A.; Whitesides, George M.; Weaver, James C.; Hoberman, Chuck; Bertoldi, Katia

2016-03-01

Reconfigurable devices, whose shape can be drastically altered, are central to expandable shelters, deployable space structures, reversible encapsulation systems and medical tools and robots. All these applications require structures whose shape can be actively controlled, both for deployment and to conform to the surrounding environment. While most current reconfigurable designs are application specific, here we present a mechanical metamaterial with tunable shape, volume and stiffness. Our approach exploits a simple modular origami-like design consisting of rigid faces and hinges, which are connected to form a periodic structure consisting of extruded cubes. We show both analytically and experimentally that the transformable metamaterial has three degrees of freedom, which can be actively deformed into numerous specific shapes through embedded actuation. The proposed metamaterial can be used to realize transformable structures with arbitrary architectures, highlighting a robust strategy for the design of reconfigurable devices over a wide range of length scales.

Passing through Science: The Effects of Raising Graduation Requirements in Science on Course-Taking and Academic Achievement in Chicago. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montgomery, Nicholas; Allensworth, Elaine M.

2010-01-01

This report examines the effects of increasing science course-taking requirements in the Chicago Public Schools. CPS has been at the forefront of the national movement to require a college-preparatory curriculum for all high school students. In 1997, CPS mandated that all entering ninth-graders take a college-preparatory curriculum in high school,…

Effects on Student Achievement in General Chemistry following Participation in an Online Preparatory Course: ChemPrep, a Voluntary, Self-Paced, Online Introduction to Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botch, Beatrice; Day, Roberta; Vining, William; Stewart, Barbara; Rath, Kenneth; Peterfreund, Alan; Hart, David

2007-01-01

ChemPrep was developed to be a stand-alone preparatory short-course to help students succeed in general chemistry. It is Web-based and delivered using the OWL system. Students reported that the ChemPrep materials (short information pages, parameterized questions with detailed feedback, tutorials, and answers to questions through the OWL message…

Uses of Background Experience in a Preparatory Reading and Writing Class: An Analysis of Native and Non-Native Speakers of English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Becket, Diana

2005-01-01

The goal of the study reported in this article is to analyze ways students in the first course of a three-quarter college preparatory sequence in reading and writing write about their experiences in their essays. The student participants were three native speakers of English and three native speakers of Punjabi, who had lived and studied in the…

Prevalence and correlates of patient-centred preparatory information provision to computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging outpatients: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Hyde, Lisa; Mackenzie, Lisa; Boyes, Allison W; Evans, Tiffany-Jane; Symonds, Michael; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

2018-06-02

Responsiveness to information preferences is key to high-quality, patient-centred care. This study examined the top ten preparatory information items not delivered in accordance with medical imaging outpatients' preferences, and patient characteristics associated with reporting a greater number of unmet information preferences. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography outpatients were recruited consecutively in one major public hospital waiting room. Participants self-administered a touchscreen computer questionnaire assessing their sociodemographic and scan characteristics, and unmet preferences for 33 guideline-endorsed preparatory information items. Of 317 eligible patients, 280 (88%) consented to participate. Given equal rankings, the top ten unmet information preferences included 13 items which were endorsed by at least 25% of participants, and commonly related to receiving 'too little' information. One item related to the pre-scan period, seven items to the scan period and five items to the post-scan period. None of the patient characteristics examined were significantly associated with reporting a greater number of unmet information preferences. There is room to improve responsiveness to medical imaging outpatients' preparatory information preferences. Improvements should be targeted at individuals, rather than groups defined by sociodemographic or scan characteristics. A standardised approach to addressing individual patient's information preferences is needed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surveillance of borders, coastlines, and harbours (SOBCAH): a European commission preparatory action on security research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clarke, David J.; Davis, Eric; Varco, Alan G.

2008-10-01

Surveillance Of Borders Coastlines And Harbours (SOBCAH ) is becoming increasingly challenging in Europe due to the expansion of new European borders coupled with the increased risks from the potential quantity and variety of terrorist activities. SOBCAH was an 18-month programme undertaken as a European Commission funded Preparatory Action in the field of Security Research (PASR) initiative to identify and demonstrate improvements in security; initially focusing on techniques to maximise the surveillance and detection effectiveness of existing sensor systems and technologies. This paper discusses the rationale in identifying the requirements, establishing a system architecture and the findings of building a security system demonstrator that underwent trials in the Port of Genoa, Italy in July 2007. It will provide an overview of the main drivers for a European-wide concept to standardise the development of enhanced border security systems. The paper will focus on techniques employed in the demonstrator to maximise the intelligence gathered from many disparate sensor sources without burdening the work load of the operators; providing enhanced situational awareness of the threat environment.

The Ideas of the Students of Education Faculty about the European Union Education and Youth Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ergün, Muammer; Kamer, S. Tunay

2009-01-01

The most important issue that Turkey has been dealing with since the beginning of 2000s is the entrance to the European Union and the preparatory activities for this period. No what how it is evaluated, as an opportunity or a threat to which will break us off our cultural values, EU is a reality that our country faces. The programs such as FORCE,…

An fMRI Study of Risky Decision Making: The Role of Mental Preparation and Conflict.

PubMed

Sohrabi, Ahmad; Smith, Andra M; West, Robert L; Cameron, Ian

2015-10-01

The current study aimed to elucidate the role of preparatory cognitive control in decision making and its neural correlates using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). To this effect, by employing a series of new cognitive tasks, we assessed the role of preparatory cognitive control in monetary (risky) decision making. The participants had to decide between a risky and a safe gamble based on their chance of winning (high or low). In the 2-phase gambling task (similar to Cambridge gambling task), the chance and the gamble were presented at the same time (i.e. in a single phase), but in a new 3-phase gambling task, the chance is presented before the gamble. The tasks ended with a feedback phase. In the 3-phase task, holding the chance in memory to guide their decision enabled the participants to have more control on their risk taking behaviors as shown by activation in a network of brain areas involved in the control and conflict, including dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC), indexed by faster reaction times and better performance in the gambling task, and the temporal lobe, which has a role in holding contextual information. Holding information in memory to guide decision presumably enables the participants to have more control on their risk taking behaviors. The conflict and uncertainty resulting from this risky decision was indexed by the activation of dACC, known to be activated in conflict and cognitive control.

What Can History Teach Us A Comparative Historical Analysis On the Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Department of Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

professional development aspirations. An organization that realized a very similar narrative as the DHS is the Department of Defense (DOD), more...is one that finds itself imbedded in several debates surrounding the development of formalized education/preparatory efforts for its core civilian... development of formalized education efforts for its workforce. There is formalized preparatory training for several different kinds of homeland security

Student Measurements of STFA 14 AC at Vanguard Preparatory School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gillette, Sean; Archuleta, Alex; Diaz, Lizbeth; Gillespie, Kyle; Gosney, Timothy; Johnson, Stephen; Mohan, Nikita; Rajacich, Jacob; Roehl, Nathaniel; Sharpe, Scotty; Whitt, Kahaloha

2016-01-01

Eighth grade students at Vanguard Preparatory School measured the double star STFA 14 AC using a Bader Planetarium Micro Guide eyepiece. Navi (Gamma Cassiopeiae) was used as the ca libration star. The calculated means of multiple observations of STFA 14 AC resulted in a separation of 53.3" and a position angle of 2.0°. These measurements were compared to the most recent values in the Washington Double Star Catalog.

Mental imagery and learning: a qualitative study in orthopaedic trauma surgery.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Edward F; Richardson, Martin D; Nestel, Debra

2015-09-01

Good preparation for surgical procedures has been linked to better performance and enhanced learning in the operating theatre. Mental imagery is increasingly used to enhance performance in competitive sport and there has been recent interest in applying this in surgery. This study aims to identify the mental imagery components of preoperative preparation in orthopaedic trauma surgery and to locate these practices in existing socio-material theory in order to produce a model useful for surgical skills training. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine orthopaedic surgeons. Participants were identified by personal recommendation as regularly performing complex trauma operations to a high standard, and by affiliation to an international instruction course in trauma surgery. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcripts were independently analysed using thematic analysis. Analysis revealed that surgeons interact intensively with multiple colleagues and materials during their preparatory activities. Such interactions stimulate mental imagery in order to build strategy and rehearse procedures, which, in turn, stimulate preparatory interactions. Participants identified the discussion of a preoperative 'plan' as a key engagement tool for training junior surgeons and as a form of currency by which a trainee may increase his or her participation in a procedure. Preoperative preparation can be thought of as a socio-material ontology requiring a surgeon to negotiate imaginal, verbal and physical interactions with people, materials and his or her own mental imagery. Actor-network theory is useful for making sense of these interactions and for allowing surgeons to interrogate their own preparative processes. We recommend supervisors to use a form of preoperative plan as a teaching tool and to encourage trainees to develop their own preparatory skills. The ability of a trainee to demonstrate sound preparation is an indicator of readiness to perform a procedure. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Brain Organization of the Preparation for Visual Recognition in Preadolescent Children].

PubMed

Farber, D A; Kurganskii, A V; Petrenko, N E

2015-01-01

The brain organization of the process of preparation for the perception of incomplete images fragmented to different extents. The functional connections of ventrolateral and dorsoventral cortical zones with other zones in 10-11-year-old and 11-12-year-old children were studied at three successive stages of the preparation for the perception of incomplete images. These data were compared with those obtained for adults. In order to reveal the effect of preparatory processes on the image recognition, we also analyzed the regional event-related potentials. In adults, the functional interaction between dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and other cortical zones of the right hemisphere was found to be enhanced at the stage of waiting for not-yet-recognizable image, while in the left hemisphere the links became stronger shortly before the successful recognition of a stimulus. In children the stage-related changes in functional interactions are similar in both hemispheres, with peak of interaction activity.at the stage preceding the successful recognition. It was found that in 11-12-year-old children the ventrolateral cortex is involved in both preparatory stage and recognition processes to a smaller extent as compared with adults and 10-11-year-old children. At the same time, the group of 11-12-year-old children had more mature pattern of the dorsolateral cortex involvement, which provided more effective recognition of incomplete images in this group as compared with 10-11-year-old children. It is suggested that the features of the brain organization of visual recognition and preceding preparatory processes in 11-12-year-old children are caused by multidirectional effects of sex hormones on the functioning of different zones of the prefrontal cortex at early stages of sexual maturation.

Preparing for Local Labor: Curricular Stratification across Local Economies in the United States

PubMed Central

Sutton, April

2017-01-01

I investigate how the educational demands of local labor markets shape high school course offerings and student course taking. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 linked to the U.S. Census 2000, I focus on local economic variation in the share of jobs that do not demand a bachelor’s degree. I find that schools in local labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs devote a larger share of their course offerings to career and technical education (CTE) courses and a smaller share to advanced college-preparatory courses compared to schools in labor markets with lower concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs, even net of school resources. Students in labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs take greater numbers of CTE courses, and higher-achieving students in these labor markets are less likely to take advanced math and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate courses. These course-taking disparities are largely due to school course offerings. This study shows how local economic inequalities shape high school curricular stratification, and suggests that school curricula linked to the educational demands of local jobs delimits the college preparation opportunities of high-achieving students. PMID:29531407

Preparing for Local Labor: Curricular Stratification across Local Economies in the United States.

PubMed

Sutton, April

2017-04-01

I investigate how the educational demands of local labor markets shape high school course offerings and student course taking. Using the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 linked to the U.S. Census 2000, I focus on local economic variation in the share of jobs that do not demand a bachelor's degree. I find that schools in local labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs devote a larger share of their course offerings to career and technical education (CTE) courses and a smaller share to advanced college-preparatory courses compared to schools in labor markets with lower concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs, even net of school resources. Students in labor markets with higher concentrations of subbaccalaureate jobs take greater numbers of CTE courses, and higher-achieving students in these labor markets are less likely to take advanced math and Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate courses. These course-taking disparities are largely due to school course offerings. This study shows how local economic inequalities shape high school curricular stratification, and suggests that school curricula linked to the educational demands of local jobs delimits the college preparation opportunities of high-achieving students.

Does Shape Discrimination by the Mouth Activate the Parietal and Occipital Lobes? – Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

PubMed Central

Kagawa, Tomonori; Narita, Noriyuki; Iwaki, Sunao; Kawasaki, Shingo; Kamiya, Kazunobu; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

2014-01-01

A cross-modal association between somatosensory tactile sensation and parietal and occipital activities during Braille reading was initially discovered in tests with blind subjects, with sighted and blindfolded healthy subjects used as controls. However, the neural background of oral stereognosis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether the parietal and occipital cortices are activated during shape discrimination by the mouth using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Following presentation of the test piece shape, a sham discrimination trial without the test pieces induced posterior parietal lobe (BA7), extrastriate cortex (BA18, BA19), and striate cortex (BA17) activation as compared with the rest session, while shape discrimination of the test pieces markedly activated those areas as compared with the rest session. Furthermore, shape discrimination of the test pieces specifically activated the posterior parietal cortex (precuneus/BA7), extrastriate cortex (BA18, 19), and striate cortex (BA17), as compared with sham sessions without a test piece. We concluded that oral tactile sensation is recognized through tactile/visual cross-modal substrates in the parietal and occipital cortices during shape discrimination by the mouth. PMID:25299397

Does shape discrimination by the mouth activate the parietal and occipital lobes? - near-infrared spectroscopy study.

PubMed

Kagawa, Tomonori; Narita, Noriyuki; Iwaki, Sunao; Kawasaki, Shingo; Kamiya, Kazunobu; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

2014-01-01

A cross-modal association between somatosensory tactile sensation and parietal and occipital activities during Braille reading was initially discovered in tests with blind subjects, with sighted and blindfolded healthy subjects used as controls. However, the neural background of oral stereognosis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether the parietal and occipital cortices are activated during shape discrimination by the mouth using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Following presentation of the test piece shape, a sham discrimination trial without the test pieces induced posterior parietal lobe (BA7), extrastriate cortex (BA18, BA19), and striate cortex (BA17) activation as compared with the rest session, while shape discrimination of the test pieces markedly activated those areas as compared with the rest session. Furthermore, shape discrimination of the test pieces specifically activated the posterior parietal cortex (precuneus/BA7), extrastriate cortex (BA18, 19), and striate cortex (BA17), as compared with sham sessions without a test piece. We concluded that oral tactile sensation is recognized through tactile/visual cross-modal substrates in the parietal and occipital cortices during shape discrimination by the mouth.

Gallbladder Boundary Segmentation from Ultrasound Images Using Active Contour Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciecholewski, Marcin

Extracting the shape of the gallbladder from an ultrasonography (US) image allows superfluous information which is immaterial in the diagnostic process to be eliminated. In this project an active contour model was used to extract the shape of the gallbladder, both for cases free of lesions, and for those showing specific disease units, namely: lithiasis, polyps and changes in the shape of the organ, such as folds or turns of the gallbladder. The approximate shape of the gallbladder was found by applying the motion equation model. The tests conducted have shown that for the 220 US images of the gallbladder, the area error rate (AER) amounted to 18.15%.

Metabolic changes associated with the long winter fast dominate the liver proteome in 13-lined ground squirrels

PubMed Central

Hindle, Allyson G.; Grabek, Katharine R.; Epperson, L. Elaine; Karimpour-Fard, Anis

2014-01-01

Small-bodied hibernators partition the year between active homeothermy and hibernating heterothermy accompanied by fasting. To define molecular events underlying hibernation that are both dependent and independent of fasting, we analyzed the liver proteome among two active and four hibernation states in 13-lined ground squirrels. We also examined fall animals transitioning between fed homeothermy and fasting heterothermy. Significantly enriched pathways differing between activity and hibernation were biased toward metabolic enzymes, concordant with the fuel shifts accompanying fasting physiology. Although metabolic reprogramming to support fasting dominated these data, arousing (rewarming) animals had the most distinct proteome among the hibernation states. Instead of a dominant metabolic enzyme signature, torpor-arousal cycles featured differences in plasma proteins and intracellular membrane traffic and its regulation. Phosphorylated NSFL1C, a membrane regulator, exhibited this torpor-arousal cycle pattern; its role in autophagosome formation may promote utilization of local substrates upon metabolic reactivation in arousal. Fall animals transitioning to hibernation lagged in their proteomic adjustment, indicating that the liver is more responsive than preparatory to the metabolic reprogramming of hibernation. Specifically, torpor use had little impact on the fall liver proteome, consistent with a dominant role of nutritional status. In contrast to our prediction of reprogramming the transition between activity and hibernation by gene expression and then within-hibernation transitions by posttranslational modification (PTM), we found extremely limited evidence of reversible PTMs within torpor-arousal cycles. Rather, acetylation contributed to seasonal differences, being highest in winter (specifically in torpor), consistent with fasting physiology and decreased abundance of the mitochondrial deacetylase, SIRT3. PMID:24642758

Dynamics of alpha control: Preparatory suppression of posterior alpha oscillations by frontal modulators revealed with combined EEG and event-related optical signal (EROS)

PubMed Central

Mathewson, Kyle E.; Beck, Diane M.; Ro, Tony; Maclin, Edward L.; Low, Kathy A.; Fabiani, Monica; Gratton, Gabriele

2015-01-01

We investigated the dynamics of brain processes facilitating conscious experience of external stimuli. Previously we proposed that alpha (8-12 Hz) oscillations, which fluctuate with both sustained and directed attention, represent a pulsed inhibition of ongoing sensory brain activity. Here we tested the prediction that inhibitory alpha oscillations in visual cortex are modulated by top-down signals from frontoparietal attention networks. We measured modulations in phase-coherent alpha oscillations from superficial frontal, parietal, and occipital cortices using the event-related optical signal (EROS), a measure of neuronal activity affording high spatiotemporal resolution, along with concurrently-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG), while subjects performed a visual target-detection task. The pre-target alpha oscillations measured with EEG and EROS from posterior areas were larger for subsequently undetected targets, supporting alpha's inhibitory role. Using EROS, we localized brain correlates of these awareness-related alpha oscillations measured at the scalp to the cuneus and precuneus. Crucially, EROS alpha suppression correlated with posterior EEG alpha power across subjects. Sorting the EROS data based on EEG alpha power quartiles to investigate alpha modulators revealed that suppression of posterior alpha was preceded by increased activity in regions of the dorsal attention network, and decreased activity in regions of the cingulo-opercular network. Cross-correlations revealed the temporal dynamics of activity within these preparatory networks prior to posterior alpha modulation. The novel combination of EEG and EROS afforded localization of the sources and correlates of alpha oscillations and their temporal relationships, supporting our proposal that top-down control from attention networks modulates both posterior alpha and awareness of visual stimuli. PMID:24702458

Low-back electromyography (EMG) data-driven load classification for dynamic lifting tasks

PubMed Central

Ojeda, Lauro; Johnson, Daniel D.; Gates, Deanna; Mower Provost, Emily; Barton, Kira

2018-01-01

Objective Numerous devices have been designed to support the back during lifting tasks. To improve the utility of such devices, this research explores the use of preparatory muscle activity to classify muscle loading and initiate appropriate device activation. The goal of this study was to determine the earliest time window that enabled accurate load classification during a dynamic lifting task. Methods Nine subjects performed thirty symmetrical lifts, split evenly across three weight conditions (no-weight, 10-lbs and 24-lbs), while low-back muscle activity data was collected. Seven descriptive statistics features were extracted from 100 ms windows of data. A multinomial logistic regression (MLR) classifier was trained and tested, employing leave-one subject out cross-validation, to classify lifted load values. Dimensionality reduction was achieved through feature cross-correlation analysis and greedy feedforward selection. The time of full load support by the subject was defined as load-onset. Results Regions of highest average classification accuracy started at 200 ms before until 200 ms after load-onset with average accuracies ranging from 80% (±10%) to 81% (±7%). The average recall for each class ranged from 69–92%. Conclusion These inter-subject classification results indicate that preparatory muscle activity can be leveraged to identify the intent to lift a weight up to 100 ms prior to load-onset. The high accuracies shown indicate the potential to utilize intent classification for assistive device applications. Significance Active assistive devices, e.g. exoskeletons, could prevent back injury by off-loading low-back muscles. Early intent classification allows more time for actuators to respond and integrate seamlessly with the user. PMID:29447252

Adaptation to conflict via context-driven anticipatory signals in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Horga, Guillermo; Maia, Tiago V; Wang, Pengwei; Wang, Zhishun; Marsh, Rachel; Peterson, Bradley S

2011-11-09

Behavioral interference elicited by competing response tendencies adapts to contextual changes. Recent nonhuman primate research suggests a key mnemonic role of distinct prefrontal cells in supporting such context-driven behavioral adjustments by maintaining conflict information across trials, but corresponding prefrontal functions have yet to be probed in humans. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the human neural substrates of contextual adaptations to conflict. We found that a neural system comprising the rostral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and portions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex specifically encodes the history of previously experienced conflict and influences subsequent adaptation to conflict on a trial-by-trial basis. This neural system became active in anticipation of stimulus onsets during preparatory periods and interacted with a second neural system engaged during the processing of conflict. Our findings suggest that a dynamic interaction between a system that represents conflict history and a system that resolves conflict underlies the contextual adaptation to conflict.

Adaptation to Conflict via Context-Driven Anticipatory Signals in the Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Horga, Guillermo; Maia, Tiago V.; Wang, Pengwei; Wang, Zhishun; Marsh, Rachel; Peterson, Bradley S.

2011-01-01

Behavioral interference elicited by competing response tendencies adapts to contextual changes. Recent nonhuman primate research suggests a key mnemonic role of distinct prefrontal cells in supporting such context-driven behavioral adjustments by maintaining conflict information across trials, but corresponding prefrontal functions have yet to be probed in humans. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the human neural substrates of contextual adaptations to conflict. We found that a neural system comprising the rostral dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and portions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex specifically encodes the history of previously experienced conflict and influences subsequent adaptation to conflict on a trial-by-trial basis. This neural system became active in anticipation of stimulus onsets during preparatory periods and interacted with a second neural system engaged during the processing of conflict. Our findings suggest that a dynamic interaction between a system that represents conflict history and a system that resolves conflict underlies the contextual adaptation to conflict. PMID:22072672

High-dose etoposide (VP-16)-containing preparatory regimens in allogeneic and autologous bone marrow transplantation for hematologic malignancies.

PubMed

Blume, K G; Forman, S J

1992-12-01

High-dose etoposide has been added to total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide, carmustine, or busulfan in preparatory regimens for allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation for patients with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma. The treatment results are encouraging, indicating that etoposide may be a valuable addition to the previously established regimens. Etoposide should be incorporated into collaborative, prospective trials to define its ultimate role in bone marrow transplantation.

Tri-Squared Qualitative and Mixed Methods Analysis of Perceptions of the Effectiveness of the Student Athlete Leadership Academy [SALA]: A Character Development and College Preparatory Program for Young African American Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinton, Harvey; Osler, James E.

2015-01-01

This paper outlines the major dimensions and overall effectiveness of the Student Athlete Leadership Academy (or "SALA"). SALA is a character development and college preparatory program designed for middle grade student athletes. The focus of this paper is to provide information about year 1 of SALA. At the same time the paper will…

Proof of Concept Study for the Design, Manufacturing, and Testing of a Patient-Specific Shape Memory Device for Treatment of Unicoronal Craniosynostosis.

PubMed

Borghi, Alessandro; Rodgers, Will; Schievano, Silvia; Ponniah, Allan; Jeelani, Owase; Dunaway, David

2018-01-01

Treatment of unicoronal craniosynostosis is a surgically challenging problem, due to the involvement of coronal suture and cranial base, with complex asymmetries of the calvarium and orbit. Several techniques for correction have been described, including surgical bony remodeling, early strip craniotomy with orthotic helmet remodeling and distraction. Current distraction devices provide unidirectional forces and have had very limited success. Nitinol is a shape memory alloy that can be programmed to the shape of a patient-specific anatomy by means of thermal treatment.In this work, a methodology to produce a nitinol patient-specific distractor is presented: computer tomography images of a 16-month-old patient with unicoronal craniosynostosis were processed to create a 3-dimensional model of his skull and define the ideal shape postsurgery. A mesh was produced from a nitinol sheet, formed to the ideal skull shape and heat treated to be malleable at room temperature. The mesh was afterward deformed to be attached to a rapid prototyped plastic skull, replica of the patient initial anatomy. The mesh/skull construct was placed in hot water to activate the mesh shape memory property: the deformed plastic skull was computed tomography scanned for comparison of its shape with the initial anatomy and with the desired shape, showing that the nitinol mesh had been able to distract the plastic skull to a shape close to the desired one.The shape-memory properties of nitinol allow for the design and production of patient-specific devices able to deliver complex, preprogrammable shape changes.

Nine Years of Cooperation: The US-German Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Helicopter Aeromechanics 2003-2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Hamers , Mario, Lantzsch, Robin, Wolfram, Jens: First Control System Evalua- tion of the Research Helicopter FHS, 33rd European Rotorcraft Forum, Kazan...62nd Annual Forum of the AHS, Phoenix, AZ, 2006 [65] Brenner, Hanno, Hamers , Mario: Preparatory Activities for CH-53 Flight Tests with a Slung...Wolfram, Jens, Hamers , Mario: Increasing Handling Qualities and Flight Control Performance using an Air Resonance Controller. 64th Annual Forum of

Visual cortex extrastriate body-selective area activation in congenitally blind people "seeing" by using sounds.

PubMed

Striem-Amit, Ella; Amedi, Amir

2014-03-17

Vision is by far the most prevalent sense for experiencing others' body shapes, postures, actions, and intentions, and its congenital absence may dramatically hamper body-shape representation in the brain. We investigated whether the absence of visual experience and limited exposure to others' body shapes could still lead to body-shape selectivity. We taught congenitally fully-blind adults to perceive full-body shapes conveyed through a sensory-substitution algorithm topographically translating images into soundscapes [1]. Despite the limited experience of the congenitally blind with external body shapes (via touch of close-by bodies and for ~10 hr via soundscapes), once the blind could retrieve body shapes via soundscapes, they robustly activated the visual cortex, specifically the extrastriate body area (EBA; [2]). Furthermore, body selectivity versus textures, objects, and faces in both the blind and sighted control groups was not found in the temporal (auditory) or parietal (somatosensory) cortex but only in the visual EBA. Finally, resting-state data showed that the blind EBA is functionally connected to the temporal cortex temporal-parietal junction/superior temporal sulcus Theory-of-Mind areas [3]. Thus, the EBA preference is present without visual experience and with little exposure to external body-shape information, supporting the view that the brain has a sensory-independent, task-selective supramodal organization rather than a sensory-specific organization. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Upper surface blowing noise of the NASA-Ames quiet short-haul research aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohn, A. J.; Shovlin, M. D.

1980-01-01

An experimental study of the propulsive-lift noise of the NASA-Ames quiet short-haul research aircraft (QSRA) is described. Comparisons are made of measured QSRA flyover noise and model propulsive-lift noise data available in references. Developmental tests of trailing-edge treatments were conducted using sawtooth-shaped and porous USB flap trailing-edge extensions. Small scale parametric tests were conducted to determine noise reduction/design relationships. Full-scale static tests were conducted with the QSRA preparatory to the selection of edge treatment designs for flight testing. QSRA flight and published model propulsive-lift noise data have similar characteristics. Noise reductions of 2 to 3 dB were achieved over a wide range of frequency and directivity angles in static tests of the QSRA. These noise reductions are expected to be achieved or surpassed in flight tests planned by NASA in 1980.

A stratigraphy fieldtrip for people with visual impairment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Heras, Miguel; Gonzalez-Acebron, Laura; Muñoz-Garcia, Belen; Garcia-Frank, Alejandra; Fesharaki, Omid

2017-04-01

This communication presents how a stratigraphy fieldtrip adapted to people with visual impairment was prepared and carried out. This fieldtrip aimed to promote scientific knowledge on Earth sciences to people with visual impairment and to inspire Earth scientists to take into account the needs of people with disabilities when designing public engagement activities. To do this, the theme chosen for the fieldtrip was the importance of sedimentary rocks shaping the Earth and what information can one extract from observing sedimentary structures. The Triassic outcrops of Riba de Santiuste (Guadalajara, Spain) were observed during this fieldtrip. The expected learning outcomes were: a) understanding what are sedimentary rocks, how they are formed and how they fold and crop out, b) knowing what is a sedimentary structure and recognising some of them and c) be able to make inferences of the sedimentary environment from certain sedimentary structures. The fieldtrip was prepared, through the NGO "Science without Barriers" together with the Madrid delegation of the National Association for Spanish Blind People (ONCE-Madrid). ONCE-Madrid was responsible of advertising this activity as a part of their yearly cultural program to its affiliate. A preparatory fieldtrip was carried out to test the teaching methodology and to make an appropriate risk assessment. This was made together with the responsible of the Culture Area of ONCE-Madrid and two blind people. The involvement of end-users in the preparation of activities is in the core of the European Disability Forum motto: "Nothing about us without us". A crucial aspect of the site was accessibility. In terms of perambulatory accessibility of outcrops the site is excellent and suitable to some extent for end-users regardless of their physical fitness. The fieldtrip itself took place on October 15th 2016 and 30 people with and without visual disability attended. In addition to overall observations and explanations of strata and stratification, five types of sedimentary structures were observed in detail: Grain size differences and its meaning in terms of energy of the sedimentary environment, plant roots bioturbation traces, flute casts, ripples and convolute stratification. An introduction to the fieldtrip was available in Braille, as well as maps and figures in relief. A 3D plaster model representing the whole outcrop was used to give an overall view of the area as it was noted during the preparatory fieldtrip that totally blind people with no geological background had problems "zooming out", i.e. imagining the whole geological structure from detailed manipulation of strata. The feedback of the majority of the attendants to the fieldtrip was very enthusiastic. They highlighted the suitability of the activities and materials, perceived the fieldtrip as an enjoyable learning experience and met to some extent the expected learning outcomes. It is noteworthy that the fieldtrip was positively perceived positively by attendants with and without visual disability. This fieldtrip was possible thanks to a European Geosciences Union Public Outreach Grant

Xavier Preparatory Academy

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-04-19

Students of Xavier University Preparatory School in New Orleans watch clouds shift across the globe in near-real time on 'Science on a Sphere' during a recent visit to StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. Four projectors work in sync with the suspended sphere to create a revolving display of a planet's atmosphere, oceans and land; to show documentary movies; or to project models of climate change using satellite data. Pictured are students (l to r) Ashante Snowton, Robriane Larry, Zhane Farbe and Ebony Johnson.

Broadband External-Cavity Diode Laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pilgrim, Jeffrey S.

2005-01-01

A broadband external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) has been invented for use in spectroscopic surveys preparatory to optical detection of gases. Heretofore, commercially available ECDLs have been designed, in conjunction with sophisticated tuning assemblies, for narrow- band (and, typically, single-frequency) operation, as needed for high sensitivity and high spectral resolution in some gas-detection applications. However, for preparatory spectroscopic surveys, high sensitivity and narrow-band operation are not needed; in such cases, the present broadband ECDL offers a simpler, less-expensive, more-compact alternative to a commercial narrowband ECDL.

Xavier Preparatory Academy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Students of Xavier University Preparatory School in New Orleans watch clouds shift across the globe in near-real time on 'Science on a Sphere' during a recent visit to StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center. Four projectors work in sync with the suspended sphere to create a revolving display of a planet's atmosphere, oceans and land; to show documentary movies; or to project models of climate change using satellite data. Pictured are students (l to r) Ashante Snowton, Robriane Larry, Zhane Farbe and Ebony Johnson.

On the Antecedents of an Electrophysiological Signature of Retrieval Mode.

PubMed

Williams, Angharad N; Evans, Lisa H; Herron, Jane E; Wilding, Edward L

2016-01-01

It has been proposed that people employ a common set of sustained operations (retrieval mode) when preparing to remember different kinds of episodic information. In two experiments, however, there was no evidence for the pattern of brain activity commonly assumed to index these operations. In both experiments event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded time-locked to alternating preparatory cues signalling that participants should prepare for different retrieval tasks. One cue signalled episodic retrieval: remember the location where the object was presented in a prior study phase. The other signalled semantic retrieval: identify the location where the object is most commonly found (Experiment 1) or identify the typical size of the object (Experiment 2). In both experiments, only two trials of the same task were completed in succession. This enabled ERP contrasts between 'repeat' trials (the cue on the preceding trial signalled the same retrieval task), and 'switch' trials (the cue differed from the preceding trial). There were differences between the ERPs elicited by the preparatory task cues in Experiment 1 only: these were evident only on switch trials and comprised more positive-going activity over right-frontal scalp for the semantic than for the episodic task. These findings diverge from previous outcomes where the activity differentiating cues signalling preparation for episodic or semantic retrieval has been restricted to right-frontal scalp sites, comprising more positive-going activity for the episodic than for the semantic task. While these findings are consistent with the view that there is not a common set of operations engaged when people prepare to remember different kinds of episodic information, an alternative account is offered here, which is that these outcomes are a consequence of structural and temporal components of the experiment designs.

Predicting preparatory behaviours for condom use in female undergraduate students: a one-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Gebhardt, W A; van Empelen, P; van Beurden, D

2009-03-01

The objective of this study is to investigate whether the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e. attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and intention), fluctuations in motivation over time, and variables from the Prototype-Willingness Model (i.e. behavioural expectation and behavioural willingness to have unprotected sex) predict preparatory behaviours for condom use. Sixty-two female undergraduates completed baseline and one-year follow-up questionnaires. Having condoms at home and carrying condoms were predicted by behavioural willingness to have unsafe sex at baseline. Having bought condoms was predicted by the behavioural expectation to use condoms with new partners at baseline. Intention and fluctuations in motivation did not emerge as significant predictors of preparatory actions. Female undergraduates, who are more willing to have unprotected sex under risk-conducive circumstances, are also less likely to prepare adequately for condom use, and thereby increase their chances of encountering such situations. Overall, the findings are in support of the Prototype-Willingness Model.

Questioning the preparatory function of counterfactual thinking.

PubMed

Mercier, Hugo; Rolison, Jonathan J; Stragà, Marta; Ferrante, Donatella; Walsh, Clare R; Girotto, Vittorio

2017-02-01

Why do individuals mentally modify reality (e.g., "If it hadn't rained, we would have won the game")? According to the dominant view, counterfactuals primarily serve to prepare future performance. In fact, individuals who have just failed a task tend to modify the uncontrollable features of their attempt (e.g., "If the rules of the game were different, I would have won it"), generating counterfactuals that are unlikely to play any preparatory role. By contrast, they generate prefactuals that focus on the controllable features of their ensuing behavior (e.g., "If I concentrate more, I will win the next game"). Here, we test whether this tendency is robust and general. Studies 1a and 1b replicate this tendency and show that it occurs regardless of whether individuals think about their failures or their successes. Study 2 shows that individuals generate relatively few controllable counterfactuals, unless explicitly prompted to do so. These results raise some questions regarding the generality of the dominant view according to which counterfactuals mainly serve a preparatory function.

Shape perception simultaneously up- and downregulates neural activity in the primary visual cortex.

PubMed

Kok, Peter; de Lange, Floris P

2014-07-07

An essential part of visual perception is the grouping of local elements (such as edges and lines) into coherent shapes. Previous studies have shown that this grouping process modulates neural activity in the primary visual cortex (V1) that is signaling the local elements [1-4]. However, the nature of this modulation is controversial. Some studies find that shape perception reduces neural activity in V1 [2, 5, 6], while others report increased V1 activity during shape perception [1, 3, 4, 7-10]. Neurocomputational theories that cast perception as a generative process [11-13] propose that feedback connections carry predictions (i.e., the generative model), while feedforward connections signal the mismatch between top-down predictions and bottom-up inputs. Within this framework, the effect of feedback on early visual cortex may be either enhancing or suppressive, depending on whether the feedback signal is met by congruent bottom-up input. Here, we tested this hypothesis by quantifying the spatial profile of neural activity in V1 during the perception of illusory shapes using population receptive field mapping. We find that shape perception concurrently increases neural activity in regions of V1 that have a receptive field on the shape but do not receive bottom-up input and suppresses activity in regions of V1 that receive bottom-up input that is predicted by the shape. These effects were not modulated by task requirements. Together, these findings suggest that shape perception changes lower-order sensory representations in a highly specific and automatic manner, in line with theories that cast perception in terms of hierarchical generative models. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mock Pages Are a Valid Construct for Assessment of Clinical Decision Making and Interprofessional Communication.

PubMed

Boehler, Margaret L; Schwind, Cathy J; Markwell, Stephen J; Minter, Rebecca M

2017-01-01

Answering pages from nurses about patients in need of immediate attention is one of the most difficult challenges a resident faces during their first days as a physician. A Mock Page program has been developed and adopted into a national surgical resident preparatory curriculum to prepare senior medical students for this important skill. The purpose of this study is to assess standardized mock page cases as a valid construct to assess clinical decision making and interprofessional communication skills. Mock page cases (n = 16) were administered to 213 senior medical students from 12 medical schools participating in a national surgical resident preparatory curriculum in 2013 and 2014. Clinical decision making and interprofessional communication were measured by case-specific assessments evaluating these skills which have undergone rigorous standard-setting to determine pass/fail cut points. Students' performance improved in general for both communication and clinical decision making over the 4-week course. Cases have been identified that seem to be best suited for differentiating high- from low-performing students. Chest pain, pulmonary embolus, and mental status change cases posed the greatest difficulty for student learners. Simulated mock pages demonstrate an innovative technique for training students in both effective interprofessional communication and management of common postoperative conditions they will encounter as new surgical interns.

Acute immobilisation facilitates premotor preparatory activity for the non-restrained hand when facing grasp affordances.

PubMed

Kühn, Simone; Werner, Anika; Lindenberger, Ulman; Verrel, Julius

2014-05-15

Use and non-use of body parts during goal-directed action are major forces driving reorganisation of neural processing. We investigated changes in functional brain activity resulting from acute short-term immobilisation of the dominant right hand. Informed by the concept of object affordances, we predicted that the presence or absence of a limb restraint would influence the perception of graspable objects in a laterally specific way. Twenty-three participants underwent fMRI scanning during a passive object-viewing task before the intervention as well as with and without wearing an orthosis. The right dorsal premotor cortex and the left cerebellum were more strongly activated when the handle of an object was oriented towards the left hand while the right hand was immobilised compared with a situation where the hand was not immobilised. The cluster in the premotor cortex showing an interaction between condition (with restraint, without restraint) and stimulus action side (right vs. left) overlapped with the general task vs. baseline contrast prior to the intervention, confirming its functional significance for the task. These results show that acute immobilisation of the dominant right hand leads to rapid changes of the perceived affordance of objects. We conclude that changes in action requirements lead to almost instantaneous changes in functional activation patterns, which in turn may trigger structural cortical plasticity. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Screening of plant extracts for human tyrosinase inhibiting effects.

PubMed

Kim, M; Park, J; Song, K; Kim, H G; Koh, J-S; Boo, Y C

2012-04-01

Screening for tyrosinase (TYR) inhibitors potentially useful for control of skin pigmentation has been hampered by the limited availability of human TYR. To overcome this hurdle, we have established human embryonic kidney (HEK293)-TYR cells that constitutively express human TYR. In the current study, we assayed human TYR inhibition activities of 50 plant extracts using the lysates of transformed HEK293-TYR cells. The strongest inhibition of human TYR was shown by the extract of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunberg, followed by the extract of Morus bombycis Koidzumi. The former extract did not inhibit mushroom TYR activity whereas significant inhibition was observed with the latter extract, demonstrating the importance of using human TYR in the screening for human TYR inhibitors. Upon liquid-liquid partitioning of the extract from V. bracteatum, the active constituents were enriched in the ethyl acetate fraction, and the subsequent preparatory thin-layer chromatography identified p-coumaric acid (PCA) as the main active constituent. The hypo-pigmentation of PCA was verified in the MelanoDerm™ Skin Model. This study demonstrates that transformed HEK293-TYR cells could expedite the discovery of human TYR-specific inhibitors from natural sources which might be useful in the control of skin pigmentation. © 2012 The Authors. ICS © 2012 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

The cognitive roles of behavioral variability: idiosyncratic acts as the foundation of identity and as transitional, preparatory, and confirmatory phases.

PubMed

Eilam, David

2015-02-01

Behavior in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), in habitual daily tasks, and in sport and cultural rituals is deconstructed into elemental acts and categorized into common acts, performed by all individuals completing a similar task, and idiosyncratic acts, not performed by all individuals. Never skipped, common acts establish the pragmatic part of motor tasks. Repetitive performance of a few common acts renders rituals a rigid form, whereby common acts may serve as memes for cultural transmission. While idiosyncratic acts are not pragmatically necessary for task completion, they fulfill important cognitive roles. They form a long preparatory phase in tasks that involve high stakes, and a long confirmatory phase in OCD rituals. Idiosyncratic acts also form transitional phases between motor tasks, and are involved in establishing identity and preserving the flexibility necessary for adapting to varying circumstances. Behavioral variability, as manifested in idiosyncrasy, thus does not seem to be a noise or by-product of motor activity, but an essential cognitive component that has been preserved in the evolution of behavioral patterns, similar to the genetic variability in biology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Hunger and satiety factors in the regulation of pleasure associated with feeding behavior].

PubMed

Fetissov, Sergueï O

2016-01-01

Feeding is an instinctive behavior accompanied by rewarding feeling of pleasure during obtaining and ingesting food, corresponding to the preparatory and consummatory phases of motivated behavior, respectively. Perception of this emotional state together with alternating feelings of hunger and satiety drives the feeding behavior. Because alterations of feeding behavior including either overeating or anorexia may lead to obesity and cachexia, respectively, understanding the neurochemical mechanisms of regulation of feeding pleasure may help to develop new therapies of these diseases. The dopamine (DA) system of the mesolimbic projections plays a key role in behavioral reward in general and is also involved in regulating feeding-associated pleasure in the forebrain including the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). It suggests that this DA system can be selectively activated by factors specific to different types of motivated behavior including hunger- and satiety- related hormones. Indeed, central administrations of either orexigenic ghrelin or anorexigenic α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) increase DA release in the NAc. However, DA has also been shown to inhibit food intake when injected into the LHA, historically known as a « hunger center », indicating DA functional involvement in regulation of both appetite and feeding pleasure. Although both NAc and LHA contain neurons expressing melanocortin receptors, only the LHA receives the α-MSH containing nerve terminals from the α-MSH producing neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, the main relay of the peripheral hunger and satiety signals to the brain. A recent study showed that α-MSH in the LHA enhances satiety and inhibits feeding pleasure while potently stimulating DA release in this area during both preparatory and consummatory phases of feeding. It suggests that altered signaling by α-MSH to the DA system in the LHA may be involved in the pathophysiology of obesity and anorexia and the possible underlying mechanisms are discussed. © Société de Biologie, 2017.

Determination of 243Am by pulse shape discrimination liquid scintillation spectrometry.

PubMed

Alamelu, D; Bhade, S P D; Reddy, P J; Narayan, K K; Shah, P M; Aggarwal, S K

2006-05-01

Alpha specific activity of 243Am was determined using pulse shape discrimination in liquid scintillation spectrometry. 238Pu, 36Cl and 239Np (purified from 243Am) were used for obtaining the spillover of alpha/beta particles into the beta/alpha channels, respectively. Synthetic mixtures of 241Am/243Am were prepared. Using the alpha-specific activity, weights of the stock solutions used and the half-life of 241Am and 243Am isotopes, the expected 241Am/243Am atom ratios in the mixtures were determined and compared with those obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). An agreement of about 1% was obtained between the 241Am/243Am atom ratios determined by the two methods. This shows that liquid scintillation counting with pulse shape discrimination can be used for 243Am determination with an accuracy better than 1%.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Needs to Improve Contract Oversight of Military Construction Projects at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-26

Minutes Required 116 64 142 58 380 No. of Contractor Meeting Minutes Available Preparatory Meetings Initial Meetings 0 0 18 15 0 0 20 2 38...work, for which the contractors should have prepared a total of 190 preparatory and 190 initial meeting minutes (total of 380 meeting minutes...27, 2012 DoD IG Report No. D-2010-059, “Contingency Contracting: A Framework for Reform,” May 14, 2010 DoD IG Report No. SPO -2009-005, “Assessment

Preparatory steps for a robust dynamic model for organically bound tritium dynamics in agricultural crops

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Melintescu, A.; Galeriu, D.; Diabate, S.

2015-03-15

The processes involved in tritium transfer in crops are complex and regulated by many feedback mechanisms. A full mechanistic model is difficult to develop due to the complexity of the processes involved in tritium transfer and environmental conditions. First, a review of existing models (ORYZA2000, CROPTRIT and WOFOST) presenting their features and limits, is made. Secondly, the preparatory steps for a robust model are discussed, considering the role of dry matter and photosynthesis contribution to the OBT (Organically Bound Tritium) dynamics in crops.

Patterns of muscle activity underlying object-specific grasp by the macaque monkey.

PubMed

Brochier, T; Spinks, R L; Umilta, M A; Lemon, R N

2004-09-01

During object grasp, a coordinated activation of distal muscles is required to shape the hand in relation to the physical properties of the object. Despite the fundamental importance of the grasping action, little is known of the muscular activation patterns that allow objects of different sizes and shapes to be grasped. In a study of two adult macaque monkeys, we investigated whether we could distinguish between EMG activation patterns associated with grasp of 12 differently shaped objects, chosen to evoke a wide range of grasping postures. Each object was mounted on a horizontal shuttle held by a weak spring (load force 1-2 N). Objects were located in separate sectors of a "carousel," and inter-trial rotation of the carousel allowed sequential presentation of the objects in pseudorandom order. EMG activity from 10 to 12 digit, hand, and arm muscles was recorded using chronically implanted electrodes. We show that the grasp of different objects was characterized by complex but distinctive patterns of EMG activation. Cluster analysis shows that these object-related EMG patterns were specific and consistent enough to identify the object unequivocally from the EMG recordings alone. EMG-based object identification required a minimum of six EMGs from simultaneously recorded muscles. EMG patterns were consistent across recording sessions in a given monkey but showed some differences between animals. These results identify the specific patterns of activity required to achieve distinct hand postures for grasping, and they open the way to our understanding of how these patterns are generated by the central motor network.

Comparison of two preparatory techniques for urine cytology.

PubMed Central

Dhundee, J; Rigby, H S

1990-01-01

Two methods of preparation of urine for cytology were compared retrospectively. In method 1 cells in the urine were fixed after the preparation of the smear; in method 2 the cells were fixed before smear preparation. Urine cytology reports were correlated with subsequent histological analysis. The specificities of urine cytology using both methods were high (99%). The sensitivity using method 1 was 87%; using method 2 it was 65%. This difference was significant. The cell preparation technique therefore significantly changes the sensitivity of urine cytology. Cellular fixation after smear preparation is preferable to smear preparation after fixation. PMID:2266176

Analysis of the Seismic Activity During the Preparatory Phase of the Mw 8.2 Iquique Earthquake, Chile 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aden-Antoniow, F.; Satriano, C.; Poiata, N.; Bernard, P.; Vilotte, J. P.; Aissaoui, E. M.; Ruiz, S.; Schurr, B.; Sobiesiak, M.

2015-12-01

The 2014 Iquique seismic crisis, culminating with the main Mw 8.2 Iquique earthquake (Chile), 1st of April 2014, and the largest Mw 7.7 aftershock, 3rd of April, highlighted a complex unlocking of the North Chile subduction interface. Indeed, during many months preceding this event, at least three large seismic clusters have been observed, in July 2013, in January and in March 2014. Their location and final migration towards the mainshock rupture area represents the main motivation of this work.We built a new, more complete catalogue for the period over December 2013 to March 2014 in Northern Chile, using a new automated array method for earthquake detection and location [Poiata et al. 2015]. With the data-set provided by the IPOC and ILN networks, we detected an average of 8000 events per month, forty times more than the catalogue produced by Centro Sismologico National del Chile. The new catalogue decreases the magnitude of completeness by more than two units, from 3.3 to 1.2. We observe two shallow clusters offshore of the cities of Iquique and Pisagua in January 2014, and a strong one covering the rupture zone of Mw 8.2 mainshock in March. A spatial-temporal statistical analysis of these three clusters allows us to better characterize the whole preparatory phase. We interpret our results in light of the location, timing and energy of several aseismic slip events, evidenced by Boudin et al. [AGU 2014], which coincide with the seismic clusters. We propose that the preparatory phase of the Iquique earthquake consists of a complex interplay of seismic and aseismic slip along the subduction surface. Furthermore, our analysis raises new questions regarding the complex slip during the Mw 7.7 aftershock, and the spatial variation of the effective coupling along the subduction interface, imaged by GPS studies, suggesting new research direction that will be outlined.

Does the hippocampus mediate objective binding or subjective remembering?

PubMed

Slotnick, Scott D

2010-01-15

Human functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) evidence suggests the hippocampus is associated with context memory to a greater degree than item memory (where only context memory requires item-in-context binding). A separate line of fMRI research suggests the hippocampus is associated with "remember" responses to a greater degree than "know" or familiarity based responses (where only remembering reflects the subjective experience of specific detail). Previous studies, however, have confounded context memory with remembering and item memory with knowing. The present fMRI study independently tested the binding hypothesis and remembering hypothesis of hippocampal function by evaluating activity within hippocampal regions-of-interest (ROIs). At encoding, participants were presented with colored and gray abstract shapes and instructed to remember each shape and whether it was colored or gray. At retrieval, old and new shapes were presented in gray and participants classified each shape as "old and previously colored", "old and previously gray", or "new", followed by a "remember" or "know" response. In 3 of 11 hippocampal ROIs, activity was significantly greater for context memory than item memory, the context memory-item memory by remember-know interaction was significant, and activity was significantly greater for context memory-knowing than item memory-remembering. This pattern of activity only supports the binding hypothesis. The analogous pattern of activity that would have supported the remembering hypothesis was never observed in the hippocampus. However, a targeted analysis revealed remembering specific activity in the left inferior parietal cortex. The present results suggest parietal cortex may be associated with subjective remembering while the hippocampus mediates binding.

Cortical activity in the null space: permitting preparation without movement

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Matthew T.; Churchland, Mark M.; Ryu, Stephen I.; Shenoy, Krishna V.

2014-01-01

Neural circuits must perform computations and then selectively output the results to other circuits. Yet synapses do not change radically at millisecond timescales. A key question then is: how is communication between neural circuits controlled? In motor control, brain areas directly involved in driving movement are active well before movement begins. Muscle activity is some readout of neural activity, yet remains largely unchanged during preparation. Here we find that during preparation, while the monkey holds still, changes in motor cortical activity cancel out at the level of these population readouts. Motor cortex can thereby prepare the movement without prematurely causing it. Further, we found evidence that this mechanism also operates in dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), largely accounting for how preparatory activity is attenuated in primary motor cortex (M1). Selective use of “output-null” vs. “output-potent” patterns of activity may thus help control communication to the muscles and between these brain areas. PMID:24487233

Testing a symptom-based surveillance system at high-profile gatherings as a preparatory measure for bioterrorism.

PubMed

Osaka, K; Takahashi, H; Ohyama, T

2002-12-01

We tested symptom-based surveillance during the G8 conference in 2000 as a means of detecting outbreaks, including bio-terrorism attacks, promptly. Five categories of symptoms (skin and haemorrhagic, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological and unexplained) were adopted for the case definition of the surveillance. The surveillance began I week before the conference, and continued until 1 week after the conference ended. We could not detect any outbreaks during this surveillance. Compared to the existing diagnosis-based surveillance system, symptom-based surveillance has the advantages of timeliness and simplicity. However, poor specificity and difficulties in determining epidemic threshold were important limitations of this system. To increase the specificity of surveillance, it is essential to incorporate rapid laboratory diagnoses into the system.

[Fathers of first infants--preparatory courses about delivery, experience of delivery and paternity leave].

PubMed

Aagaard, J; Dueholm, M; Nielsen, K T; Wiese, J; Strand, J E; Jangaard, J K

1989-05-22

In the Central Hospital in Randers, 233 fathers of first infants replied to a questionnaire which illustrated their attitudes to the preparatory courses about delivery, experience of delivery and attitudes to paternity leave. 65% of the fathers participated in the course and 74% stated that they considered that this had been profitable. Where 77% of the men were concerned, these considered that participation in delivery had been a positive experience. 73% of the men had planned paternity leave around the time of delivery, which emphasizes the need for this arrangement.

NASA's NPOESS Preparatory Project Science Data Segment: A Framework for Measurement-based Earth Science Data Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwaller, Mathew R.; Schweiss, Robert J.

2007-01-01

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) Science Data Segment (SDS) provides a framework for the future of NASA s distributed Earth science data systems. The NPP SDS performs research and data product assessment while using a fully distributed architecture. The components of this architecture are organized around key environmental data disciplines: land, ocean, ozone, atmospheric sounding, and atmospheric composition. The SDS thus establishes a set of concepts and a working prototypes. This paper describes the framework used by the NPP Project as it enabled Measurement-Based Earth Science Data Systems for the assessment of NPP products.

Billing third party payers for pharmaceutical care services.

PubMed

Poirier, S; Buffington, D E; Memoli, G A

1999-01-01

To describe the steps pharmacists must complete when seeking compensation from third party payers for pharmaceutical care services. Government publications; professional publications, including manuals and newsletters; authors' personal experience. Pharmacists in increasing numbers are meeting with success in getting reimbursed by third party payers for patient care activities. However, many pharmacists remain reluctant to seek compensation because they do not understand the steps involved. Preparatory steps include obtaining a provider/supplier number, procuring appropriate claim forms, developing data collection and documentation systems, establishing professional fees, creating a marketing plan, and developing an accounting system. To bill for specific patient care services, pharmacists need to collect the patient's insurance information, obtain a statement of medical necessity from the patient's physician, complete the appropriate claim form accurately, and submit the claim with supporting documentation to the insurer. Although many claims from pharmacists are rejected initially, pharmacists who work with third party payers to understand the reasons for denial of payment often receive compensation when claims are resubmitted. Pharmacists who follow these guidelines for billing third party payers for pharmaceutical care services should notice an increase in the number of paid claims.

Preliminary assessment of active rock slope instabilities in the high Himalaya of Bhutan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dini, Benedetta; Manconi, Andrea; Leith, Kerry; Loew, Simon

2016-04-01

The small kingdom of Bhutan, nested between India and Tibet (between 88° and 92° east and 26° and 28° north), is characterised by markedly different landscapes and climatic zones. V-shaped, forest-covered valleys in the south, affected by the monsoonal rains, give gradually way to steep, barren slopes of U-shaped valleys in the drier north, host of the highest peaks, a large number of glaciers and glacial lakes. A transition zone of vegetated, elevated plateaus collects the towns in which most of the population lives. Landslides in the high Himalaya of Bhutan have not been extensively studied despite the primary and secondary hazards related to them. The regulations and restrictions to travel to and within Bhutan imposed by the government, as well as the extremely rugged terrain hinder the accessibility to remote slopes and valleys, both of which have resulted in lack of data and investigations. In this work, we aim at producing an inventory of large rock slope instabilities (> 1 million m3) across the high Himalaya of Bhutan, identifying types of failure, assessing the activity and analysing the distribution of landslides in combination with predisposing and preparatory factors, such as lithology, tectonic structures, hypsometry, deglaciation, fluvial erosive power and climate. At this stage, we rely on the information retrieved through satellite remote sensing data, i.e. medium and high resolution DEMs, optical images and space borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. An initial inventory was compiled based on the identification of geomorphological features associated with slope instabilities using the available Google Earth images. Moreover, we assessed the SAR data coverage and the expected geometrical distortions by assuming different sensors (ERS, Envisat, and ALOS Palsar-1). As we are mainly interested in detecting the surface deformation related to large unstable slopes by applying Differential SAR, we also computed the percentage of potentially detectable movement along the satellite line of sight by assuming that the dominant motion is along the line of maximum slope. Finally, we present the preliminary surface velocities and displacement time series obtained by applying the P-SBAS technique (implemented within the ESA Geohazard Exploitation Platform) on available SAR data (24 images, period 2007-2010, Envisat ASAR, track 176), where several anomalies identified have been interpreted as active rock slope instabilities previously unknown.

Assessment of Urbanization on the Integrated Land-Ocean-Atmosphere Environment in Coastal Metropolis in Preparation for HyspIRI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sequera, Pedro; McDonald, Kyle C.; Gonzalez, Jorge; Arend, Mark; Krakauer, Nir; Bornstein, Robert; Luvll, Jeffrey

2012-01-01

The need for comprehensive studies of the relationships between past and projected changes of regional climate and human activity in comple x urban environments has been well established. The HyspIRI preparato ry airborne activities in California, associated science and applicat ions research, and eventually HyspIRI itself provide an unprecedented opportunity for development and implementation of an integrated data and modeling analysis system focused on coastal urban environments. We will utilize HyspIRI preparatory data collections in developing ne w remote sensing-based tools for investigating the integrated urban e nvironment, emphasizing weather, climate, and energy demands in compl ex coastal cities.

Accurate Differentiation of Carotenoid Pigments Using Flight Representative Raman Spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malherbe, Cedric; Hutchinson, Ian B.; McHugh, Melissa; Ingley, Richard; Jehlička, Jan; Edwards, Howell G. M.

2017-04-01

Raman spectrometers will be utilized on two Mars rover missions, ExoMars and Mars 2020, in the near future, to search for evidence of life and habitable geological niches on Mars. Carotenoid pigments are recognized target biomarkers, and as they are highly active in Raman spectroscopy, they can be readily used to characterize the capabilities of space representative instrumentation. As part of the preparatory work being performed for the ExoMars mission, a gypsum crust colonized by microorganisms was interrogated with commercial portable Raman instruments and a flight representative Raman laser spectrometer. Four separate layers, each exhibiting different coloration resulting from specific halophilic microorganism activities within the gypsum crust, were studied by using two excitation wavelengths: 532 and 785 nm. Raman or fluorescence data were readily obtained during the present study. Gypsum, the main constituent of the crust, was detected with both excitation wavelengths, while the resonance Raman signal associated with carotenoid pigments was only detected with a 532 nm excitation wavelength. The fluorescence originating from bacteriochlorophyll a was found to overwhelm the Raman signal for the layer colonized by sulfur bacteria when interrogated with a 785 nm excitation wavelength. Finally, it was demonstrated that portable instruments and the prototype were capable of detecting a statistically significant difference in band positions of carotenoid signals between the sample layers.

Lower limb lymphedema in gynecological cancer survivors--effect on daily life functioning.

PubMed

Dunberger, Gail; Lindquist, Helene; Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte; Nyberg, Tommy; Steineck, Gunnar; Åvall-Lundqvist, Elisabeth

2013-11-01

Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) is a common condition after pelvic cancer treatment but few studies have evaluated its effect on the quality of life and its consequences on daily life activities among gynecological cancer survivors. We identified a cohort of 789 eligible women, treated with pelvic radiotherapy alone or as part of combined treatment of gynecological cancer, from 1991 to 2003 at two departments of gynecological oncology in Sweden. As a preparatory study, we conducted in-depth interviews with gynecological cancer survivors and constructed a study-specific questionnaire which we validated face-to-face. The questionnaire covered physical symptoms originating in the pelvis, demographic, psychological, and quality of life factors. In relation to the lymph system, 19 questions were asked. Six hundred sixteen (78 %) gynecological cancer survivors answered the questionnaire and participated in the study. Thirty-six percent (218/606) of the cancer survivors reported LLL. Overall quality of life was significantly lower among cancer survivors with LLL. They were also less satisfied with their sleep, more worried about recurrence of cancer, and more likely to interpret symptoms from the body as recurrence. Cancer survivors reported that LLL kept them from physical activity (45 %) and house work (29 %) and affected their ability to partake in social activities (27 %) or to meet friends (20 %). Lower limb lymphedema has a negative impact on quality of life among gynecological cancer survivors, affecting sleep and daily life activities, yet only a few seek professional help.

Different proactive and reactive action control in fencers' and boxers' brain.

PubMed

Bianco, Valentina; Di Russo, Francesco; Perri, Rinaldo Livio; Berchicci, Marika

2017-02-20

Practicing sport at top level requires excellent physical and cognitive skills. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether specific sport practice may affect the preparation-perception-action stages of processing during a visuo-motor task requiring perceptual discrimination and fast response. We recruited 39 participants (two groups of professional fencers and boxers, and a control group; N=13 for each group) and measured behavioral performance and event-related potentials (ERPs) while performing a go/no-go task. Results revealed that athletes were faster than controls, while fencers were more accurate than boxers. ERP analysis revealed that motor preparation, indexed by the Bereitschaftspotential (BP), was increased in athletes than controls, whereas the top-down attentional control, reflected by the prefrontal negativity (pN) component, was enhanced only in fencers when compared to controls. Most of the post-stimulus ERPs i.e. the N1, the N2, the P3, and the pP2, were enhanced in fencers. Combat sports require fast action execution, but the preparatory brain activity might differ according to the specific practice required by each discipline. Boxers might afford to commit more errors (as reflected by high commission error (CE) rate and by a small pN amplitude), while fencers have to be as much fast and accurate as possible (thanks to an enhanced pN amplitude). Although the possible influence of repetitive head blows on cerebral activity cannot be excluded in boxers, our results suggest that cognitive benefits of high-level sport practice might also be transferred to the daily (i.e., no sport-related) activities. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Homeostatic plasticity shapes cell-type-specific wiring in the retina

PubMed Central

Tien, Nai-Wen; Soto, Florentina; Kerschensteiner, Daniel

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Convergent input from different presynaptic partners shapes the responses of postsynaptic neurons. Whether developing postsynaptic neurons establish connections with each presynaptic partner independently, or balance inputs to attain specific responses is unclear. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) receive convergent input from bipolar cell types with different contrast responses and temporal tuning. Here, using optogenetic activation and pharmacogenetic silencing, we found that type 6 bipolar cells (B6) dominate excitatory input to ONα-RGCs. We generated mice in which B6 cells were selectively removed from developing circuits (B6-DTA). In B6-DTA mice, ONα-RGCs adjusted connectivity with other bipolar cells in a cell-type-specific manner. They recruited new partners, increased synapses with some existing partners, and maintained constant input from others. Patch clamp recordings revealed that anatomical rewiring precisely preserved contrast- and temporal frequency response functions of ONα-RGCs, indicating that homeostatic plasticity shapes cell-type-specific wiring in the developing retina to stabilize visual information sent to the brain. PMID:28457596

Flow Behavior Around a Fast-Starting Robotic Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Ganzhong; Currier, Todd; Modarres-Sadeghi, Yahya

2017-11-01

A robotic fish is used to study the flow behavior around the body of a fast-starting fish as it experiences a fast-start. The robotic fish is designed and built emulating a Northern Pike, Esox Lucius, which can accelerate at up to 245 m/s2. In previous studies, we had focused on the flow around the tail during the fast-start, by using a tail which acted flexibly in the preparatory stage and rigidly in the propulsive stage. We have extended that study by including the fish body in the experimental setup, where the body can bend into a C-shape, so that the influence of the body motion on the resulting flow around the structure can be understood as well. In the tests, the fish can rotate about a vertical axis, where a multi-axis force sensor measures flow forces acting on the body. Synchronized with the force measurement, flow visualizations using bubble image velocimetry are conducted, and the observed shed vortices are related to the peak forces observed during the maneuver.

Early Assessment of VIIRS On-Orbit Calibration and Support Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Chiang, Kwofu; McIntire, Jeffrey; Oudrari, Hassan; Wu, Aisheng; Schwaller, Mathew; Butler, James

2012-01-01

The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite, formally the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP), provides a bridge between current and future low-Earth orbiting weather and environmental observation satellite systems. The NASA s NPP VIIRS Characterization Support Team (VCST) is designed to assess the long term geometric and radiometric performance of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard the S-NPP spacecraft and to support NPP Science Team Principal Investigators (PI) for their independent evaluation of VIIRS Environmental Data Records (EDRs). This paper provides an overview of Suomi NPP VIIRS on-orbit calibration activities and examples of sensor initial on-orbit performance. It focuses on the radiometric calibration support activities and capabilities provided by the NASA VCST.

FLPP IXV Re-entry Vehicle, Transonic Characterisation Based on FOI T1500 Wind Tunnel Tests and CFD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torngren, L.; Chiarelli, C.; Mareschi, V.; Tribot, J.-P.; Binetti, P.; Walloschek, T.

2009-01-01

The European Space Agency ESA, has engaged in 2004, the IXV project (Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle) which is part of the FLPP (Future Launcher Preparatory Programme) aiming at answering to critical technological issues, while supporting the future generation launchers and to improve in general European capabilities in the strategic field of atmospheric re-entry for space transportation, exploration and scientific applications. The IXV key mission and system objectives are the design, development, manufacturing, assembling and on-ground to in-flight verification of an autonomous European lifting and aerodynamically controlled re-entry system, integrating the critical re-entry technologies at the system level. The current IXV vehicle is a slender body type exhibiting rounded shape, thick body controlled by means of two control surfaces. The current mission is to perform an atmospheric re- entry ended by a safe recovery in supersonic regime. A potential extension of the flight domain down to the transonic regime was proposed to be analyzed. The objectives were to study the capability of the IXV for flying autonomously enabling a recovery of the vehicle by means of a subsonic parachute based DRS. The vehicle designed for the hypersonic speeds integrating a large base with only two control surfaces located close to the plane of symmetry is definitively not tuned for transonic ones. CFD done by Thales Alenia Space and wind tunnel activities involving FOI T1500 facility contributed to built up an Aerodynamic Data Base (AEDB) to be used as inputs for flying qualities analysis and re-entry simulations. The paper presents the main objectives of the transonic activities with emphasis on CFD and WTT including a description of the different prediction tools and discussing the main outcomes of the current data comparisons.

Routine activities and victimization at school: the significance of gender.

PubMed

Popp, Ann Marie; Peguero, Anthony A

2011-08-01

Routine activities theory has not fully considered the role of gender in shaping victimization and yet, the research literature clearly demonstrates that gender is associated with an individual's risk of victimization. In addition to the pervasive effect of gender on victimization, gender shapes an individual's daily routines and thus may create a gender-specific relationship with victimization. This article explores the importance of gender in understanding the relationship between student's participation in extracurricular routine activities (e.g., student government, clubs, sports, and etc.) and the risk of victimization. From the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a sample of 10th-grade students was drawn for analyses. Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling was employed to explore the role of gender in the relationship between extracurricular routine activities and victimization at school. The results reveal that students' gender indeed interacts with several of the extracurricular routine activities creating gender-specific risks of victimization. This article highlights the importance of gender in explaining victimization and suggests researchers should consider how gender may interact with other routine activities and victimization.

Strengthening moral reasoning through dedicated ethics training in dietetic preparatory programs.

PubMed

Hewko, Sarah J; Cooper, Sarah L; Cummings, Greta G

2015-01-01

Moral reasoning skills, associated with the ability to make ethical decisions effectively, must be purposively fostered. Among health professionals, enhanced moral reasoning is linked to superior clinical performance. Research demonstrates that moral reasoning is enhanced through dedicated, discussion-based ethics education offered over a period of 3-12 weeks. Current dietetic students and practicing dietitians seeking to strengthen their moral reasoning skills can undertake elective ethics education. Further research within dietetic preparatory programs is warranted to better inform the development and implementation of ethics courses. Copyright © 2015 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating evidence-based treatments for common mental disorders in routine primary care: feasibility and acceptability of the MANAS intervention in Goa, India

PubMed Central

CHATTERJEE, SUDIPTO; CHOWDHARY, NEERJA; PEDNEKAR, SULOCHANA; COHEN, ALEX; ANDREW, GRACY; ANDREW, GRACY; ARAYA, RICARDO; SIMON, GREGORY; KING, MICHAEL; TELLES, SHIRLEY; VERDELI, HELENA; CLOUGHERTY, KATHLEEN; KIRKWOOD, BETTY; PATEL, VIKRAM

2008-01-01

Common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, pose a major public health burden in developing countries. Although these disorders are thought to be best managed in primary care settings, there is a dearth of evidence about how this can be achieved in low resource settings. The MANAS project is an attempt to integrate an evidence based package of treatments into routine public and private primary care settings in Goa, India. Before initiating the trial, we carried out extensive preparatory work, over a period of 15 months, to examine the feasibility and acceptability of the planned intervention. This paper describes the systematic development and evaluation of the intervention through this preparatory phase. The preparatory stage, which was implemented in three phases, utilized quantitative and qualitative methods to inform our understanding of the potential problems and possible solutions in implementing the trial and led to critical modifications of the original intervention plan. Investing in systematic formative work prior to conducting expensive trials of the effectiveness of complex interventions is a useful exercise which potentially improves the likelihood of a positive result of such trials. PMID:18458786

Inhibition during response preparation is sensitive to response complexity

PubMed Central

Saks, Dylan; Hoang, Timothy; Ivry, Richard B.

2015-01-01

Motor system excitability is transiently suppressed during the preparation of movement. This preparatory inhibition is hypothesized to facilitate response selection and initiation. Given that demands on selection and initiation processes increase with movement complexity, we hypothesized that complexity would influence preparatory inhibition. To test this hypothesis, we probed corticospinal excitability during a delayed-response task in which participants were cued to prepare right- or left-hand movements of varying complexity. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over right primary motor cortex to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) of the left hand. MEP suppression was greater during the preparation of responses involving coordination of the FDI and adductor digiti minimi relative to easier responses involving only the FDI, independent of which hand was cued to respond. In contrast, this increased inhibition was absent when the complex responses required sequential movements of the two muscles. Moreover, complexity did not influence the level of inhibition when the response hand was fixed for the trial block, regardless of whether the complex responses were performed simultaneously or sequentially. These results suggest that preparatory inhibition contributes to response selection, possibly by suppressing extraneous movements when responses involve the simultaneous coordination of multiple effectors. PMID:25717168

Altered corticospinal function during movement preparation in humans with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Federico, Paolo; Perez, Monica A

2017-01-01

In uninjured humans, transmission in the corticospinal pathway changes in a task-dependent manner during movement preparation. We investigated whether this ability is preserved in humans with incomplete chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Our results show that corticospinal excitability is altered in the preparatory phase of an upcoming movement when there is a need to suppress but not to execute rapid index finger voluntary contractions in individuals with SCI compared with controls. This is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level after SCI. Overall our findings indicate that deficits in corticospinal transmission in humans with chronic incomplete SCI are also present in the preparatory phase of upcoming movements. Corticospinal output is modulated in a task-dependent manner during the preparatory phase of upcoming movements in humans. Whether this ability is preserved after spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. In this study, we examined motor evoked potentials elicited by cortical (MEPs) and subcortical (CMEPs) stimulation of corticospinal axons and short-interval intracortical inhibition in the first dorsal interosseous muscle in the preparatory phase of a reaction time task where individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI and age-matched controls needed to suppress (NOGO) or initiate (GO) ballistic index finger isometric voluntary contractions. Reaction times were prolonged in SCI participants compared with control subjects and stimulation was provided ∼90 ms prior to movement onset in each group. During NOGO trials, both MEPs and CMEPs remained unchanged compared to baseline in SCI participants but were suppressed in control subjects. Notably, during GO trials, MEPs increased to a similar extent in both groups but CMEPs increased only in controls. The magnitude of short-interval intracortical inhibition increased in controls but not in SCI subjects during NOGO trials and decreased in both groups in GO trials. These novel observations reveal that humans with incomplete cervical SCI have an altered ability to modulate corticospinal excitability during movement preparation when there is a need to suppress but not to execute upcoming rapid finger movements, which is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level. Thus, deficits in corticospinal transmission after human SCI extend to the preparatory phase of upcoming movements. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

Shape effect on the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles synthesized via a microwave-assisted method.

PubMed

Hong, Xuesen; Wen, Junjie; Xiong, Xuhua; Hu, Yongyou

2016-03-01

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used as sustained-release bactericidal agents for water treatment. Among the physicochemical characteristics of AgNPs, shape is an important parameter relevant to the antibacterial activity. Three typically shaped AgNPs, nanocubes, nanospheres, and nanowires, were prepared via a microwave-assisted method and characterized by TEM, UV-vis, and XRD. The antibacterial activity of AgNPs was determined by OD growth curves tests, MIC tests, and cell viability assay against Escherichia coli. The interaction between AgNPs and bacterial cells was observed by TEM. The results showed that the three differently shaped AgNPs were nanoscale, 55 ± 10 nm in edge length for nanocubes, 60 ± 15 nm in diameter for nanospheres, 60 ± 10 nm in diameter and 2-4 μm in length for nanowires. At the bacterial concentration of 10(4) CFU/mL, the MIC of nanocubes, nanospheres, and nanowires were 37.5, 75, and 100 μg/mL, respectively. Due to the worst contact with bacteria, silver nanowires exhibited the weakest antibacterial activity compared with silver nanocubes and silver nanospheres. Besides, silver nanocubes mainly covered by {100} facets showed stronger antibacterial activity than silver nanospheres covered by {111} facets. It suggests that the shape effect on the antibacterial activity of AgNPs is attributed to the specific surface areas and facets reactivity; AgNPs with larger effective contact areas and higher reactive facets exhibit stronger antibacterial activity.

Cytokines and their STATs in cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

PubMed

Cummings, Hannah E; Tuladhar, Rashmi; Satoskar, Abhay R

2010-01-01

Cytokines play a critical role in shaping the host immune response to Leishmania infection and directing the development of protective and non-protective immunities during infection. Cytokines exert their biological activities through the activation and translocation of transcription factors into the nucleus whether they drive the expression of specific cytokine-responsive genes. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STATs) are transcription factors which play a critical role in mediating signaling downstream of cytokine receptors and are important for shaping the host immune response during Leishmania infection. Here we discuss the signature cytokines and their associated STATs involved in the host immune response during cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

Selective involvement of superior frontal cortex during working memory for shapes.

PubMed

Yee, Lydia T S; Roe, Katherine; Courtney, Susan M

2010-01-01

A spatial/nonspatial functional dissociation between the dorsal and ventral visual pathways is well established and has formed the basis of domain-specific theories of prefrontal cortex (PFC). Inconsistencies in the literature regarding prefrontal organization, however, have led to questions regarding whether the nature of the dissociations observed in PFC during working memory are equivalent to those observed in the visual pathways for perception. In particular, the dissociation between dorsal and ventral PFC during working memory for locations versus object identities has been clearly present in some studies but not in others, seemingly in part due to the type of objects used. The current study compared functional MRI activation during delayed-recognition tasks for shape or color, two object features considered to be processed by the ventral pathway for perceptual recognition. Activation for the shape-delayed recognition task was greater than that for the color task in the lateral occipital cortex, in agreement with studies of visual perception. Greater memory-delay activity was also observed, however, in the parietal and superior frontal cortices for the shape than for the color task. Activity in superior frontal cortex was associated with better performance on the shape task. Conversely, greater delay activity for color than for shape was observed in the left anterior insula and this activity was associated with better performance on the color task. These results suggest that superior frontal cortex contributes to performance on tasks requiring working memory for object identities, but it represents different information about those objects than does the ventral frontal cortex.

3D Printed Reversible Shape Changing Components with Stimuli Responsive Materials

PubMed Central

Mao, Yiqi; Ding, Zhen; Yuan, Chao; Ai, Shigang; Isakov, Michael; Wu, Jiangtao; Wang, Tiejun; Dunn, Martin L.; Qi, H. Jerry

2016-01-01

The creation of reversibly-actuating components that alter their shapes in a controllable manner in response to environmental stimuli is a grand challenge in active materials, structures, and robotics. Here we demonstrate a new reversible shape-changing component design concept enabled by 3D printing two stimuli responsive polymers—shape memory polymers and hydrogels—in prescribed 3D architectures. This approach uses the swelling of a hydrogel as the driving force for the shape change, and the temperature-dependent modulus of a shape memory polymer to regulate the time of such shape change. Controlling the temperature and aqueous environment allows switching between two stable configurations – the structures are relatively stiff and can carry load in each – without any mechanical loading and unloading. Specific shape changing scenarios, e.g., based on bending, or twisting in prescribed directions, are enabled via the controlled interplay between the active materials and the 3D printed architectures. The physical phenomena are complex and nonintuitive, and so to help understand the interplay of geometric, material, and environmental stimuli parameters we develop 3D nonlinear finite element models. Finally, we create several 2D and 3D shape changing components that demonstrate the role of key parameters and illustrate the broad application potential of the proposed approach. PMID:27109063

3D Printed Reversible Shape Changing Components with Stimuli Responsive Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yiqi; Ding, Zhen; Yuan, Chao; Ai, Shigang; Isakov, Michael; Wu, Jiangtao; Wang, Tiejun; Dunn, Martin L.; Qi, H. Jerry

2016-04-01

The creation of reversibly-actuating components that alter their shapes in a controllable manner in response to environmental stimuli is a grand challenge in active materials, structures, and robotics. Here we demonstrate a new reversible shape-changing component design concept enabled by 3D printing two stimuli responsive polymers—shape memory polymers and hydrogels—in prescribed 3D architectures. This approach uses the swelling of a hydrogel as the driving force for the shape change, and the temperature-dependent modulus of a shape memory polymer to regulate the time of such shape change. Controlling the temperature and aqueous environment allows switching between two stable configurations - the structures are relatively stiff and can carry load in each - without any mechanical loading and unloading. Specific shape changing scenarios, e.g., based on bending, or twisting in prescribed directions, are enabled via the controlled interplay between the active materials and the 3D printed architectures. The physical phenomena are complex and nonintuitive, and so to help understand the interplay of geometric, material, and environmental stimuli parameters we develop 3D nonlinear finite element models. Finally, we create several 2D and 3D shape changing components that demonstrate the role of key parameters and illustrate the broad application potential of the proposed approach.

Variability of human corticospinal excitability tracks the state of action preparation.

PubMed

Klein-Flügge, Miriam C; Nobbs, David; Pitcher, Julia B; Bestmann, Sven

2013-03-27

Task-evoked trial-by-trial variability is a ubiquitous property of neural responses, yet its functional role remains largely unclear. Recent work in nonhuman primates shows that the temporal structure of neural variability in several brain regions is task-related. For example, trial-by-trial variability in premotor cortex tracks motor preparation with increasingly consistent firing rates and thus a decline in variability before movement onset. However, whether noninvasive measures of the variability of population activity available from humans can similarly track the preparation of actions remains unknown. We tested this by using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over primary motor cortex (M1) to measure corticospinal excitability (CSE) at different times during action preparation. First, we established the basic properties of intrinsic CSE variability at rest. Then, during the task, responses (left or right button presses) were either directly instructed (forced choice) or resulted from a value decision (choice). Before movement onset, we observed a temporally specific task-related decline in CSE variability contralateral to the responding hand. This decline was stronger in fast-response compared with slow-response trials, consistent with data in nonhuman primates. For the nonresponding hand, CSE variability also decreased, but only in choice trials, and earlier compared with the responding hand, possibly reflecting choice-specific suppression of unselected actions. These findings suggest that human CSE variability measured by TMS over M1 tracks the state of motor preparation, and may reflect the optimization of preparatory population activity. This provides novel avenues in humans to assess the dynamics of action preparation but also more complex processes, such as choice-to-action transformations.

Critical illness VR rehabilitation device (X-VR-D): evaluation of the potential use for early clinical rehabilitation.

PubMed

Van de Meent, H; Baken, B C M; Van Opstal, S; Hogendoorn, P

2008-06-01

We present a new critical illness VR rehabilitation device (X-VR-D) that enables diversified self-training and is applicable early in the rehabilitation of severely injured or ill patients. The X-VR-D consists of a VR program delivering a virtual scene on a flat screen and simultaneously processing commands to a moving chair mounted on a motion system. Sitting in the moving chair and exposed to a virtual reality environment the device evokes anticipatory and reactive muscle contractions in trunk and extremities for postural control. In this study we tested the device in 10 healthy subjects to evaluate whether the enforced perturbations indeed evoke sufficient and reproducible EMG muscle activations. We found that particular fast roll and pitch movements evoke adequate trunk and leg muscle activity. Higher angular velocities and higher angles of inclination elicited broader EMG bursts and larger amplitudes. The muscle activation pattern was highly consistent between different subjects and although we found some habituation of EMG responses in consecutive training sessions, the general pattern was maintained and was predictable for specific movements. The habituation was characterized by more efficient muscle contractions and better muscle relaxation during the rest positions of the device. Furthermore we found that the addition of a virtual environment to the training session evoked more preparatory and anticipatory muscle activation than sessions without a virtual environment. We conclude that the X-VR-D is safe and effective to elicit consistent and reproducible muscle activity in trunk and leg muscles in healthy subjects and thus can be used as a training method.

The places parents go: understanding the breadth, scope, and experiences of activity spaces for parents.

PubMed

Wolf, Jennifer Price; Freisthler, Bridget; Kepple, Nancy Jo; Chávez, Raúl

2017-04-01

Neighborhood environments are related to parenting behaviors, which in turn have a life-long effect on children's health and well-being. Activity spaces, which measure individual routine patterns of movement, may be helpful in assessing how physical and social environments shape parenting. In this study we use qualitative data and GIS mapping from 4 California cities to examine parental activity spaces. Parents described a number of factors that shape their activity spaces including caregiving status, the age of their children, and income. Parental activity spaces also varied between times (weekends vs. weekdays) and places (adult-only vs. child-specific places). Knowing how to best capture and study parental activity spaces could identify mechanisms by which environmental factors influence parenting behaviors and child health.

Minimal-effort planning of active alignment processes for beam-shaping optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haag, Sebastian; Schranner, Matthias; Müller, Tobias; Zontar, Daniel; Schlette, Christian; Losch, Daniel; Brecher, Christian; Roßmann, Jürgen

2015-03-01

In science and industry, the alignment of beam-shaping optics is usually a manual procedure. Many industrial applications utilizing beam-shaping optical systems require more scalable production solutions and therefore effort has been invested in research regarding the automation of optics assembly. In previous works, the authors and other researchers have proven the feasibility of automated alignment of beam-shaping optics such as collimation lenses or homogenization optics. Nevertheless, the planning efforts as well as additional knowledge from the fields of automation and control required for such alignment processes are immense. This paper presents a novel approach of planning active alignment processes of beam-shaping optics with the focus of minimizing the planning efforts for active alignment. The approach utilizes optical simulation and the genetic programming paradigm from computer science for automatically extracting features from a simulated data basis with a high correlation coefficient regarding the individual degrees of freedom of alignment. The strategy is capable of finding active alignment strategies that can be executed by an automated assembly system. The paper presents a tool making the algorithm available to end-users and it discusses the results of planning the active alignment of the well-known assembly of a fast-axis collimator. The paper concludes with an outlook on the transferability to other use cases such as application specific intensity distributions which will benefit from reduced planning efforts.

Physical Activity Status and Position of Governmental Employees in Changing Stage Based on the Trans-Theoretical Model in Hamadan, Iran.

PubMed

Abdi, Jalal; Eftekhar, Hassan; Mahmoodi, Mahmood; Shojayzadeh, Davood; Sadeghi, Roya

2015-02-24

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide. Given the key role of employees as valuable human resources and increasing sedentary life style among them, the aim of this study was to evaluate physical activity status and position of governmental employees in changing stage based on the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) in Hamadan, Iran, in 2014.This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 1200 government employees selected using proportional stratified random sampling. Data collection was performed using a three-section questionnaire containing demographic characteristics, SQUASH (Short questionnaire to assess health-enhancing physical activity) questionnaire and Marcus et al's five-part algoritm. Data were analyzed by multiple linear and logistic regression, Chi-square, T-test and ANOVA using SPSS-20. The mean age of the participants was 38.12±8.04 years. About a half of the employees were in the preparatory stage of TTM.49.2% and 50.8% of the sample were classified as active and inactive, respectively .Associations between physical activity status and exercise stage of change were found. The associations between exercise stage of change and age, sex, work experience, education and marital status were significant (p<0.05). Work experience and education were strongly predictors of physical activity (PA) status and accounted for 31.2% of variance in PA (adjusted R2=0.312, R2 change=0.01). The results of this study showed that TTM was useful to evaluate and predict physical activity behavior among the Iranian governmental employees and can be utilized by health planners to inform appropriate intervention strategies, specifically in work place.

Characterization of Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2 gp19, a single-strand specific endonuclease.

PubMed

Gardner, Andrew F; Prangishvili, David; Jack, William E

2011-09-01

The hyperthermophilic Sulfolobus islandicus rod-shaped virus 2 (SIRV2) encodes a 25-kDa protein (SIRV2gp19) annotated as a hypothetical protein with sequence homology to the RecB nuclease superfamily. Even though SIRV2gp19 homologs are conserved throughout the rudivirus family and presumably play a role in the viral life cycle, SIRV2gp19 has not been functionally characterized. To define the minimal requirements for activity, SIRV2gp19 was purified and tested under varying conditions. SIRV2gp19 is a single-strand specific endonuclease that requires Mg(2+) for activity and is inactive on double-stranded DNA. A conserved aspartic acid in RecB nuclease superfamily Motif II (D89) is also essential for SIRV2gp19 activity and mutation to alanine (D89A) abolishes activity. Therefore, the SIRV2gp19 cleavage mechanism is similar to previously described RecB nucleases. Finally, SIRV2gp19 single-stranded DNA endonuclease activity could play a role in host chromosome degradation during SIRV2 lytic infection.

Silver nanoparticles as a medical device in healthcare settings: a five-step approach for candidate screening of coating agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marassi, Valentina; Di Cristo, Luisana; Smith, Stephen G. J.; Ortelli, Simona; Blosi, Magda; Costa, Anna L.; Reschiglian, Pierluigi; Volkov, Yuri; Prina-Mello, Adriele

2018-01-01

Silver nanoparticle-based antimicrobials can promote a long lasting bactericidal effect without detrimental toxic side effects. However, there is not a clear and complete protocol to define and relate the properties of the particles (size, shape, surface charge, ionic content) with their specific activity. In this paper, we propose an effective multi-step approach for the identification of a `purpose-specific active applicability window' to maximize the antimicrobial activity of medical devices containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (such as surface coaters), minimizing any consequent risk for human health (safety by design strategy). The antimicrobial activity and the cellular toxicity of four types of Ag NPs, differing in their coating composition and concentration have been quantified. Through the implementation of flow-field flow fractionation, Ag NPs have been characterized in terms of metal release, size and shape. The particles are fractionated in the process while being left unmodified, allowing for the identification of biological particle-specific contribution. Toxicity and inflammatory response in vitro have been assessed on human skin models, while antimicrobial activity has been monitored with both non-pathogenic and pathogenic Escherichia coli. The main benefit associated with such approach is the comprehensive assessment of the maximal effectiveness of candidate nanomaterials, while simultaneously indexing their properties against their safety.

Silver nanoparticles as a medical device in healthcare settings: a five-step approach for candidate screening of coating agents.

PubMed

Marassi, Valentina; Di Cristo, Luisana; Smith, Stephen G J; Ortelli, Simona; Blosi, Magda; Costa, Anna L; Reschiglian, Pierluigi; Volkov, Yuri; Prina-Mello, Adriele

2018-01-01

Silver nanoparticle-based antimicrobials can promote a long lasting bactericidal effect without detrimental toxic side effects. However, there is not a clear and complete protocol to define and relate the properties of the particles (size, shape, surface charge, ionic content) with their specific activity. In this paper, we propose an effective multi-step approach for the identification of a 'purpose-specific active applicability window' to maximize the antimicrobial activity of medical devices containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (such as surface coaters), minimizing any consequent risk for human health (safety by design strategy). The antimicrobial activity and the cellular toxicity of four types of Ag NPs, differing in their coating composition and concentration have been quantified. Through the implementation of flow-field flow fractionation, Ag NPs have been characterized in terms of metal release, size and shape. The particles are fractionated in the process while being left unmodified, allowing for the identification of biological particle-specific contribution. Toxicity and inflammatory response in vitro have been assessed on human skin models, while antimicrobial activity has been monitored with both non-pathogenic and pathogenic Escherichia coli . The main benefit associated with such approach is the comprehensive assessment of the maximal effectiveness of candidate nanomaterials, while simultaneously indexing their properties against their safety.

Silver nanoparticles as a medical device in healthcare settings: a five-step approach for candidate screening of coating agents

PubMed Central

Marassi, Valentina; Di Cristo, Luisana; Smith, Stephen G. J.; Ortelli, Simona; Blosi, Magda; Costa, Anna L.; Reschiglian, Pierluigi; Volkov, Yuri

2018-01-01

Silver nanoparticle-based antimicrobials can promote a long lasting bactericidal effect without detrimental toxic side effects. However, there is not a clear and complete protocol to define and relate the properties of the particles (size, shape, surface charge, ionic content) with their specific activity. In this paper, we propose an effective multi-step approach for the identification of a ‘purpose-specific active applicability window’ to maximize the antimicrobial activity of medical devices containing silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) (such as surface coaters), minimizing any consequent risk for human health (safety by design strategy). The antimicrobial activity and the cellular toxicity of four types of Ag NPs, differing in their coating composition and concentration have been quantified. Through the implementation of flow-field flow fractionation, Ag NPs have been characterized in terms of metal release, size and shape. The particles are fractionated in the process while being left unmodified, allowing for the identification of biological particle-specific contribution. Toxicity and inflammatory response in vitro have been assessed on human skin models, while antimicrobial activity has been monitored with both non-pathogenic and pathogenic Escherichia coli. The main benefit associated with such approach is the comprehensive assessment of the maximal effectiveness of candidate nanomaterials, while simultaneously indexing their properties against their safety. PMID:29410826

How Was the Activity? A Visualization Support for a Case of Location-Based Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melero, Javier; Hernández-Leo, Davinia; Sun, Jing; Santos, Patricia; Blat, Josep

2015-01-01

Over the last few years, the use of mobile technologies has brought the formulation of location-based learning approaches shaping new or enhanced educational activities. Involving teachers in the design of these activities is important because the designs need to be aligned with the requirements of the specific educational settings. Yet analysing…

Testing for the impact of correlates on medical technologists' intent to leave their jobs.

PubMed

Blau, Gary; Ward-Cook, Kory; Edgar, Laura Culver

2006-01-01

This study used a sample of 209 repeat-respondent medical technologists over a 4-year period to investigate correlates of intent to leave one's job. Correlates measured included two job search behaviors (i.e., preparatory and active) and three job search motives (i.e., gain leverage, leave employer, and family related). Results showed that active job search and the leave employer job search motives were each positively related to final intent to leave one's job. The gain leverage job search motive was negatively related to final intent to leave one's job. In addition, job satisfaction was negatively related, while only initial job loss insecurity was positively related, to final intent to leave one's job.

OISI dynamic end-to-end modeling tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kersten, Michael; Weidler, Alexander; Wilhelm, Rainer; Johann, Ulrich A.; Szerdahelyi, Laszlo

2000-07-01

The OISI Dynamic end-to-end modeling tool is tailored to end-to-end modeling and dynamic simulation of Earth- and space-based actively controlled optical instruments such as e.g. optical stellar interferometers. `End-to-end modeling' is meant to denote the feature that the overall model comprises besides optical sub-models also structural, sensor, actuator, controller and disturbance sub-models influencing the optical transmission, so that the system- level instrument performance due to disturbances and active optics can be simulated. This tool has been developed to support performance analysis and prediction as well as control loop design and fine-tuning for OISI, Germany's preparatory program for optical/infrared spaceborne interferometry initiated in 1994 by Dornier Satellitensysteme GmbH in Friedrichshafen.

An fMRI Investigation of Preparatory Set in the Human Cerebral Cortex and Superior Colliculus for Pro- and Anti-Saccades

PubMed Central

Furlan, Michele; Smith, Andrew T.; Walker, Robin

2016-01-01

Previous studies have identified several cortical regions that show larger BOLD responses during preparation and execution of anti-saccades than pro-saccades. We confirmed this finding with a greater BOLD response for anti-saccades than pro-saccades during the preparation phase in the FEF, IPS and DLPFC and in the FEF and IPS in the execution phase. We then applied multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to establish whether different neural populations are involved in the two types of saccade. Pro-saccades and anti-saccades were reliably decoded during saccade execution in all three cortical regions (FEF, DLPFC and IPS) and in IPS during saccade preparation. This indicates neural specialization, for programming the desired response depending on the task rule, in these regions. In a further study tailored for imaging the superior colliculus in the midbrain a similar magnitude BOLD response was observed for pro-saccades and anti-saccades and the two saccade types could not be decoded with MVPA. This was the case both for activity related to the preparation phase and also for that elicited during the execution phase. We conclude that separate cortical neural populations are involved in the task-specific programming of a saccade while in contrast, the SC has a role in response preparation but may be less involved in high-level, task-specific aspects of the control of saccades. PMID:27391390

The NPOESS Preparatory Project Science Data Segment (SDS) Data Depository and Distribution Element (SD3E) System Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, Evelyn L.; Schweiss, Robert J.

2008-01-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) Science Data Segment (SDS) will make daily data requests for approximately six terabytes of NPP science products for each of its six environmental assessment elements from the operational data providers. As a result, issues associated with duplicate data requests, data transfers of large volumes of diverse products, and data transfer failures raised concerns with respect to the network traffic and bandwidth consumption. The NPP SDS Data Depository and Distribution Element (SD3E) was developed to provide a mechanism for efficient data exchange, alleviate duplicate network traffic, and reduce operational costs.

NPOESS Preparatory Project Validation Program for Atmsophere Data Products from VIIRS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starr, D.; Wong, E.

2009-12-01

The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Suite (NPOESS) Program, in partnership with National Aeronautical Space Administration (NASA), will launch the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), a risk reduction and data continuity mission, prior to the first operational NPOESS launch. The NPOESS Program, in partnership with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS), will execute the NPP Validation program to ensure the data products comply with the requirements of the sponsoring agencies. Data from the NPP Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) will be used to produce Environmental Data Records (EDR's) for aerosol and clouds, specifically Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT), Aerosol Particle Size Parameter (APSP), and Suspended Matter (SM); and Cloud Optical Thickness (COT), Cloud Effective Particle Size (CEPS), Cloud Top Temperature (CTT), Height (CTH) and Pressure (CTP), and Cloud Base Height (CBH). The Aerosol and Cloud EDR Validation Program is a multifaceted effort to characterize and validate these data products. The program involves systematic comparison to heritage data products, e.g., MODIS, and ground-based correlative data, such as AERONET and ARM data products, and potentially airborne field measurements. To the extent possible, the domain is global. The program leverages various investments that have and are continuing to be made by national funding agencies in such resources, as well as the operational user community and the broad Earth science user community. This presentation will provide an overview of the approaches, data and schedule for the validation of the NPP VIIRS Aerosol and Cloud environmental data products.

"What's Going On?": A Critical Race Theory Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Activism in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixson, Adrienne D.

2018-01-01

This article explores activism, education, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Using critical race theory (CRT), I analyze what this emergence of primarily youth-led activism means in the context of decades of neoliberal education reform. I raise specific questions about how youth-led activism, which has its genesis in and is largely shaped by…

Specific previous experience affects perception of harmony and meter.

PubMed

Creel, Sarah C

2011-10-01

Prior knowledge shapes our experiences, but which prior knowledge shapes which experiences? This question is addressed in the domain of music perception. Three experiments were used to determine whether listeners activate specific musical memories during music listening. Each experiment provided listeners with one of two musical contexts that was presented simultaneously with a melody. After a listener was familiarized with melodies embedded in contexts, the listener heard melodies in isolation and judged the fit of a final harmonic or metrical probe event. The probe event matched either the familiar (but absent) context or an unfamiliar context. For both harmonic (Experiments 1 and 3) and metrical (Experiment 2) information, exposure to context shifted listeners' preferences toward a probe matching the context that they had been familiarized with. This suggests that listeners rapidly form specific musical memories without explicit instruction, which are then activated during music listening. These data pose an interesting challenge for models of music perception which implicitly assume that the listener's knowledge base is predominantly schematic or abstract.

A top-down perspective on dopamine, motivation and memory.

PubMed

Phillips, Anthony G; Vacca, Giada; Ahn, Soyon

2008-08-01

Dopamine (DA) activity, in the form of increased neural firing or enhanced release of transmitter from nerve terminals and varicosities, is linked to a number of important psychological processes including: movement; hedonic reactions to positive reward; provision of an error detection signal during the acquisition of new learning; response to novel stimuli; provision of reinforcement signals essential for acquisition of new action patterns; and incentive motivation. This review focuses primarily on our research linking dynamic changes in DA efflux on the timescale of minutes, with incentive motivation, as revealed by brain dialysis experiments in behaving animals. Recent experiments on sensory-specific satiety and successive positive and negative contrast are discussed along with the distinction between preparatory behaviors that precede contact with biologically significant stimuli and subsequent consummatory behaviors. The relationship between DA efflux in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and foraging for food based on working memory is also discussed in support of the conjecture that DA may serve as a link between motivation and memory functions. Evidence in support of 'top-down' regulation of dopaminergic activity in the mesocorticolimbic DA pathways is reviewed briefly to introduce a mechanism by which activation of ascending DA projections in this manner might optimize dopaminergic modulation of executive function within regions such as the mPFC. Collectively, these processes could ensure coordination between cognitive processes that assess current opportunities and the motivational systems that select and engage patterns of approach behavior that bring organisms into contact with the essentials for survival.

The Hippo-YAP Pathway Regulates 3D Organ Formation and Homeostasis.

PubMed

Ishihara, Erika; Nishina, Hiroshi

2018-04-17

The vertebrate body shape is formed by the specific sizes and shapes of its resident tissues and organs, whose alignments are essential for proper functioning. To maintain tissue and organ shape, and thereby function, it is necessary to remove senescent, transformed, and/or damaged cells, which impair function and can lead to tumorigenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying three-dimensional (3D) organ formation and homeostasis are not fully clear. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional co-activator that is involved in organ size control and tumorigenesis. Recently, we reported that YAP is essential for proper 3D body shape through regulation of cell tension by using a unique medaka fish mutant, hirame ( hir ). In Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells, active YAP-transformed cells are eliminated apically when surrounded by normal cells. Furthermore, in a mosaic mouse model, active YAP-expressing damaged hepatocytes undergo apoptosis and are eliminated from the liver. Thus, YAP functions in quantitative and quality control in organogenesis. In this review, we describe the various roles of YAP in vertebrates, including in the initiation of liver cancer.

Signal Enhancement and Suppression During Visual-Spatial Selective Attention

PubMed Central

Couperus, J. W.; Mangun, G.R.

2010-01-01

Selective attention involves the relative enhancement of relevant versus irrelevant stimuli. However, whether this relative enhancement involves primarily enhancement of attended stimuli, or suppression of irrelevant stimuli, remains controversial. Moreover, if both enhancement and suppression are involved, whether they result from a single mechanism or separate mechanisms during attentional control or selection is not known. In two experiments using a spatial cuing paradigm with task-relevant targets and irrelevant distractors, target and distracter processing was examined as a function of distractor expectancy. Additionally, in the second study the interaction of perceptual load and distractor expectancy was explored. In both experiments, distractors were either validly cued (70%) or invalidly cued (30%) in order to examine the effects of distractor expectancy on attentional control as well as target and distractor processing. The effects of distractor expectancy were assessed using event-related potentials recorded during the cue-to-target period (preparatory attention) and in response to the task-relevant target stimuli (selective stimulus processing). Analyses of distractor-present displays (anticipated versus unanticipated), showed modulations in brain activity during both the preparatory period and during target processing. The pattern of brain responses suggest both facilitation of attended targets and suppression of unattended distractors. These findings provide evidence for a two-process model of visual spatial selective attention, where one mechanism (facilitation) influences relevant stimuli and another (suppression) acts to filter distracting stimuli. PMID:20807513

The SCD - Stem Cell Differentiation ESA Project: Preparatory Work for the Spaceflight Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Versari, Silvia; Barenghi, Livia; van Loon, Jack; Bradamante, Silvia

2016-04-01

Due to spaceflight, astronauts experience serious, weightlessness-induced bone loss because of an unbalanced process of bone remodeling that involves bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), as well as osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts. The effects of microgravity on osteo-cells have been extensively studied, but it is only recently that consideration has been given to the role of BMSCs. Previous researches indicated that human BMSCs cultured in simulated microgravity (sim-μg) alter their proliferation and differentiation. The spaceflight opportunities for biomedical experiments are rare and suffer from a number of operative constraints that could bias the validity of the experiment itself, but remain a unique opportunity to confirm and explain the effects due to microgravity, that are only partially activated/detectable in simulated conditions. For this reason, we carefully prepared the SCD - STEM CELLS DIFFERENTIATION experiment, selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) and now on the International Space Station (ISS). Here we present the preparatory studies performed on ground to adapt the project to the spaceflight constraints in terms of culture conditions, fixation and storage of human BMSCs in space aiming at satisfying the biological requirements mandatory to retrieve suitable samples for post-flight analyses. We expect to understand better the molecular mechanisms governing human BMSC growth and differentiation hoping to outline new countermeasures against astronaut bone loss.

Trial-by-Trial Motor Cortical Correlates of a Rapidly Adapting Visuomotor Internal Model

PubMed Central

Ryu, Stephen I.

2017-01-01

Accurate motor control is mediated by internal models of how neural activity generates movement. We examined neural correlates of an adapting internal model of visuomotor gain in motor cortex while two macaques performed a reaching task in which the gain scaling between the hand and a presented cursor was varied. Previous studies of cortical changes during visuomotor adaptation focused on preparatory and perimovement epochs and analyzed trial-averaged neural data. Here, we recorded simultaneous neural population activity using multielectrode arrays and focused our analysis on neural differences in the period before the target appeared. We found that we could estimate the monkey's internal model of the gain using the neural population state during this pretarget epoch. This neural correlate depended on the gain experienced during recent trials and it predicted the speed of the subsequent reach. To explore the utility of this internal model estimate for brain–machine interfaces, we performed an offline analysis showing that it can be used to compensate for upcoming reach extent errors. Together, these results demonstrate that pretarget neural activity in motor cortex reflects the monkey's internal model of visuomotor gain on single trials and can potentially be used to improve neural prostheses. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When generating movement commands, the brain is believed to use internal models of the relationship between neural activity and the body's movement. Visuomotor adaptation tasks have revealed neural correlates of these computations in multiple brain areas during movement preparation and execution. Here, we describe motor cortical changes in a visuomotor gain change task even before a specific movement is cued. We were able to estimate the gain internal model from these pretarget neural correlates and relate it to single-trial behavior. This is an important step toward understanding the sensorimotor system's algorithms for updating its internal models after specific movements and errors. Furthermore, the ability to estimate the internal model before movement could improve motor neural prostheses being developed for people with paralysis. PMID:28087767

PatientVOICE: Development of a Preparatory, Pre-Chemotherapy Online Communication Tool for Older Patients With Cancer.

PubMed

van Dulmen, Sandra; Driesenaar, Jeanine A; van Weert, Julia Cm; van Osch, Mara; Noordman, Janneke

2017-05-10

Good communication around cancer treatment is essential in helping patients cope with their disease and related care, especially when this information is tailored to one's needs. Despite its importance, communication is often complex, in particular in older patients (aged 65 years or older). In addition to the age-related deterioration in information and memory processing older patients experience, communication is also complicated by their required yet often unmet role of being an active, participatory patient. Older patients rarely express their informational needs and their contributions to consultations are often limited. Therefore, older patients with cancer need to be prepared to participate more actively in their care and treatment. The objective of this paper was to report the development of PatientVOICE, an online, preparatory tool with audio facility aimed to enhance the participation of older patients during educational nursing encounters preceding chemotherapy and to improve their information recall. PatientVOICE was developed by applying the following 6 steps of the intervention mapping framework that involved both patients and nurses: (1) needs assessment, (2) specifying determinants and change objectives, (3) reviewing and selecting theoretical methods and practical strategies, (4) developing intervention components, (5) designing adoption and implementation, and (6) making an evaluation plan. A careful execution of these consecutive steps resulted in the ready-to-use preparatory website. PatientVOICE provides pre-visit information about chemotherapy (ie, medical information, side effects, and recommendations of dealing with side effects), information about the educational nursing visit preceding chemotherapy (ie, aim, structure, and recommendations for preparation), techniques to improve patients' communication skills using a question prompt sheet (QPS) and video-modeling examples showing "best practices", and the opportunity to upload and listen back to an audio recording of a patient's own nursing visit. The development process resulted in PatientVOICE, a multi-component online intervention targeted to older patients with cancer. PatientVOICE contains information about the treatment as well as information about the role of the patient during treatment. Using different methods (QPS and audio facility), we hope to support these patients during their treatment. In the future, the utility and usability of this complex intervention will be evaluated in a group of older patients who receive or have received chemotherapy. ©Sandra van Dulmen, Jeanine A Driesenaar, Julia CM van Weert, Mara van Osch, Janneke Noordman. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 10.05.2017.

Preparatory power posing affects nonverbal presence and job interview performance.

PubMed

Cuddy, Amy J C; Wilmuth, Caroline A; Yap, Andy J; Carney, Dana R

2015-07-01

The authors tested whether engaging in expansive (vs. contractive) "power poses" before a stressful job interview--preparatory power posing--would enhance performance during the interview. Participants adopted high-power (i.e., expansive, open) poses or low-power (i.e., contractive, closed) poses, and then prepared and delivered a speech to 2 evaluators as part of a mock job interview. All interview speeches were videotaped and coded for overall performance and hireability and for 2 potential mediators: verbal content (e.g., structure, content) and nonverbal presence (e.g., captivating, enthusiastic). As predicted, those who prepared for the job interview with high- (vs. low-) power poses performed better and were more likely to be chosen for hire; this relation was mediated by nonverbal presence, but not by verbal content. Although previous research has focused on how a nonverbal behavior that is enacted during interactions and observed by perceivers affects how those perceivers evaluate and respond to the actor, this experiment focused on how a nonverbal behavior that is enacted before the interaction and unobserved by perceivers affects the actor's performance, which, in turn, affects how perceivers evaluate and respond to the actor. This experiment reveals a theoretically novel and practically informative result that demonstrates the causal relation between preparatory nonverbal behavior and subsequent performance and outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Illuminating the multifaceted roles of neurotransmission in shaping neuronal circuitry.

PubMed

Okawa, Haruhisa; Hoon, Mrinalini; Yoshimatsu, Takeshi; Della Santina, Luca; Wong, Rachel O L

2014-09-17

Across the nervous system, neurons form highly stereotypic patterns of synaptic connections that are designed to serve specific functions. Mature wiring patterns are often attained upon the refinement of early, less precise connectivity. Much work has led to the prevailing view that many developing circuits are sculpted by activity-dependent competition among converging afferents, which results in the elimination of unwanted synapses and the maintenance and strengthening of desired connections. Studies of the vertebrate retina, however, have recently revealed that activity can play a role in shaping developing circuits without engaging competition among converging inputs that differ in their activity levels. Such neurotransmission-mediated processes can produce stereotypic wiring patterns by promoting selective synapse formation rather than elimination. We discuss how the influence of transmission may also be limited by circuit design and further highlight the importance of transmission beyond development in maintaining wiring specificity and synaptic organization of neural circuits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brisk heart rate and EEG changes during execution and withholding of cue-paced foot motor imagery

PubMed Central

Pfurtscheller, Gert; Solis-Escalante, Teodoro; Barry, Robert J.; Klobassa, Daniela S.; Neuper, Christa; Müller-Putz, Gernot R.

2013-01-01

Cue-paced motor imagery (MI) is a frequently used mental strategy to realize a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). Recently it has been reported that two MI tasks can be separated with a high accuracy within the first second after cue presentation onset. To investigate this phenomenon in detail we studied the dynamics of motor cortex beta oscillations in EEG and the changes in heart rate (HR) during visual cue-paced foot MI using a go (execution of imagery) vs. nogo (withholding of imagery) paradigm in 16 healthy subjects. Both execution and withholding of MI resulted in a brisk centrally localized beta event-related desynchronization (ERD) with a maximum at ~400 ms and a concomitant HR deceleration. We found that response patterns within the first second after stimulation differed between conditions. The ERD was significantly larger in go as compared to nogo. In contrast the HR deceleration was somewhat smaller and followed by an acceleration in go as compared to nogo. These findings suggest that the early beta ERD reflects visually induced preparatory activity in motor cortex networks. Both the early beta ERD and the HR deceleration are the result of automatic operating processes that are likely part of the orienting reflex (OR). Of interest, however, is that the preparatory cortical activity is strengthened and the HR modulated already within the first second after stimulation during the execution of MI. The subtraction of the HR time course of the nogo from the go condition revealed a slight HR acceleration in the first seconds most likely due to the increased mental effort associated with the imagery process. PMID:23908614

Shaping Gene Expression by Landscaping Chromatin Architecture: Lessons from a Master.

PubMed

Sartorelli, Vittorio; Puri, Pier Lorenzo

2018-05-19

Since its discovery as a skeletal muscle-specific transcription factor able to reprogram somatic cells into differentiated myofibers, MyoD has provided an instructive model to understand how transcription factors regulate gene expression. Reciprocally, studies of other transcriptional regulators have provided testable hypotheses to further understand how MyoD activates transcription. Using MyoD as a reference, in this review, we discuss the similarities and differences in the regulatory mechanisms employed by tissue-specific transcription factors to access DNA and regulate gene expression by cooperatively shaping the chromatin landscape within the context of cellular differentiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of direct colony method versus extraction method for identification of gram-positive cocci by use of Bruker Biotyper matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Alatoom, Adnan A; Cunningham, Scott A; Ihde, Sherry M; Mandrekar, Jayawant; Patel, Robin

2011-08-01

We evaluated Bruker Biotyper (version 2.0) matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the identification of 305 clinical isolates of staphylococci, streptococci, and related genera by comparing direct colony testing with preparatory extraction. Isolates were previously identified by use of phenotypic testing and/or 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Manufacturer-specified score cutoffs for genus- and species-level identification were used. After excluding 7 isolates not present in the Biotyper library, the Biotyper correctly identified 284 (95%) and 207 (69%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively, using extraction. By using direct colony testing, the Biotyper identified 168 (56%) and 60 (20%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively. Overall, more isolates were identified to the genus and species levels with preparatory extraction than with direct colony testing (P < 0.0001). The analysis was repeated after dividing the isolates into two subgroups, staphylococci, streptococci, and enterococci (n = 217) and "related genera" (n = 81). For the former subgroup, the extraction method resulted in the identification of 213 (98%) and 171 (79%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively, whereas the direct colony method identified 136 (63%) and 56 (26%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively. In contrast, for the subgroup of related genera, the extraction method identified 71 (88%) and 36 (44%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively, while the direct colony method identified 32 (40%) and 4 (5%) isolates to the genus and species levels, respectively. For both subgroups, preparatory extraction was superior to direct colony testing for the identification of isolates to the genus and species levels (P < 0.0001). Preparatory extraction is needed for the identification of a substantial proportion of Gram-positive cocci using the Biotyper method according to manufacturer-specified score cutoffs.

Gallbladder shape extraction from ultrasound images using active contour models.

PubMed

Ciecholewski, Marcin; Chochołowicz, Jakub

2013-12-01

Gallbladder function is routinely assessed using ultrasonographic (USG) examinations. In clinical practice, doctors very often analyse the gallbladder shape when diagnosing selected disorders, e.g. if there are turns or folds of the gallbladder, so extracting its shape from USG images using supporting software can simplify a diagnosis that is often difficult to make. The paper describes two active contour models: the edge-based model and the region-based model making use of a morphological approach, both designed for extracting the gallbladder shape from USG images. The active contour models were applied to USG images without lesions and to those showing specific disease units, namely, anatomical changes like folds and turns of the gallbladder as well as polyps and gallstones. This paper also presents modifications of the edge-based model, such as the method for removing self-crossings and loops or the method of dampening the inflation force which moves nodes if they approach the edge being determined. The user is also able to add a fragment of the approximated edge beyond which neither active contour model will move if this edge is incomplete in the USG image. The modifications of the edge-based model presented here allow more precise results to be obtained when extracting the shape of the gallbladder from USG images than if the morphological model is used. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Future Experiments to Measure Liquid-Gas Phase Change and Heat Transfer Phenomena on the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tóth, Balázs; Development; Operations Teams, ESA's Science Management, Payload; Teams, Science; Industry, Space

2012-06-01

The article presents the approach of the European Space Agency to promote research in weightlessness and in particular onboard the International Space Station. In order to maximize the return on investments, a strong international scientific collaboration is encouraged. These Science Teams support the preparation and utilisation of the flight hardware and exploit the measurement data. In the domain of physical sciences the topics dealt with at the time of writing the present paper cover fundamental physics, fluid physics, material sciences research and specific preparatory studies in anticipation of space exploration missions. The present article focuses on two-phase (liquid-gas phase change) heat transfer related experiments. These activities cover evaporation driven thermocapillary convection, pool- and flow boiling, evaporation and condensation of films together with wettability realted issues on both reference and structured surfaces, and heat pipe systems. Some hardware are in an advanced state of development, the feasibility of some was studied or is under definition at the time of the preparation of this paper. The objectives of the experiments are described together with their expected capabilities. Beyond the understanding of mostly fundamental physical processes, the data of all the described experiments are intended to be used to validate theoretical approaches and numerical tools, which are often developed by the Science Teams in parallel with the the flight hardware design activities of space industry.

How to Build a Bacterial Cell: MreB as the Foreman of E. coli Construction.

PubMed

Shi, Handuo; Bratton, Benjamin P; Gitai, Zemer; Huang, Kerwyn Casey

2018-03-08

Cell shape matters across the kingdoms of life, and cells have the remarkable capacity to define and maintain specific shapes and sizes. But how are the shapes of micron-sized cells determined from the coordinated activities of nanometer-sized proteins? Here, we review general principles that have surfaced through the study of rod-shaped bacterial growth. Imaging approaches have revealed that polymers of the actin homolog MreB play a central role. MreB both senses and changes cell shape, thereby generating a self-organizing feedback system for shape maintenance. At the molecular level, structural and computational studies indicate that MreB filaments exhibit tunable mechanical properties that explain their preference for certain geometries and orientations along the cylindrical cell body. We illustrate the regulatory landscape of rod-shape formation and the connectivity between cell shape, cell growth, and other aspects of cell physiology. These discoveries provide a framework for future investigations into the architecture and construction of microbes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sex differences in rhesus monkey toy preferences parallel those of children

PubMed Central

Hassett, Janice M.; Siebert, Erin R.; Wallen, Kim

2008-01-01

Socialization processes, parents, or peers encouraging play with gender specific toys are thought to be the primary force shaping sex differences in toy preference. A contrast in view is that toy preferences reflect biologically determined preferences for specific activities facilitated by specific toys. Sex differences in juvenile activities, such as rough and tumble play, peer preferences, and infant interest, share similarities in humans and monkeys. Thus if activity preferences shape toy preferences, male and female monkeys may show toy preferences similar to those seen in boys and girls. We compared the interactions of 34 rhesus monkeys, living within a 135 monkey troop, with human wheeled toys and plush toys. Male monkeys, like boys, showed consistent and strong preferences for wheeled toys, while female monkeys, like girls, showed greater variability in preferences. Thus, the magnitude of preference for wheeled over plush toys differed significantly between males and females. The similarities to human findings demonstrate that such preferences can develop without explicit gendered socialization. We offer the hypothesis that toy preferences reflect hormonally influenced behavioral and cognitive biases which are sculpted by social processes into the sex differences seen in monkeys and humans. PMID:18452921

Segmentation of risk structures for otologic surgery using the Probabilistic Active Shape Model (PASM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, Meike; Kirschner, Matthias; Sakas, Georgios

2014-03-01

Our research project investigates a multi-port approach for minimally-invasive otologic surgery. For planning such a surgery, an accurate segmentation of the risk structures is crucial. However, the segmentation of these risk structures is a challenging task: The anatomical structures are very small and some have a complex shape, low contrast and vary both in shape and appearance. Therefore, prior knowledge is needed which is why we apply model-based approaches. In the present work, we use the Probabilistic Active Shape Model (PASM), which is a more flexible and specific variant of the Active Shape Model (ASM), to segment the following risk structures: cochlea, semicircular canals, facial nerve, chorda tympani, ossicles, internal auditory canal, external auditory canal and internal carotid artery. For the evaluation we trained and tested the algorithm on 42 computed tomography data sets using leave-one-out tests. Visual assessment of the results shows in general a good agreement of manual and algorithmic segmentations. Further, we achieve a good Average Symmetric Surface Distance while the maximum error is comparatively large due to low contrast at start and end points. Last, we compare the PASM to the standard ASM and show that the PASM leads to a higher accuracy.

Analysis and optimization of the active rigidity joint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manzo, Justin; Garcia, Ephrahim

2009-12-01

The active rigidity joint is a composite mechanism using shape memory alloy and shape memory polymer to create a passively rigid joint with thermally activated deflection. A new model for the active rigidity joint relaxes constraints of earlier methods and allows for more accurate deflection predictions compared to finite element results. Using an iterative process to determine the strain distribution and deflection, the method demonstrates accurate results for both surface bonded and embedded actuators with and without external loading. Deflection capabilities are explored through simulated annealing heuristic optimization using a variety of cost functions to explore actuator performance. A family of responses presents actuator characteristics in terms of load bearing and deflection capabilities given material and thermal constraints. Optimization greatly expands the available workspace of the active rigidity joint from the initial configuration, demonstrating specific work capabilities comparable to those of muscle tissue.

Automatic diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation with shape and appearance features from MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alomari, Raja'S.; Corso, Jason J.; Chaudhary, Vipin; Dhillon, Gurmeet

2010-03-01

Intervertebral disc herniation is a major reason for lower back pain (LBP), which is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States. Automation of herniated disc diagnosis reduces the large burden on radiologists who have to diagnose hundreds of cases each day using clinical MRI. We present a method for automatic diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation using appearance and shape features. We jointly use the intensity signal for modeling the appearance of herniated disc and the active shape model for modeling the shape of herniated disc. We utilize a Gibbs distribution for classification of discs using appearance and shape features. We use 33 clinical MRI cases of the lumbar area for training and testing both appearance and shape models. We achieve over 91% accuracy in detection of herniation in a cross-validation experiment with specificity of 91% and sensitivity of 94%.

Substance use and associated factors among preparatory school students in Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State, Southeast Ethiopia.

PubMed

Dida, Nagasa; Kassa, Yibeltal; Sirak, Teshome; Zerga, Ephrem; Dessalegn, Tariku

2014-08-09

The use of cigarettes, alcohol, khat, and other substances is a worldwide threat which especially affects young people and which is also common among the youth of Ethiopia. However, its prevalence and associated factors have not been addressed well yet. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of substance use among preparatory school students in Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State, Southeast Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 603 randomly selected students from five of eight preparatory schools of Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State, Southeast Ethiopia, in March 2013. The sample size was calculated by a single population proportion formula and allocated proportionally for the schools based on the number of students. A pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to identify the predictors of substance use. The overall current prevalence of substance use among the respondents was 34.8% (210). Specifically, 23.6% (102) and 4.6% (28) of the respondents chewed khat and smoked cigarette, respectively. Sex, age, and substance use status of the respondents' father, mother, siblings, and best friend had an association with substance use. Male respondents were about ten times more at risk of practicing substance use compared to female respondents [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 11.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.42-29.23]. Respondents whose sibling(s) smokes cigarette were four times more likely to use substance (AOR 4.44, 95% CI 1.11-17.79). Respondents whose best friend chews khat were 11 times more likely to use substance when compared with those whose best friend does not practice the given factor (AOR 11.15, 95% CI 4.43-28.07). Respondents whose family uses one or more substances were more likely use substance(s). Respondents whose best friend uses substance(s) were more prone to practice substance use. Fifteen years of age of the respondents was the critical age when they began to practice substance use. Sex and family of the respondents were the predicting factors for them to practice substance use or not. Hence, health extension workers and district health workers should tackle substance use of the respondents through focusing the identified factors.

Navigating the transition to college: First-generation undergraduates negotiate identities and search for success in STEM and non-STEM fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussey, Season Shelly

2009-12-01

Historically, racial and ethnic minority students from low income backgrounds have faced unequal access to colleges and universities. Recently, both K-12 and higher education institutions, specifically the University of California, in response to Proposition 209, have made efforts to increase access and opportunities for all students. Similarly, female minority students are underrepresented in selected science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors and careers. Using a qualitative research design, this study investigates how first generation, low income, underrepresented minority students who graduated from an innovative college preparatory high school enact coping strategies that they were explicitly taught to achieve success within the context of university science and math courses. The presence of a unique, college-prep high school on the campus of UC San Diego, which accepts exclusively low-income students through a randomized lottery system, creates an unusual opportunity to study the transition from high school to college for this population, a cohort of underrepresented students who were taught similar academic coping strategies for success in college. This study aims to understand how students develop their college-going, academic identities within the context of their colleges and universities. Furthermore, this study intends to understand the phenomenon of "transition to college" as a lived experience of first-generation, low income, minority students, who all share a similar college preparatory, high school background. The main research questions are: (1) How do underrepresented students experience the transition from a college preparatory high school to college? (2) How are students developing their college-going, academic identities in the context of their educational institutions? and (3) What factors support or constrain student participation and success in college science courses? Twenty-eight students participated in this study. Based on surveys and individual interviews with the participants, twenty student narratives were written and analyzed. The students' narratives provide a picture of how these underrepresented students are experiencing the transition to college. In this sample, five factors impact the students' college-going academic identity development, major choice, and career path: (1) college preparation in high school, (2) self-efficacy, (3) success in college academics, (4) affinity group participation, and (5) interaction with college faculty.

Pretest online discussion groups to augment teaching and learning.

PubMed

Kuhn, Jonathan; Hasbargen, Barbara; Miziniak, Halina

2010-01-01

Tests and final examination scores of three semesters of control students in a nursing foundation course were compared with tests and final examination scores of three semesters of participating students. Participating students were offered access to an asynchronous pretest online discussion activity with a faculty e-moderator. While the simplified Bloom's revised taxonomy assisted in creating appropriate preparatory test and final examination questions for pretest online discussion, Salmon's five-stage online method provided direction to the e-moderator on how to encourage students to achieve Bloom's higher-order thinking skills during the pretest online discussions. Statistical analysis showed the pretest online discussion activity had a generally positive impact on tests and final examination scores, when controlling for a number of possible confounding variables, including instructor, cumulative grade point average, age, and credit hours.

Morphogenic Protein RodZ Interacts with Sporulation Specific SpoIIE in Bacillus subtilis.

PubMed

Muchová, Katarína; Chromiková, Zuzana; Bradshaw, Niels; Wilkinson, Anthony J; Barák, Imrich

2016-01-01

The first landmark in sporulation of Bacillus subtilis is the formation of an asymmetric septum followed by selective activation of the transcription factor σF in the resulting smaller cell. How the morphological transformations that occur during sporulation are coupled to cell-specific activation of transcription is largely unknown. The membrane protein SpoIIE is a constituent of the asymmetric sporulation septum and is a crucial determinant of σF activation. Here we report that the morphogenic protein, RodZ, which is essential for cell shape determination, is additionally required for asymmetric septum formation and sporulation. In cells depleted of RodZ, formation of asymmetric septa is disturbed and σF activation is perturbed. During sporulation, we found that SpoIIE recruits RodZ to the asymmetric septum. Moreover, we detected a direct interaction between SpoIIE and RodZ in vitro and in vivo, indicating that SpoIIE-RodZ may form a complex to coordinate asymmetric septum formation and σF activation. We propose that RodZ could provide a link between the cell shape machinery and the coordinated morphological and developmental transitions required to form a resistant spore.

Science at Sea.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Mary Nied

2001-01-01

Describes a three-week inservice teacher education program that involves two sessions of preparatory classes ashore in nautical science and oceanography, and concludes with a nine-day sea voyage. (ASK)

The Temporal Regulation of S Phase Proteins During G1

PubMed Central

Grant, Gavin D.; Cook, Jeanette G.

2018-01-01

Successful DNA replication requires intimate coordination with cell cycle progression. Prior to DNA replication initiation in S phase, a series of essential preparatory events in G1 phase ensures timely, complete, and precise genome duplication. Among the essential molecular processes are regulated transcriptional upregulation of genes that encode replication proteins, appropriate post-transcriptional control of replication factor abundance and activity, and the assembly of DNA-loaded protein complexes to license replication origins. In this chapter we describe these critical G1 events necessary for DNA replication and their regulation in the context of both cell cycle entry and cell cycle progression. PMID:29357066

Life Sciences Investigations for ESA's First Lunar Lander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, J. D.; Angerer, O.; Durante, M.; Linnarson, D.; Pike, W. T.

2010-12-01

Preparing for future human exploration of the Moon and beyond is an interdisciplinary exercise, requiring new technologies and the pooling of knowledge and expertise from many scientific areas. The European Space Agency is working to develop a Lunar Lander, as a precursor to future human exploration activities. The mission will demonstrate new technologies and perform important preparatory investigations. In the biological sciences the two major areas requiring investigation in advance of human exploration are radiation and its effects on human physiology and the potential toxicity of lunar dust. This paper summarises the issues associated with these areas and the investigations planned for the Lunar Lander to address them.

Long-Term Global Morphology of Gravity Wave Activity Using UARS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.; Bacmeister, Julio T.; Wu, Dong L.

1998-01-01

This is the first quarter's report on research to extract global gravity-wave data from satellite data and to model those observations synoptically. Preliminary analysis of global maps of extracted middle atmospheric temperature variance from the CRISTA instrument is presented, which appear to contain gravity-wave information. Corresponding simulations of global gravity-wave and mountain-wave activity during this mission period are described using global ray-tracing and mountain-wave models, and interesting similarities among simulated data and CRISTA data are noted. Climatological simulations of mesospheric gravity-wave activity using the HWM-03 wind-temperature climatology are also reported, for comparison with UARS MLS data. Preparatory work on modeling of gravity wave observations from space-based platforms and subsequent interpretation of the MLS gravity-wave product are also described. Preliminary interpretation and relation to the research objectives are provided, and further action for the next quarter's research is recommended.

Protocol for culturing sympathetic neurons from rat superior cervical ganglia (SCG).

PubMed

Zareen, Neela; Greene, Lloyd A

2009-01-30

The superior cervical ganglia (SCG) in rats are small, glossy, almond-shaped structures that contain sympathetic neurons. These neurons provide sympathetic innervations for the head and neck regions and they constitute a well-characterized and relatively homogeneous population (4). Sympathetic neurons are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for survival, differentiation and axonal growth and the wide-spread availability of NGF facilitates their culture and experimental manipulation (2, 3, 6). For these reasons, cultured sympathetic neurons have been used in a wide variety of studies including neuronal development and differentiation, mechanisms of programmed and pathological cell death, and signal transduction (1, 2, 5, and 6). Dissecting out the SCG from newborn rats and culturing sympathetic neurons is not very complicated and can be mastered fairly quickly. In this article, we will describe in detail how to dissect out the SCG from newborn rat pups and to use them to establish cultures of sympathetic neurons. The article will also describe the preparatory steps and the various reagents and equipment that are needed to achieve this.

Load response of shape-changing microswimmers scales with their swimming efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Benjamin M.

2018-04-01

External forces acting on a microswimmer can feed back on its self-propulsion mechanism. We discuss this load response for a generic microswimmer that swims by cyclic shape changes. We show that the change in cycle frequency is proportional to the Lighthill efficiency of self-propulsion. As a specific example, we consider Najafi's three-sphere swimmer. The force-velocity relation of a microswimmer implies a correction for a formal superposition principle for active and passive motion.

Brassinosteroid Regulates Seed Size and Shape in Arabidopsis1[W][OPEN

PubMed Central

Jiang, Wen-Bo; Huang, Hui-Ya; Hu, Yu-Wei; Zhu, Sheng-Wei; Wang, Zhi-Yong; Lin, Wen-Hui

2013-01-01

Seed development is important for agriculture productivity. We demonstrate that brassinosteroid (BR) plays crucial roles in determining the size, mass, and shape of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seeds. The seeds of the BR-deficient mutant de-etiolated2 (det2) are smaller and less elongated than those of wild-type plants due to a decreased seed cavity, reduced endosperm volume, and integument cell length. The det2 mutant also showed delay in embryo development, with reduction in both the size and number of embryo cells. Pollination of det2 flowers with wild-type pollen yielded seeds of normal size but still shortened shape, indicating that the BR produced by the zygotic embryo and endosperm is sufficient for increasing seed volume but not for seed elongation, which apparently requires BR produced from maternal tissues. BR activates expression of SHORT HYPOCOTYL UNDER BLUE1, MINISEED3, and HAIKU2, which are known positive regulators of seed size, but represses APETALA2 and AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR2, which are negative regulators of seed size. These genes are bound in vivo by the BR-activated transcription factor BRASSINAZOLE-RESISTANT1 (BZR1), and they are known to influence specific processes of integument, endosperm, and embryo development. Our results demonstrate that BR regulates seed size and seed shape by transcriptionally modulating specific seed developmental pathways. PMID:23771896

Beam shaping for laser-based adaptive optics in astronomy.

PubMed

Béchet, Clémentine; Guesalaga, Andrés; Neichel, Benoit; Fesquet, Vincent; González-Núñez, Héctor; Zúñiga, Sebastián; Escarate, Pedro; Guzman, Dani

2014-06-02

The availability and performance of laser-based adaptive optics (AO) systems are strongly dependent on the power and quality of the laser beam before being projected to the sky. Frequent and time-consuming alignment procedures are usually required in the laser systems with free-space optics to optimize the beam. Despite these procedures, significant distortions of the laser beam have been observed during the first two years of operation of the Gemini South multi-conjugate adaptive optics system (GeMS). A beam shaping concept with two deformable mirrors is investigated in order to provide automated optimization of the laser quality for astronomical AO. This study aims at demonstrating the correction of quasi-static aberrations of the laser, in both amplitude and phase, testing a prototype of this two-deformable mirror concept on GeMS. The paper presents the results of the preparatory study before the experimental phase. An algorithm to control amplitude and phase correction, based on phase retrieval techniques, is presented with a novel unwrapping method. Its performance is assessed via numerical simulations, using aberrations measured at GeMS as reference. The results predict effective amplitude and phase correction of the laser distortions with about 120 actuators per mirror and a separation of 1.4 m between the mirrors. The spot size is estimated to be reduced by up to 15% thanks to the correction. In terms of AO noise level, this has the same benefit as increasing the photon flux by 40%.

Layer-specific excitation/inhibition balances during neuronal synchronization in the visual cortex.

PubMed

Adesnik, Hillel

2018-05-01

Understanding the balance between synaptic excitation and inhibition in cortical circuits in the brain, and how this contributes to cortical rhythms, is fundamental to explaining information processing in the cortex. This study used cortical layer-specific optogenetic activation in mouse cortex to show that excitatory neurons in any cortical layer can drive powerful gamma rhythms, while inhibition balances excitation. The net impact of this is to keep activity within each layer in check, but simultaneously to promote the propagation of activity to downstream layers. The data show that rhythm-generating circuits exist in all principle layers of the cortex, and provide layer-specific balances of excitation and inhibition that affect the flow of information across the layers. Rhythmic activity can synchronize neural ensembles within and across cortical layers. While gamma band rhythmicity has been observed in all layers, the laminar sources and functional impacts of neuronal synchronization in the cortex remain incompletely understood. Here, layer-specific optogenetic stimulation demonstrates that populations of excitatory neurons in any cortical layer of the mouse's primary visual cortex are sufficient to powerfully entrain neuronal oscillations in the gamma band. Within each layer, inhibition balances excitation and keeps activity in check. Across layers, translaminar output overcomes inhibition and drives downstream firing. These data establish that rhythm-generating circuits exist in all principle layers of the cortex, but provide layer-specific balances of excitation and inhibition that may dynamically shape the flow of information through cortical circuits. These data might help explain how excitation/inhibition (E/I) balances across cortical layers shape information processing, and shed light on the diverse nature and functional impacts of cortical gamma rhythms. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2018 The Physiological Society.

Towards a Unified Framework for Pose, Expression, and Occlusion Tolerant Automatic Facial Alignment.

PubMed

Seshadri, Keshav; Savvides, Marios

2016-10-01

We propose a facial alignment algorithm that is able to jointly deal with the presence of facial pose variation, partial occlusion of the face, and varying illumination and expressions. Our approach proceeds from sparse to dense landmarking steps using a set of specific models trained to best account for the shape and texture variation manifested by facial landmarks and facial shapes across pose and various expressions. We also propose the use of a novel l1-regularized least squares approach that we incorporate into our shape model, which is an improvement over the shape model used by several prior Active Shape Model (ASM) based facial landmark localization algorithms. Our approach is compared against several state-of-the-art methods on many challenging test datasets and exhibits a higher fitting accuracy on all of them.

Detection thresholds for small haptic effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dosher, Jesse A.; Hannaford, Blake

2002-02-01

We are interested in finding out whether or not haptic interfaces will be useful in portable and hand held devices. Such systems will have severe constraints on force output. Our first step is to investigate the lower limits at which haptic effects can be perceived. In this paper we report on experiments studying the effects of varying the amplitude, size, shape, and pulse-duration of a haptic feature. Using a specific haptic device we measure the smallest detectable haptics effects, with active exploration of saw-tooth shaped icons sized 3, 4 and 5 mm, a sine-shaped icon 5 mm wide, and static pulses 50, 100, and 150 ms in width. Smooth shaped icons resulted in a detection threshold of approximately 55 mN, almost twice that of saw-tooth shaped icons which had a threshold of 31 mN.

Association and Diffusion of Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies on the State and District Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Daniel R.; Chriqui, Jamie F.; Chaloupka, Frank J.

2012-01-01

Background: School district wellness policies designed to reduce obesity and promote student health and well-being often lack specific requirements or any mandate that schools comply with the policy. Researchers, educators, and policymakers have called for states to take an active role in shaping district policies. The objective of this study was…

Local neuropeptide signaling modulates serotonergic transmission to shape the temporal organization of C. elegans egg-laying behavior

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Navonil; Bhattacharya, Raja; Francis, Michael M.

2017-01-01

Animal behaviors are often composed of distinct alternating behavioral states. Neuromodulatory signals are thought to be critical for establishing stable behavioral states and for orchestrating transitions between them. However, we have only a limited understanding of how neuromodulatory systems act in vivo to alter circuit performance and shape behavior. To address these questions, we have investigated neuromodulatory signaling in the context of Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying. Egg-laying activity cycles between discrete states–short bursts of egg deposition (active phases) that alternate with prolonged quiescent periods (inactive phases). Here using genetic, pharmacological and optogenetic approaches for cell-specific activation and inhibition, we show that a group of neurosecretory cells (uv1) located in close spatial proximity to the egg-laying neuromusculature direct the temporal organization of egg-laying by prolonging the duration of inactive phases. We demonstrate that the modulatory effects of the uv1 cells are mediated by peptides encoded by the nlp-7 and flp-11 genes that act locally to inhibit circuit activity, primarily by inhibiting vesicular release of serotonin from HSN motor neurons. This peptidergic inhibition is achieved, at least in part, by reducing synaptic vesicle abundance in the HSN motor neurons. By linking the in vivo actions of specific neuropeptide signaling systems with the generation of stable behavioral outcomes, our study reveals how cycles of neuromodulation emanating from non-neuronal cells can fundamentally shape the organization of a behavioral program. PMID:28384151

Prevalence of signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in college preparatory students: associations with emotional factors, parafunctional habits, and impact on quality of life.

PubMed

Paulino, Marcilia Ribeiro; Moreira, Vanderlucia Gomes; Lemos, George Azevedo; Silva, Pâmela Lopes Pedro da; Bonan, Paulo Rogério Ferreti; Batista, André Ulisses Dantas

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) signs and symptoms, its correlation with gender, parafunctional habits, emotional stress, anxiety, and depression and its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQL) in college preparatory students at public and private institutions in João Pessoa, Paraíba (PB). The sample consisted of 303 students. Presence of TMD symptoms was determined by an anamnesis questionnaire containing questions related to the presence of parafunctional habits and emotional stress. A simplified clinical evaluation protocol was used. Anxiety and depression were determined with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale and the OHRQL using the short version contained in the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The Chi-square, Fisher Exact, Mann Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed. Presence of signs and symptoms of TMD was statistically associated (p ≤ 0,05) with female gender, parafunctional habits, emotional stress, and anxiety, and represented greater impairment of the OHRQL. The physical pain domain was the most affected. The increased prevalence of signs and symptoms of TMD among college preparatory students indicates that there is a need for education and clarification among teachers and students to improve early diagnosis and to prevent the problem.

Monitoring of immunological parameters in adolescent basketball athletes during and after a sports season.

PubMed

Brunelli, Diego Trevisan; Rodrigues, Ariel; Lopes, Wendell Arthur; Gáspari, Arthur Fernandes; Bonganha, Valéria; Montagner, Paulo César; Borin, João Paulo; Cavaglieri, Cláudia Regina

2014-01-01

The objective of the present study was to monitor the immunological and hormonal responses and the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms in adolescent basketball athletes during the different stages of a sports season. Anthropometric measures, biochemical analyses (interleukin-6, interleukin-10, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, C-reactive protein, testosterone and cortisol), neuromuscular evaluations (standing vertical jumping ability, agility and estimated VO2max) and leukocyte counts were performed at four moments: 72 h before the season (-72 h); before the season (Pre-season); after six weeks, at the end of the preparatory period (Preparatory); and after 20 weeks, at the end of the competitive period (Competitive). Also, the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms was collected weekly during all stages of the season. There were significant increases in monocytes, cortisol, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and C-reactive protein at the Competitive moment as compared to the Pre-season. In addition, interleukin-10 decreased at the Competitive moment as compared to the Pre-season. Occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms demonstrated increases (38%) during the competitive period as compared to the preparatory. These results suggest that periods of training and competition could increase the occurrence of upper respiratory symptoms in adolescent athletes and this may be due to the unwanted effects of an inflammatory process in response to the excessive stress of training and competition.

Research in Satellite-Fiber Network Interoperability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelson, Burt

1997-01-01

This four part report evaluated the performance of high data rate transmission links using the ACTS satellite, and to provide a preparatory test framework for two of the space science applications that have been approved for tests and demonstrations as part of the overall ACTS program. The test plan will provide guidance and information necessary to find the optimal values of the transmission parameters and then apply these parameters to specific applications. The first part will focus on the satellite-to-earth link. The second part is a set of tests to study the performance of ATM on the ACTS channel. The third and fourth parts of the test plan will cover the space science applications, Global Climate Modeling and Keck Telescope Acquisition Modeling and Control.

Search for double beta decay with HPGe detectors at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chkvorets, Oleg

2008-12-01

Neutrinoless double-beta decay is practically the only way to establish the Majorana nature of the neutrino mass and its decay rate provides a probe of an effective neutrino mass. Double beta experiments are long-running underground experiments with specific challenges concerning the background reduction and the long term stability. These problems are addressed in this work for the Heidelberg-Moscow (HdM), GENIUS Test Facility (TF) and GERDA experiments. The HdM experiment collected data with enriched 76Ge high purity (HPGe) detectors from 1990 to 2003. An improved analysis of HdM data is presented, exploiting new calibration and spectral shape measurements with the HdM detectors. GENIUS-TF was a test-facility that verified the feasibility of using bare germanium detectors in liquid nitrogen. The first year results of this experiment are discussed. The GERDA experiment has been designed to further increase the sensitivity by operating bare germanium detectors in a high purity cryogenic liquid, which simultaneously serves as a shielding against background and as a cooling media. In the preparatory stage of GERDA, an external background gamma flux measurement was done at the experimental site in the Hall A of the Gran Sasso laboratory. The characterization of the enriched detectors from the HdM and IGEX experiments was performed in the underground detector laboratory for the GERDA collaboration. Long term stability measurements of a bare HPGe detector in liquid argon were carried out. Based on these measurements, the first lower limit on the half-life of neutrinoless double electron capture of 36Ar was established to be 1.85*10^18 years at 68% C.L.

Novel platelet substitutes: disk-shaped biodegradable nanosheets and their enhanced effects on platelet aggregation.

PubMed

Okamura, Yosuke; Fukui, Yoshihito; Kabata, Koki; Suzuki, Hidenori; Handa, Makoto; Ikeda, Yasuo; Takeoka, Shinji

2009-10-21

We have studied biocompatible spherical carriers carrying a dodecapeptide, HHLGGAKQAGDV (H12), on their surface as platelet substitutes. This peptide is a fibrinogen γ-chain carboxy-terminal sequence (γ400-411) and specifically recognizes the active form of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa on activated platelets. Our purpose is to assess the possibility of making a novel platelet substitute consisting of disk-shaped nanosheets having a large contact area for the targeting site, rather than conventional small contact area spherical carriers. The H12 peptide was conjugated to the surface of the free-standing nanosheets made of biodegradable poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). These H12-PLGA nanosheets were fabricated onto 3 μm disk-shaped patterned hydrophobic octadecyl regions on a SiO(2) substrate. By way of comparison, spherical H12-PLGA microparticles with the same surface area and conjugation number of H12 were also prepared. The resulting H12-PLGA nanosheets specifically interacted with the activated platelets adhered on the collagen surface at twice the rate of the H12-PLGA microparticles under flow conditions, and showed platelet thrombus formation in a two-dimensional spreading manner. Thus, H12-PLGA nanosheets might be a suitable candidate novel platelet alternative substitute for infused human platelet concentrates for the treatment of bleeding in patients with severe thrombocytopenia.

Theoretical Tools and Software for Modeling, Simulation and Control Design of Rocket Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richter, Hanz

2004-01-01

A rocket test stand and associated subsystems are complex devices whose operation requires that certain preparatory calculations be carried out before a test. In addition, real-time control calculations must be performed during the test, and further calculations are carried out after a test is completed. The latter may be required in order to evaluate if a particular test conformed to specifications. These calculations are used to set valve positions, pressure setpoints, control gains and other operating parameters so that a desired system behavior is obtained and the test can be successfully carried out. Currently, calculations are made in an ad-hoc fashion and involve trial-and-error procedures that may involve activating the system with the sole purpose of finding the correct parameter settings. The goals of this project are to develop mathematical models, control methodologies and associated simulation environments to provide a systematic and comprehensive prediction and real-time control capability. The models and controller designs are expected to be useful in two respects: 1) As a design tool, a model is the only way to determine the effects of design choices without building a prototype, which is, in the context of rocket test stands, impracticable; 2) As a prediction and tuning tool, a good model allows to set system parameters off-line, so that the expected system response conforms to specifications. This includes the setting of physical parameters, such as valve positions, and the configuration and tuning of any feedback controllers in the loop.

Medical Student Perspectives of Active Learning: A Focus Group Study.

PubMed

Walling, Anne; Istas, Kathryn; Bonaminio, Giulia A; Paolo, Anthony M; Fontes, Joseph D; Davis, Nancy; Berardo, Benito A

2017-01-01

Phenomenon: Medical student perspectives were sought about active learning, including concerns, challenges, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and appropriate role in the educational process. Focus groups were conducted with students from all years and campuses of a large U.S. state medical school. Students had considerable experience with active learning prior to medical school and conveyed accurate understanding of the concept and its major strategies. They appreciated the potential of active learning to deepen and broaden learning and its value for long-term professional development but had significant concerns about the efficiency of the process, the clarity of expectations provided, and the importance of receiving preparatory materials. Most significantly, active learning experiences were perceived as disconnected from grading and even as impeding preparation for school and national examinations. Insights: Medical students understand the concepts of active learning and have considerable experience in several formats prior to medical school. They are generally supportive of active learning concepts but frustrated by perceived inefficiencies and lack of contribution to the urgencies of achieving optimal grades and passing United States Medical Licensing Examinations, especially Step 1.

Working memory delay period activity marks a domain-unspecific attention mechanism.

PubMed

Katus, Tobias; Müller, Matthias M

2016-03-01

Working memory (WM) recruits neural circuits that also perform perception- and action-related functions. Among the functions that are shared between the domains of WM and perception is selective attention, which supports the maintenance of task-relevant information during the retention delay of WM tasks. The tactile contralateral delay activity (tCDA) component of the event-related potential (ERP) marks the attention-based rehearsal of tactile information in somatosensory brain regions. We tested whether the tCDA reflects the competition for shared attention resources between a WM task and a perceptual task under dual-task conditions. The two tasks were always performed on opposite hands. In different blocks, the WM task had higher or lower priority than the perceptual task. The tCDA's polarity consistently reflected the hand where the currently prioritized task was performed. This suggests that the process indexed by the tCDA is not specific to the domain of WM, but mediated by a domain-unspecific attention mechanism. The analysis of transient ERP components evoked by stimuli in the two tasks further supports the interpretation that the tCDA marks a goal-directed bias in the allocation of selective attention. Larger spatially selective modulations were obtained for stimulus material related to the high-, as compared to low-priority, task. While our results generally indicate functional overlap between the domains of WM and perception, we also found evidence suggesting that selection in internal (mnemonic) and external (perceptual) stimulus representations involves processes that are not active during shifts of preparatory attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Image segmentation using local shape and gray-level appearance models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seghers, Dieter; Loeckx, Dirk; Maes, Frederik; Suetens, Paul

2006-03-01

A new generic model-based segmentation scheme is presented, which can be trained from examples akin to the Active Shape Model (ASM) approach in order to acquire knowledge about the shape to be segmented and about the gray-level appearance of the object in the image. Because in the ASM approach the intensity and shape models are typically applied alternately during optimizing as first an optimal target location is selected for each landmark separately based on local gray-level appearance information only to which the shape model is fitted subsequently, the ASM may be misled in case of wrongly selected landmark locations. Instead, the proposed approach optimizes for shape and intensity characteristics simultaneously. Local gray-level appearance information at the landmark points extracted from feature images is used to automatically detect a number of plausible candidate locations for each landmark. The shape information is described by multiple landmark-specific statistical models that capture local dependencies between adjacent landmarks on the shape. The shape and intensity models are combined in a single cost function that is optimized non-iteratively using dynamic programming which allows to find the optimal landmark positions using combined shape and intensity information, without the need for initialization.

When to initiate integrative neuromuscular training to reduce sports-related injuries in youth?

PubMed Central

Myer, Gregory D.; Faigenbaum, Avery D.; Ford, Kevin R.; Best, Thomas M.; Bergeron, Michael F.; Hewett, Timothy E.

2011-01-01

Regular participation in organized youth sports does not ensure adequate exposure to skill- and health-related fitness activities; and sport training without preparatory conditioning does not appear to reduce risk of injury in young athletes. Recent trends indicate that widespread participation in organized youth sports is occurring at a younger age, especially in girls. Current public health recommendations developed to promote muscle strengthening and bone building activities for youth aged 6 and older, along with increased involvement in competitive sport activities at younger ages, has increased interest and concern from parents, clinicians, coaches and teachers regarding the optimal age to encourage and integrate more specialized physical training into youth development programs. This review synthesizes the latest literature and expert opinion regarding when to initiate neuromuscular conditioning in youth and presents a how to integrative training conceptual model that could maximize the potential health-related benefits for children by reducing sports-related injury risk and encouraging lifelong regular physical activity. PMID:21623307

Actively targeted delivery of anticancer drug to tumor cells by redox-responsive star-shaped micelles.

PubMed

Shi, Chunli; Guo, Xing; Qu, Qianqian; Tang, Zhaomin; Wang, Yi; Zhou, Shaobing

2014-10-01

In cancer therapy nanocargos based on star-shaped polymer exhibit unique features such as better stability, smaller size distribution and higher drug capacity in comparison to linear polymeric micelles. In this study, we developed a multifunctional star-shaped micellar system by combination of active targeting ability and redox-responsive behavior. The star-shaped micelles with good stability were self-assembled from four-arm poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer. The redox-responsive behaviors of these micelles triggered by glutathione were evaluated from the changes of micellar size, morphology and molecular weight. In vitro drug release profiles exhibited that in a stimulated normal physiological environment, the redox-responsive star-shaped micelles could maintain good stability, whereas in a reducing and acid environment similar with that of tumor cells, the encapsulated agent was promptly released. In vitro cellular uptake and subcellular localization of these micelles were further studied with confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry against the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa. In vivo and ex vivo DOX fluorescence imaging displayed that these FA-functionalized star-shaped micelles possessed much better specificity to target solid tumor. Both the qualitative and quantitative results of the antitumor effect in 4T1 tumor-bearing BALB/c mice demonstrated that these redox-responsive star-shaped micelles have a high therapeutic efficiency to artificial solid tumor. Therefore, the multifunctional star-shaped micelles are a potential platform for targeted anticancer drug delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shaping memory accuracy by left prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation.

PubMed

Zwissler, Bastian; Sperber, Christoph; Aigeldinger, Sina; Schindler, Sebastian; Kissler, Johanna; Plewnia, Christian

2014-03-12

Human memory is dynamic and flexible but is also susceptible to distortions arising from adaptive as well as pathological processes. Both accurate and false memory formation require executive control that is critically mediated by the left prefrontal cortex (PFC). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enables noninvasive modulation of cortical activity and associated behavior. The present study reports that tDCS applied to the left dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) shaped accuracy of episodic memory via polaritiy-specific modulation of false recognition. When applied during encoding of pictures, anodal tDCS increased whereas cathodal stimulation reduced the number of false alarms to lure pictures in subsequent recognition memory testing. These data suggest that the enhancement of excitability in the dlPFC by anodal tDCS can be associated with blurred detail memory. In contrast, activity-reducing cathodal tDCS apparently acted as a noise filter inhibiting the development of imprecise memory traces and reducing the false memory rate. Consistently, the largest effect was found in the most active condition (i.e., for stimuli cued to be remembered). This first evidence for a polarity-specific, activity-dependent effect of tDCS on false memory opens new vistas for the understanding and potential treatment of disturbed memory control.

Categorization for Faces and Tools—Two Classes of Objects Shaped by Different Experience—Differs in Processing Timing, Brain Areas Involved, and Repetition Effects

PubMed Central

Kozunov, Vladimir; Nikolaeva, Anastasia; Stroganova, Tatiana A.

2018-01-01

The brain mechanisms that integrate the separate features of sensory input into a meaningful percept depend upon the prior experience of interaction with the object and differ between categories of objects. Recent studies using representational similarity analysis (RSA) have characterized either the spatial patterns of brain activity for different categories of objects or described how category structure in neuronal representations emerges in time, but never simultaneously. Here we applied a novel, region-based, multivariate pattern classification approach in combination with RSA to magnetoencephalography data to extract activity associated with qualitatively distinct processing stages of visual perception. We asked participants to name what they see whilst viewing bitonal visual stimuli of two categories predominantly shaped by either value-dependent or sensorimotor experience, namely faces and tools, and meaningless images. We aimed to disambiguate the spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity between the meaningful categories and determine which differences in their processing were attributable to either perceptual categorization per se, or later-stage mentalizing-related processes. We have extracted three stages of cortical activity corresponding to low-level processing, category-specific feature binding, and supra-categorical processing. All face-specific spatiotemporal patterns were associated with bilateral activation of ventral occipito-temporal areas during the feature binding stage at 140–170 ms. The tool-specific activity was found both within the categorization stage and in a later period not thought to be associated with binding processes. The tool-specific binding-related activity was detected within a 210–220 ms window and was located to the intraparietal sulcus of the left hemisphere. Brain activity common for both meaningful categories started at 250 ms and included widely distributed assemblies within parietal, temporal, and prefrontal regions. Furthermore, we hypothesized and tested whether activity within face and tool-specific binding-related patterns would demonstrate oppositely acting effects following procedural perceptual learning. We found that activity in the ventral, face-specific network increased following the stimuli repetition. In contrast, tool processing in the dorsal network adapted by reducing its activity over the repetition period. Altogether, we have demonstrated that activity associated with visual processing of faces and tools during the categorization stage differ in processing timing, brain areas involved, and in their dynamics underlying stimuli learning. PMID:29379426

Categorization for Faces and Tools-Two Classes of Objects Shaped by Different Experience-Differs in Processing Timing, Brain Areas Involved, and Repetition Effects.

PubMed

Kozunov, Vladimir; Nikolaeva, Anastasia; Stroganova, Tatiana A

2017-01-01

The brain mechanisms that integrate the separate features of sensory input into a meaningful percept depend upon the prior experience of interaction with the object and differ between categories of objects. Recent studies using representational similarity analysis (RSA) have characterized either the spatial patterns of brain activity for different categories of objects or described how category structure in neuronal representations emerges in time, but never simultaneously. Here we applied a novel, region-based, multivariate pattern classification approach in combination with RSA to magnetoencephalography data to extract activity associated with qualitatively distinct processing stages of visual perception. We asked participants to name what they see whilst viewing bitonal visual stimuli of two categories predominantly shaped by either value-dependent or sensorimotor experience, namely faces and tools, and meaningless images. We aimed to disambiguate the spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity between the meaningful categories and determine which differences in their processing were attributable to either perceptual categorization per se , or later-stage mentalizing-related processes. We have extracted three stages of cortical activity corresponding to low-level processing, category-specific feature binding, and supra-categorical processing. All face-specific spatiotemporal patterns were associated with bilateral activation of ventral occipito-temporal areas during the feature binding stage at 140-170 ms. The tool-specific activity was found both within the categorization stage and in a later period not thought to be associated with binding processes. The tool-specific binding-related activity was detected within a 210-220 ms window and was located to the intraparietal sulcus of the left hemisphere. Brain activity common for both meaningful categories started at 250 ms and included widely distributed assemblies within parietal, temporal, and prefrontal regions. Furthermore, we hypothesized and tested whether activity within face and tool-specific binding-related patterns would demonstrate oppositely acting effects following procedural perceptual learning. We found that activity in the ventral, face-specific network increased following the stimuli repetition. In contrast, tool processing in the dorsal network adapted by reducing its activity over the repetition period. Altogether, we have demonstrated that activity associated with visual processing of faces and tools during the categorization stage differ in processing timing, brain areas involved, and in their dynamics underlying stimuli learning.

The selection of core International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) categories for patient-reported outcome measurement in spine trauma patients-results of an international consensus process.

PubMed

Sadiqi, Said; Lehr, A Mechteld; Post, Marcel W; Jacobs, Wilco C H; Aarabi, Bizhan; Chapman, Jens R; Dunn, Robert N; Dvorak, Marcel F; Fehlings, Michael G; Rajasekaran, S; Vialle, Luiz R; Vaccaro, Alexander R; Oner, F Cumhur

2016-08-01

There is no outcome instrument specifically designed and validated for spine trauma patients without complete paralysis, which makes it difficult to compare outcomes of different treatments of the spinal column injury within and between studies. The paper aimed to report on the evidence-based consensus process that resulted in the selection of core International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) categories, as well as the response scale for use in a universal patient-reported outcome measure for patients with traumatic spinal column injury. The study used a formal decision-making and consensus process. The sample includes patients with a primary diagnosis of traumatic spinal column injury, excluding completely paralyzed and polytrauma patients. The wide array of function and health status of patients with traumatic spinal column injury was explored through the identification of all potentially meaningful ICF categories. A formal decision-making and consensus process integrated evidence from four preparatory studies. Three studies aimed to identify relevant ICF categories from three different perspectives. The research perspective was covered by a systematic literature review identifying outcome measures focusing on the functioning and health of spine trauma patients. The expert perspective was explored through an international web-based survey among spine surgeons from the five AOSpine International world regions. The patient perspective was investigated in an international empirical study. A fourth study investigated various response scales for their potential use in the future universal outcome instrument. This work was supported by AOSpine. AOSpine is a clinical division of the AO Foundation, an independent medically guided non-profit organization. The AOSpine Knowledge Forums are pathology-focused working groups acting on behalf of AOSpine in their domain of scientific expertise. Combining the results of the preparatory studies, the list of ICF categories presented at the consensus conference included 159 different ICF categories. Based on voting and discussion, 11 experts from 6 countries selected a total of 25 ICF categories as core categories for patient-reported outcome measurement in adult traumatic spinal column injury patients (9 body functions, 14 activities and participation, and 2 environmental factors). The experts also agreed to use the Numeric Rating Scale 0-100 as response scale in the future universal outcome instrument. A formal consensus process integrating evidence and expert opinion led to a set of 25 core ICF categories for patient-reported outcome measurement in adult traumatic spinal column injury patients, as well as the response scale for use in the future universal disease-specific outcome instrument. The adopted core ICF categories could also serve as a benchmark for assessing the content validity of existing and future outcome instruments used in this specific patient population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Science: Database Programs and the Study of Seashells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCurry, Niki; McCurry, Alan

1992-01-01

Discusses the dynamics and outcomes of an unplanned classroom activity that developed from the integration of the use of spreadsheets with the study of the characteristics of previously collected seashells, specifically their color, size, shape, texture, and any other obvious differences. (JJK)

Design of a shape adaptive airfoil actuated by a Shape Memory Alloy strip for airplane tail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirzadeh, R.; Raissi Charmacani, K.; Tabesh, M.

2011-04-01

Of the factors that mainly affect the efficiency of the wing during a special flow regime, the shape of its airfoil cross section is the most significant. Airfoils are generally designed for a specific flight condition and, therefore, are not fully optimized in all flight conditions. It is very desirable to have an airfoil with the ability to change its shape based on the current regime. Shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators activate in response to changes in the temperature and can recover their original configuration after being deformed. This study presents the development of a method to control the shape of an airfoil using SMA actuators. To predict the thermomechanical behaviors of an SMA thin strip, 3D incremental formulation of the SMA constitutive model is implemented in FEA software package ABAQUS. The interactions between the airfoil structure and SMA thin strip actuator are investigated. Also, the aerodynamic performance of a standard airfoil with a plain flap is compared with an adaptive airfoil.

Imaging Cell Shape Change in Living Drosophila Embryos

PubMed Central

Figard, Lauren; Sokac, Anna Marie

2011-01-01

The developing Drosophila melanogaster embryo undergoes a number of cell shape changes that are highly amenable to live confocal imaging. Cell shape changes in the fly are analogous to those in higher organisms, and they drive tissue morphogenesis. So, in many cases, their study has direct implications for understanding human disease (Table 1)1-5. On the sub-cellular scale, these cell shape changes are the product of activities ranging from gene expression to signal transduction, cell polarity, cytoskeletal remodeling and membrane trafficking. Thus, the Drosophila embryo provides not only the context to evaluate cell shape changes as they relate to tissue morphogenesis, but also offers a completely physiological environment to study the sub-cellular activities that shape cells. The protocol described here is designed to image a specific cell shape change called cellularization. Cellularization is a process of dramatic plasma membrane growth, and it ultimately converts the syncytial embryo into the cellular blastoderm. That is, at interphase of mitotic cycle 14, the plasma membrane simultaneously invaginates around each of ~6000 cortically anchored nuclei to generate a sheet of primary epithelial cells. Counter to previous suggestions, cellularization is not driven by Myosin-2 contractility6, but is instead fueled largely by exocytosis of membrane from internal stores7. Thus, cellularization is an excellent system for studying membrane trafficking during cell shape changes that require plasma membrane invagination or expansion, such as cytokinesis or transverse-tubule (T-tubule) morphogenesis in muscle. Note that this protocol is easily applied to the imaging of other cell shape changes in the fly embryo, and only requires slight adaptations such as changing the stage of embryo collection, or using "embryo glue" to mount the embryo in a specific orientation (Table 1)8-19. In all cases, the workflow is basically the same (Figure 1). Standard methods for cloning and Drosophila transgenesis are used to prepare stable fly stocks that express a protein of interest, fused to Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) or its variants, and these flies provide a renewable source of embryos. Alternatively, fluorescent proteins/probes are directly introduced into fly embryos via straightforward micro-injection techniques9-10. Then, depending on the developmental event and cell shape change to be imaged, embryos are collected and staged by morphology on a dissecting microscope, and finally positioned and mounted for time-lapse imaging on a confocal microscope. PMID:21490577

45 CFR 1160.5 - Eligibility for domestic exhibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES FEDERAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES INDEMNITIES UNDER THE ARTS.... The organizing curator has selected ten works of art, mostly drawings and preparatory sketches...

45 CFR 1160.5 - Eligibility for domestic exhibitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES FEDERAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES INDEMNITIES UNDER THE ARTS.... The organizing curator has selected ten works of art, mostly drawings and preparatory sketches...

Synthesis of Porous Carbon Monoliths Using Hard Templates.

PubMed

Klepel, Olaf; Danneberg, Nina; Dräger, Matti; Erlitz, Marcel; Taubert, Michael

2016-03-21

The preparation of porous carbon monoliths with a defined shape via template-assisted routes is reported. Monoliths made from porous concrete and zeolite were each used as the template. The porous concrete-derived carbon monoliths exhibited high gravimetric specific surface areas up to 2000 m²·g -1 . The pore system comprised macro-, meso-, and micropores. These pores were hierarchically arranged. The pore system was created by the complex interplay of the actions of both the template and the activating agent as well. On the other hand, zeolite-made template shapes allowed for the preparation of microporous carbon monoliths with a high volumetric specific surface area. This feature could be beneficial if carbon monoliths must be integrated into technical systems under space-limited conditions.

Synthesis of Porous Carbon Monoliths Using Hard Templates

PubMed Central

Klepel, Olaf; Danneberg, Nina; Dräger, Matti; Erlitz, Marcel; Taubert, Michael

2016-01-01

The preparation of porous carbon monoliths with a defined shape via template-assisted routes is reported. Monoliths made from porous concrete and zeolite were each used as the template. The porous concrete-derived carbon monoliths exhibited high gravimetric specific surface areas up to 2000 m2·g−1. The pore system comprised macro-, meso-, and micropores. These pores were hierarchically arranged. The pore system was created by the complex interplay of the actions of both the template and the activating agent as well. On the other hand, zeolite-made template shapes allowed for the preparation of microporous carbon monoliths with a high volumetric specific surface area. This feature could be beneficial if carbon monoliths must be integrated into technical systems under space-limited conditions. PMID:28773338

The Selective Value of Bacterial Shape

PubMed Central

Young, Kevin D.

2006-01-01

Why do bacteria have shape? Is morphology valuable or just a trivial secondary characteristic? Why should bacteria have one shape instead of another? Three broad considerations suggest that bacterial shapes are not accidental but are biologically important: cells adopt uniform morphologies from among a wide variety of possibilities, some cells modify their shape as conditions demand, and morphology can be tracked through evolutionary lineages. All of these imply that shape is a selectable feature that aids survival. The aim of this review is to spell out the physical, environmental, and biological forces that favor different bacterial morphologies and which, therefore, contribute to natural selection. Specifically, cell shape is driven by eight general considerations: nutrient access, cell division and segregation, attachment to surfaces, passive dispersal, active motility, polar differentiation, the need to escape predators, and the advantages of cellular differentiation. Bacteria respond to these forces by performing a type of calculus, integrating over a number of environmental and behavioral factors to produce a size and shape that are optimal for the circumstances in which they live. Just as we are beginning to answer how bacteria create their shapes, it seems reasonable and essential that we expand our efforts to understand why they do so. PMID:16959965

Accurate Differentiation of Carotenoid Pigments Using Flight Representative Raman Spectrometers.

PubMed

Malherbe, Cedric; Hutchinson, Ian B; McHugh, Melissa; Ingley, Richard; Jehlička, Jan; Edwards, Howell G M

2017-04-01

Raman spectrometers will be utilized on two Mars rover missions, ExoMars and Mars 2020, in the near future, to search for evidence of life and habitable geological niches on Mars. Carotenoid pigments are recognized target biomarkers, and as they are highly active in Raman spectroscopy, they can be readily used to characterize the capabilities of space representative instrumentation. As part of the preparatory work being performed for the ExoMars mission, a gypsum crust colonized by microorganisms was interrogated with commercial portable Raman instruments and a flight representative Raman laser spectrometer. Four separate layers, each exhibiting different coloration resulting from specific halophilic microorganism activities within the gypsum crust, were studied by using two excitation wavelengths: 532 and 785 nm. Raman or fluorescence data were readily obtained during the present study. Gypsum, the main constituent of the crust, was detected with both excitation wavelengths, while the resonance Raman signal associated with carotenoid pigments was only detected with a 532 nm excitation wavelength. The fluorescence originating from bacteriochlorophyll a was found to overwhelm the Raman signal for the layer colonized by sulfur bacteria when interrogated with a 785 nm excitation wavelength. Finally, it was demonstrated that portable instruments and the prototype were capable of detecting a statistically significant difference in band positions of carotenoid signals between the sample layers. Key Words: Gypsum-Raman spectrometers-Carotenoids-ExoMars-Mars exploration-Band position shift. Astrobiology 17, 351-362.

Verifying the operational set-up of a radionuclide air-monitoring station.

PubMed

Werzi, R; Padoani, F

2007-05-01

A worldwide radionuclide network of 80 stations, part of the International Monitoring System, was designed to monitor compliance with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. After installation, the stations are certified to comply with the minimum requirements laid down by the Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. Among the several certification tests carried out at each station, the verification of the radionuclide activity concentrations is a crucial one and is based on an independent testing of the airflow rate measurement system and of the gamma detector system, as well as on the assessment of the samples collected during parallel sampling and measured at radionuclide laboratories.

Protein Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asmus, Elaine Garbarino

2007-01-01

Individual students model specific amino acids and then, through dehydration synthesis, a class of students models a protein. The students clearly learn amino acid structure, primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure in proteins and the nature of the bonds maintaining a protein's shape. This activity is fun, concrete, inexpensive and…

32 CFR 903.8 - Cadet candidate disenrollment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.8 Cadet candidate disenrollment. (a) In... personnel from other Services back to their unit of origin to complete any prior service obligation if: (1...

32 CFR 903.8 - Cadet candidate disenrollment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.8 Cadet candidate disenrollment. (a) In... personnel from other Services back to their unit of origin to complete any prior service obligation if: (1...

32 CFR 903.8 - Cadet candidate disenrollment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.8 Cadet candidate disenrollment. (a) In... personnel from other Services back to their unit of origin to complete any prior service obligation if: (1...

32 CFR 903.8 - Cadet candidate disenrollment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.8 Cadet candidate disenrollment. (a) In... personnel from other Services back to their unit of origin to complete any prior service obligation if: (1...

32 CFR 903.8 - Cadet candidate disenrollment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... AND SCHOOLS AIR FORCE ACADEMY PREPARATORY SCHOOL § 903.8 Cadet candidate disenrollment. (a) In... personnel from other Services back to their unit of origin to complete any prior service obligation if: (1...

Restoration Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

In the accompanying photos, a laboratory technician is restoring the once-obliterated serial number of a revolver. The four-photo sequence shows the gradual progression from total invisibility to clear readability. The technician is using a new process developed in an applications engineering project conducted by NASA's Lewis Research Center in conjunction with Chicago State University. Serial numbers and other markings are frequently eliminated from metal objects to prevent tracing ownership of guns, motor vehicles, bicycles, cameras, appliances and jewelry. To restore obliterated numbers, crime laboratory investigators most often employ a chemical etching technique. It is effective, but it may cause metal corrosion and it requires extensive preparatory grinding and polishing. The NASA-Chicago State process is advantageous because it can be applied without variation to any kind of metal, it needs no preparatory work and number recovery can be accomplished without corrosive chemicals; the liquid used is water.

2D Affine and Projective Shape Analysis.

PubMed

Bryner, Darshan; Klassen, Eric; Huiling Le; Srivastava, Anuj

2014-05-01

Current techniques for shape analysis tend to seek invariance to similarity transformations (rotation, translation, and scale), but certain imaging situations require invariance to larger groups, such as affine or projective groups. Here we present a general Riemannian framework for shape analysis of planar objects where metrics and related quantities are invariant to affine and projective groups. Highlighting two possibilities for representing object boundaries-ordered points (or landmarks) and parameterized curves-we study different combinations of these representations (points and curves) and transformations (affine and projective). Specifically, we provide solutions to three out of four situations and develop algorithms for computing geodesics and intrinsic sample statistics, leading up to Gaussian-type statistical models, and classifying test shapes using such models learned from training data. In the case of parameterized curves, we also achieve the desired goal of invariance to re-parameterizations. The geodesics are constructed by particularizing the path-straightening algorithm to geometries of current manifolds and are used, in turn, to compute shape statistics and Gaussian-type shape models. We demonstrate these ideas using a number of examples from shape and activity recognition.

The Problems of Ensure of Safe Labor Conditions on Workplaces for Adhesive Bonding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciecińska, Barbara; Homik, Wojciech

2016-06-01

In the performance a variety of technological operations a human may come into contact with a variety of factors causing deterioration of safety at work. As an example of which is described in article, adhesive bonding operations are requiring use of specific chemicals, which are adhesives. They are produced on the basis of a variety of compounds, often hazardous to human health. Furthermore, adhesive bonding requires a series of preparatory operations such as degreasing or surface preparation with a specific structure and roughness and auxiliary operations such as measurement of the wettability of surface. In this paper are described examples of risks occurring during adhesive bonding, it is a simple way to estimate the risks associated with the performance of operations. The examples of the determination by the producers of chemicals are described which are used in adhesive bonding and fragment of international chemical safety card (ICSC), as a source of information important to the workplace organization and ensuring safety during adhesive bonding.

Preliminary assessment of soil moisture over vegetation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, T. N.

1986-01-01

Modeling of surface energy fluxes was combined with in-situ measurement of surface parameters, specifically the surface sensible heat flux and the substrate soil moisture. A vegetation component was incorporated in the atmospheric/substrate model and subsequently showed that fluxes over vegetation can be very much different than those over bare soil for a given surface-air temperature difference. The temperature signatures measured by a satellite or airborne radiometer should be interpreted in conjunction with surface measurements of modeled parameters. Paradoxically, analyses of the large-scale distribution of soil moisture availability shows that there is a very high correlation between antecedent precipitation and inferred surface moisture availability, even when no specific vegetation parameterization is used in the boundary layer model. Preparatory work was begun in streamlining the present boundary layer model, developing better algorithms for relating surface temperatures to substrate moisture, preparing for participation in the French HAPEX experiment, and analyzing aircraft microwave and radiometric surface temperature data for the 1983 French Beauce experiments.

Proactive action preparation: seeing action preparation as a continuous and proactive process.

PubMed

Pezzulo, Giovanni; Ognibene, Dimitri

2012-07-01

In this paper, we aim to elucidate the processes that occur during action preparation from both a conceptual and a computational point of view. We first introduce the traditional, serial model of goal-directed action and discuss from a computational viewpoint its subprocesses occurring during the two phases of covert action preparation and overt motor control. Then, we discuss recent evidence indicating that these subprocesses are highly intertwined at representational and neural levels, which undermines the validity of the serial model and points instead to a parallel model of action specification and selection. Within the parallel view, we analyze the case of delayed choice, arguing that action preparation can be proactive, and preparatory processes can take place even before decisions are made. Specifically, we discuss how prior knowledge and prospective abilities can be used to maximize utility even before deciding what to do. To support our view, we present a computational implementation of (an approximated version of) proactive action preparation, showing its advantages in a simulated tennis-like scenario.

Opening wedge and anatomic-specific plates in foot and ankle applications.

PubMed

Kluesner, Andrew J; Morris, Jason B

2011-08-01

As surgeons continually push to improve techniques and outcomes, anatomic-specific and procedure-specific fixation options are becoming increasingly available. The unique size, shape, and function of the foot provide an ideal framework for the use of anatomic-specific plates. These distinctive plate characteristics range from anatomic contouring and screw placements to incorporated step-offs and wedges. By optimizing support, compression, and stabilization, patients may return to weight bearing and activity sooner, improving outcomes. This article discusses anatomic-specific plates and their use in forefoot and rearfoot surgical procedures. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of reduction rate as a quantitative knob for controlling the twin structure and shape of palladium nanocrystals.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Peng, Hsin-Chieh; Liu, Jingyue; Huang, Cheng Zhi; Xia, Younan

2015-02-11

Kinetic control is a powerful means for maneuvering the twin structure and shape of metal nanocrystals and thus optimizing their performance in a variety of applications. However, there is only a vague understanding of the explicit roles played by reaction kinetics due to the lack of quantitative information about the kinetic parameters. With Pd as an example, here we demonstrate that kinetic parameters, including rate constant and activation energy, can be derived from spectroscopic measurements and then used to calculate the initial reduction rate and further have this parameter quantitatively correlated with the twin structure of a seed and nanocrystal. On a quantitative basis, we were able to determine the ranges of initial reduction rates required for the formation of nanocrystals with a specific twin structure, including single-crystal, multiply twinned, and stacking fault-lined. This work represents a major step forward toward the deterministic syntheses of colloidal noble-metal nanocrystals with specific twin structures and shapes.

Magnetic stimulation of visual cortex impairs perceptual learning.

PubMed

Baldassarre, Antonello; Capotosto, Paolo; Committeri, Giorgia; Corbetta, Maurizio

2016-12-01

The ability to learn and process visual stimuli more efficiently is important for survival. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that perceptual learning on a shape identification task differently modulates activity in both frontal-parietal cortical regions and visual cortex (Sigman et al., 2005;Lewis et al., 2009). Specifically, fronto-parietal regions (i.e. intra parietal sulcus, pIPS) became less activated for trained as compared to untrained stimuli, while visual regions (i.e. V2d/V3 and LO) exhibited higher activation for familiar shape. Here, after the intensive training, we employed transcranial magnetic stimulation over both visual occipital and parietal regions, previously shown to be modulated, to investigate their causal role in learning the shape identification task. We report that interference with V2d/V3 and LO increased reaction times to learned stimuli as compared to pIPS and Sham control condition. Moreover, the impairment observed after stimulation over the two visual regions was positive correlated. These results strongly support the causal role of the visual network in the control of the perceptual learning. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

No oxygen? No problem! Intrinsic brain tolerance to hypoxia in vertebrates

PubMed Central

Larson, John; Drew, Kelly L.; Folkow, Lars P.; Milton, Sarah L.; Park, Thomas J.

2014-01-01

Many vertebrates are challenged by either chronic or acute episodes of low oxygen availability in their natural environments. Brain function is especially vulnerable to the effects of hypoxia and can be irreversibly impaired by even brief periods of low oxygen supply. This review describes recent research on physiological mechanisms that have evolved in certain vertebrate species to cope with brain hypoxia. Four model systems are considered: freshwater turtles that can survive for months trapped in frozen-over lakes, arctic ground squirrels that respire at extremely low rates during winter hibernation, seals and whales that undertake breath-hold dives lasting minutes to hours, and naked mole-rats that live in crowded burrows completely underground for their entire lives. These species exhibit remarkable specializations of brain physiology that adapt them for acute or chronic episodes of hypoxia. These specializations may be reactive in nature, involving modifications to the catastrophic sequelae of oxygen deprivation that occur in non-tolerant species, or preparatory in nature, preventing the activation of those sequelae altogether. Better understanding of the mechanisms used by these hypoxia-tolerant vertebrates will increase appreciation of how nervous systems are adapted for life in specific ecological niches as well as inform advances in therapy for neurological conditions such as stroke and epilepsy. PMID:24671961

Knowing the future: partial foreknowledge effects on the programming of prosaccades and antisaccades.

PubMed

Abegg, Mathias; Manoach, Dara S; Barton, Jason J S

2011-01-01

Foreknowledge about the demands of an upcoming trial may be exploited to optimize behavioural responses. In the current study we systematically investigated the benefits of partial foreknowledge--that is, when some but not all aspects of a future trial are known in advance. For this we used an ocular motor paradigm with horizontal prosaccades and antisaccades. Predictable sequences were used to create three partial foreknowledge conditions: one with foreknowledge about the stimulus location only, one with foreknowledge about the task set only, and one with foreknowledge about the direction of the required response only. These were contrasted with a condition of no-foreknowledge and a condition of complete foreknowledge about all three parameters. The results showed that the three types of foreknowledge affected saccadic efficiency differently. While foreknowledge about stimulus-location had no effect on efficiency, task foreknowledge had some effect and response-foreknowledge was as effective as complete foreknowledge. Foreknowledge effects on switch costs followed a similar pattern in general, but were not specific for switching of the trial attribute for which foreknowledge was available. We conclude that partial foreknowledge has a differential effect on efficiency, most consistent with preparatory activation of a motor schema in advance of the stimulus, with consequent benefits for both switched and repeated trials. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Bayesian response-adaptive trial design for the Dexamethasone for Excessive Menstruation study.

PubMed

Holm Hansen, Christian; Warner, Pamela; Parker, Richard A; Walker, Brian R; Critchley, Hilary Od; Weir, Christopher J

2017-12-01

It is often unclear what specific adaptive trial design features lead to an efficient design which is also feasible to implement. This article describes the preparatory simulation study for a Bayesian response-adaptive dose-finding trial design. Dexamethasone for Excessive Menstruation aims to assess the efficacy of Dexamethasone in reducing excessive menstrual bleeding and to determine the best dose for further study. To maximise learning about the dose response, patients receive placebo or an active dose with randomisation probabilities adapting based on evidence from patients already recruited. The dose-response relationship is estimated using a flexible Bayesian Normal Dynamic Linear Model. Several competing design options were considered including: number of doses, proportion assigned to placebo, adaptation criterion, and number and timing of adaptations. We performed a fractional factorial study using SAS software to simulate virtual trial data for candidate adaptive designs under a variety of scenarios and to invoke WinBUGS for Bayesian model estimation. We analysed the simulated trial results using Normal linear models to estimate the effects of each design feature on empirical type I error and statistical power. Our readily-implemented approach using widely available statistical software identified a final design which performed robustly across a range of potential trial scenarios.

Frequency modulation of neural oscillations according to visual task demands.

PubMed

Wutz, Andreas; Melcher, David; Samaha, Jason

2018-02-06

Temporal integration in visual perception is thought to occur within cycles of occipital alpha-band (8-12 Hz) oscillations. Successive stimuli may be integrated when they fall within the same alpha cycle and segregated for different alpha cycles. Consequently, the speed of alpha oscillations correlates with the temporal resolution of perception, such that lower alpha frequencies provide longer time windows for perceptual integration and higher alpha frequencies correspond to faster sampling and segregation. Can the brain's rhythmic activity be dynamically controlled to adjust its processing speed according to different visual task demands? We recorded magnetoencephalography (MEG) while participants switched between task instructions for temporal integration and segregation, holding stimuli and task difficulty constant. We found that the peak frequency of alpha oscillations decreased when visual task demands required temporal integration compared with segregation. Alpha frequency was strategically modulated immediately before and during stimulus processing, suggesting a preparatory top-down source of modulation. Its neural generators were located in occipital and inferotemporal cortex. The frequency modulation was specific to alpha oscillations and did not occur in the delta (1-3 Hz), theta (3-7 Hz), beta (15-30 Hz), or gamma (30-50 Hz) frequency range. These results show that alpha frequency is under top-down control to increase or decrease the temporal resolution of visual perception.

Relative activities on and uptake by human blood platelets of 5-hydroxytryptamine and several analogues

PubMed Central

Born, G. V. R.; Juengjaroen, Kanchana; Michal, F.

1972-01-01

1. The specificity of platelet receptor sites for 5-HT uptake and for the rapid morphological change and aggregation was investigated with 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT) and seventeen analogues as well as with some antagonists of 5-HT. 2. The analogues, with the exception of 5-hydroxy-N'N'-dibutyltryptamine, caused the rapid morphological change in platelets. In concentrations below those needed to produce the agonistic action (viz. 0.05-2.0 μM), these analogues themselves inhibited competitively the shape change caused by 5-HT. 3. The velocity of change in shape caused by 5-HT was reduced in low Na media. 4. Ten analogues produced platelet aggregation; three of these, viz. 5-methoxy-α-methyltryptamine, 5-hydroxy-α-methyltryptamine and 5-hydroxy-N'N'-diisopropyltryptamine), were approximately equipotent with 5-HT. Six analogues did not induce platelet aggregation. 5. All the analogues which prevented the initial change in shape of platelets caused by 5-HT also inhibited its aggregating effect, apparently competitively with low Ki values (0.02-1.6 μM). 6. As with the inhibition of shape change, the inhibition of aggregation shows relatively low structural specificity of the receptor site. 7. Methysergide was a potent inhibitor of shape change and aggregation (Ki∼0.03 μM); imipramine was much less inhibitory (Ki∼5-10 μM). 8. Only one analogue (5-hydroxy-α-methyltryptamine) was taken up like 5-HT by platelets. All the other analogues inhibited the uptake of 5-HT by platelets (Ki=0.2-2.7 μM). 9. Methysergide was a weak inhibitor of 5-HT uptake (Ki∼125 μM) whereas imipramine was very effective (Ki∼0.3 μM). 10. Our results show that the initial change in shape of platelets is required for and precedes aggregation. The structural specificity of the platelet receptor concerned with shape change and aggregation caused by 5-HT appears low whereas the uptake mechanism is a highly specific one. The uptake probably proceeds through more than one step, the relationship between the steps is not yet clear. PMID:5015032

[What is and who created chiropractic massage?].

PubMed

Sagrera Ferrándiz, J

2003-01-01

Even though many massage techniques are called chiromassage, this term must be used to describe a technique created by its inventor, Dr. Ferrándiz, who based on knowledge from German, Swiss and Oriental techniques, developed his own technique and in order to differentiate it from other techniques, gave it the name chiro-meaning hand-massage; which is to say massage using hands, without the use of any apparatus. Once this clarification has been made, the author analyzes the parts which compose a good chiromassage: 1) preparatory exercises: exploration, initial contact, magnetic sedative passes, etc. 2) kneading: in order to distort and elongate muscle fibers, 3) specific exercises: distinct one for each individual case, and 4) finalizing exercises: vibrations, drumming with one's fingers, venal drainage and magnetic sedative passes.

Feedforward motor information enhances somatosensory responses and sharpens angular tuning of rat S1 barrel cortex neurons.

PubMed

Khateb, Mohamed; Schiller, Jackie; Schiller, Yitzhak

2017-01-06

The primary vibrissae motor cortex (vM1) is responsible for generating whisking movements. In parallel, vM1 also sends information directly to the sensory barrel cortex (vS1). In this study, we investigated the effects of vM1 activation on processing of vibrissae sensory information in vS1 of the rat. To dissociate the vibrissae sensory-motor loop, we optogenetically activated vM1 and independently passively stimulated principal vibrissae. Optogenetic activation of vM1 supra-linearly amplified the response of vS1 neurons to passive vibrissa stimulation in all cortical layers measured. Maximal amplification occurred when onset of vM1 optogenetic activation preceded vibrissa stimulation by 20 ms. In addition to amplification, vM1 activation also sharpened angular tuning of vS1 neurons in all cortical layers measured. Our findings indicated that in addition to output motor signals, vM1 also sends preparatory signals to vS1 that serve to amplify and sharpen the response of neurons in the barrel cortex to incoming sensory input signals.

The Music Identity Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbot, Brent C.

2013-01-01

This article addresses the intrapersonal aims of music education with specific emphasis on musical identity. For the author, the question "Who am I?" is ingrained, shaped, and experienced by the contexts, relationships, and activities in which people are most deeply invested. Thus, he believes that music education should have mechanisms…

Effects of nonspatial selective and divided visual attention on fMRI BOLD responses.

PubMed

Weerda, Riklef; Vallines, Ignacio; Thomas, James P; Rutschmann, Roland M; Greenlee, Mark W

2006-09-01

Using an uncertainty paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we studied the effect of nonspatial selective and divided visual attention on the activity of specific areas of human extrastriate visual cortex. The stimuli were single ovals that differed from an implicit standard oval in either colour or width. The subjects' task was to classify the current stimulus as one of two possible alternatives per stimulus dimension. Three different experimental conditions were conducted: "colour-certainty", "shape-certainty" and "uncertainty". In all experimental conditions, the stimulus differed in only one stimulus dimension per trial. In the two certainty conditions, the subjects knew in advance which dimension this would be. During the uncertainty condition they had no such previous knowledge and had to monitor both dimensions simultaneously. Statistical analysis of the fMRI data (with SPM2) revealed a modest effect of the attended stimulus dimension on the neural activity in colour sensitive area V4 (more activity during attention to colour) and in shape sensitive area LOC (more activity during attention to shape). Furthermore, cortical areas known to be related to attention and working memory processes (e.g., lateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortex) exhibit higher activity during the condition of divided attention ("uncertainty") than during that of selective attention ("certainty").

26 CFR 1.514(c)-1 - Acquisition indebtedness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... continue current operations. Example 3. (a) U, an exempt private preparatory school, as its sole... as a down payment from Y and takes back a purchase money mortgage of $2 million which bears interest...

26 CFR 1.514(c)-1 - Acquisition indebtedness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... continue current operations. Example 3. (a) U, an exempt private preparatory school, as its sole... as a down payment from Y and takes back a purchase money mortgage of $2 million which bears interest...

26 CFR 1.514(c)-1 - Acquisition indebtedness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... continue current operations. Example 3. (a) U, an exempt private preparatory school, as its sole... as a down payment from Y and takes back a purchase money mortgage of $2 million which bears interest...

26 CFR 1.514(c)-1 - Acquisition indebtedness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... continue current operations. Example 3. (a) U, an exempt private preparatory school, as its sole... as a down payment from Y and takes back a purchase money mortgage of $2 million which bears interest...

Educating the Gifted: The Independent School Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bassett, Patrick F.

1983-01-01

A planned pilot program for gifted students at Stuart Hall College Preparatory School for Girls in Staunton, Virginia, will feature enrichment, mentorship, a mastery testing program, a counselor for the gifted, and inservice staff education. (CL)

Methodology of clinical research in rare diseases: development of a research program in juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) via creation of a patient registry and collaboration with patient advocates

PubMed Central

de Blieck, Elisabeth A.; Augustine, Erika F.; Marshall, Frederick J.; Adams, Heather; Cialone, Jennifer; Dure, Leon; Kwon, Jennifer M.; Newhouse, Nicole; Rose, Katherine; Rothberg, Paul G.; Vierhile, Amy; Mink, Jonathan W.

2013-01-01

Introduction Juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL; Batten disease) is a rare, inherited, fatal lysosomal storage childhood disorder. True for many rare diseases, there are no treatments that impact the course of JNCL. The University of Rochester Batten Center’s (URBC) mission is to find treatments to slow, halt, or prevent JNCL. Objectives Our initial objective was to develop clinical research infrastructure preparatory to clinical trials, establish a JNCL research cohort, construct a disease-specific clinical outcome measure, and validate a non-invasive diagnostic sampling method. The long-term objective is to design and implement JNCL clinical trials. Methods The Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale (UBDRS) was developed. The Batten Disease Support and Research Association (BDSRA) referred participants; annual BDSRA meetings provided a mobile research setting for registry enrollment and UBDRS piloting. Neuropsychological examinations were performed, enabling external validation of the UBDRS. Buccal epithelial cell collection for genotyping was introduced. Telemedicine for remote UBDRS assessment was piloted. Results The registry enrolled 198 families representing 237 children with NCL. The UBDRS was piloted, validated and has been used to collect natural history data from 120 subjects. Funding and regulatory approval were obtained for a recently launched phase II clinical trial. Several additional lines of inquiry were reported. Conclusion The registry and BDSRA collaboration have enabled development of a clinical rating scale, natural history and neuropsychological studies, and genetic studies for disease confirmation. This work highlights an approach for preparatory natural history research and infrastructure development needed to facilitate efficient implementation of clinical trials in rare diseases. PMID:23628560

Trial-by-Trial Motor Cortical Correlates of a Rapidly Adapting Visuomotor Internal Model.

PubMed

Stavisky, Sergey D; Kao, Jonathan C; Ryu, Stephen I; Shenoy, Krishna V

2017-02-15

Accurate motor control is mediated by internal models of how neural activity generates movement. We examined neural correlates of an adapting internal model of visuomotor gain in motor cortex while two macaques performed a reaching task in which the gain scaling between the hand and a presented cursor was varied. Previous studies of cortical changes during visuomotor adaptation focused on preparatory and perimovement epochs and analyzed trial-averaged neural data. Here, we recorded simultaneous neural population activity using multielectrode arrays and focused our analysis on neural differences in the period before the target appeared. We found that we could estimate the monkey's internal model of the gain using the neural population state during this pretarget epoch. This neural correlate depended on the gain experienced during recent trials and it predicted the speed of the subsequent reach. To explore the utility of this internal model estimate for brain-machine interfaces, we performed an offline analysis showing that it can be used to compensate for upcoming reach extent errors. Together, these results demonstrate that pretarget neural activity in motor cortex reflects the monkey's internal model of visuomotor gain on single trials and can potentially be used to improve neural prostheses. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When generating movement commands, the brain is believed to use internal models of the relationship between neural activity and the body's movement. Visuomotor adaptation tasks have revealed neural correlates of these computations in multiple brain areas during movement preparation and execution. Here, we describe motor cortical changes in a visuomotor gain change task even before a specific movement is cued. We were able to estimate the gain internal model from these pretarget neural correlates and relate it to single-trial behavior. This is an important step toward understanding the sensorimotor system's algorithms for updating its internal models after specific movements and errors. Furthermore, the ability to estimate the internal model before movement could improve motor neural prostheses being developed for people with paralysis. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/371721-12$15.00/0.

Memory for color reactivates color processing region.

PubMed

Slotnick, Scott D

2009-11-25

Memory is thought to be constructive in nature, where features processed in different cortical regions are synthesized during retrieval. In an effort to support this constructive memory framework, the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study assessed whether memory for color reactivated color processing regions. During encoding, participants were presented with colored and gray abstract shapes. During retrieval, old and new shapes were presented in gray and participants responded 'old-colored', 'old-gray', or 'new'. Within color perception regions, color memory related activity was observed in the left fusiform gyrus, adjacent to the collateral sulcus. A retinotopic mapping analysis indicated this activity occurred within color processing region V8. The present feature specific evidence provides compelling support for a constructive view of memory.

Ring resonator optical modes in InGaN/GaN structures grown on micro-cone-patterned sapphire substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazanov, D. R.; Pozina, G.; Jmerik, V. N.; Shubina, T. V.

2018-03-01

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of III-nitride compounds on specially prepared cone-shaped patterned substrates is being actively developed nowadays, especially for nanophotonic applications. This type of substrates enables the successful growth of hexagonal nanorods (NRs). The insertion of an active quantum-sized region of InGaN inside a GaN NR allows us to enhance the rate of optical transitions by coupling them with resonant optical modes in the NR. However, we have observed the enhancement of emission not only from the NR but also around the circumference region of the cone-shaped base. We have studied this specific feature and demonstrated its impact on the output signal.

Identification of a recently active Prunus-specific non-autonomous Mutator element with considerable genome shaping force.

PubMed

Halász, Júlia; Kodad, Ossama; Hegedűs, Attila

2014-07-01

Miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are known to contribute to the evolution of plants, but only limited information is available for MITEs in the Prunus genome. We identified a MITE that has been named Falling Stones, FaSt. All structural features (349-bp size, 82-bp terminal inverted repeats and 9-bp target site duplications) are consistent with this MITE being a putative member of the Mutator transposase superfamily. FaSt showed a preferential accumulation in the short AT-rich segments of the euchromatin region of the peach genome. DNA sequencing and pollination experiments have been performed to confirm that the nested insertion of FaSt into the S-haplotype-specific F-box gene of apricot resulted in the breakdown of self-incompatibility (SI). A bioinformatics-based survey of the known Rosaceae and other genomes and a newly designed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay verified the Prunoideae-specific occurrence of FaSt elements. Phylogenetic analysis suggested a recent activity of FaSt in the Prunus genome. The occurrence of a nested insertion in the apricot genome further supports the recent activity of FaSt in response to abiotic stress conditions. This study reports on a presumably active non-autonomous Mutator element in Prunus that exhibits a major indirect genome shaping force through inducing loss-of-function mutation in the SI locus. © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Functional and topological characteristics of mammalian regulatory domains

PubMed Central

Symmons, Orsolya; Uslu, Veli Vural; Tsujimura, Taro; Ruf, Sandra; Nassari, Sonya; Schwarzer, Wibke; Ettwiller, Laurence; Spitz, François

2014-01-01

Long-range regulatory interactions play an important role in shaping gene-expression programs. However, the genomic features that organize these activities are still poorly characterized. We conducted a large operational analysis to chart the distribution of gene regulatory activities along the mouse genome, using hundreds of insertions of a regulatory sensor. We found that enhancers distribute their activities along broad regions and not in a gene-centric manner, defining large regulatory domains. Remarkably, these domains correlate strongly with the recently described TADs, which partition the genome into distinct self-interacting blocks. Different features, including specific repeats and CTCF-binding sites, correlate with the transition zones separating regulatory domains, and may help to further organize promiscuously distributed regulatory influences within large domains. These findings support a model of genomic organization where TADs confine regulatory activities to specific but large regulatory domains, contributing to the establishment of specific gene expression profiles. PMID:24398455

Patients' preferences when comparing analogue implant impressions using a polyether impression material versus digital impressions (Intraoral Scan) of dental implants.

PubMed

Wismeijer, Daniel; Mans, Ronny; van Genuchten, Michiel; Reijers, Hajo A

2014-10-01

The primary objective of this clinical study was to assess the patients' perception of the difference between an analogue impression approach on the one hand and an intra-oral scan (IO scan) on the other when restoring implants in the non-aesthetic zone. A second objective was to analyse the difference in time needed to perform these two procedures. Thirty consecutive patients who had received 41 implants (Straumann tissue level) in the non-aesthetic zone in an implant-based referral practice setting in the Netherlands. As they were to receive crown and or bridge work on the implants, in one session, the final impressions were taken with both an analogue technique and with an intraoral scan. Patients were also asked if, directly after the treatment was carried out, they would be prepared to fill out a questionnaire on their perception of both techniques. The time involved following these two procedures was also recorded. The preparatory activities of the treatment, the taste of the impression material and the overall preference of the patients were significantly in favour of the IO scan. The bite registration, the scan head and gag reflex positively tended to the IO scan, but none of these effects were significant. The overall time involved with the IO scan was more negatively perceived than the analogue impression. Overall less time was involved when following the analogue impression technique than with the IO scan. The overall preference of the patients in our sample is significantly in favour of the approach using the IO scan. This preference relates mainly to the differences between the compared approaches with respect to taste effects and their preparatory activities. The patients did perceive the duration of IO scan more negatively than the analogue impression approach. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Preregistered Replication of "Affective Flexibility: Evaluative Processing Goals Shape Amygdala Activity".

PubMed

Lumian, Daniel S; McRae, Kateri

2017-09-01

The human amygdala is sensitive to stimulus characteristics, and growing evidence suggests that it is also responsive to cognitive framing in the form of evaluative goals. To examine whether different evaluations of stimulus characteristics shape amygdala activation, we conducted a preregistered replication of Cunningham, Van Bavel, and Johnsen's (2008) study demonstrating flexible mapping of amygdala activation to stimulus characteristics, depending on evaluative goals. Participants underwent functional MRI scanning while viewing famous names under three conditions: They were asked to report their overall attitude toward each name, their positive associations only, or their negative associations only. We observed an interaction between condition and rating type, identified as the effect of interest in Cunningham et al. (2008). Specifically, postscan positivity, but not negativity, ratings predicted left amygdala activation when participants were asked to evaluate positive, but not negative, associations with the names. These results provide convergent evidence that cognitive framing, in the form of evaluative goals, can significantly alter whether amygdala activation indexes positivity or negativity.

The development of the program of voluntary blood donation promotion in students population of the University of Belgrade.

PubMed

Srzentić, Snelana Jovanović; Rodić, Ivana; Knezević, Mirjana

2015-06-01

Given that in each country students represent the most progressive population group, as of 2001, the Blood Transfusion Institute of Serbia (BTIS) has been carrying the program of voluntary blood donation promotion and education of volunteers at the University of Belgrade (UB). In 2011, the BTIS intensified all activities at the UB. The aim of this study was to present activities performed from 2001 at the Blood Donors' Motivation Department (DMD) of the BTIS related with increasing the level of awareness on voluntary blood donation in the Belgrade students' population, enhancing their motivation to become voluntary blood donors (VBDs), increasing the number of blood donations at faculties of the UB, and increasing the number of blood donations in the UB students population compared with the total number of blood units collected by BTIS in Belgrade, with the emphasis on the year 2013. Initially, the applied methodology was based on encouraging students to donate blood through discussions and preparatory lectures, followed by organized blood drives. Appropriate selection of volunteers at each faculty was crucial. Besides their recognisable identity, they had to have remarkable communication skills and ability to positivly affect persons in their environment. The applied principle was based on retention of volunteers all through the final academic year, with the inclusion of new volunteers each year and 1,000 preparatory lectures on the annual basis. The activities were realized using two Facebook profiles, SMS messages and continuous notification of the public through the media. There was an increase in the average number of students in blood drives at the faculties from 2011, when the average number of the students per blood drive was 39, followed by 43 in 2012 and 46 in 2013. The number of students who donated blood in 2013 increased by 21.3% compared with 2012 data. The applied concept highly contributed to generation and retention of future VBDs willing to regularly donate blood in the coming years, with a minimum risk of transmission of transfusion transmissible diseases markers.

Overlapping topics in advisory reports issued by five well-established European National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups from 2011 to 2014.

PubMed

Nijsten, Daniëlle; Houweling, Hans; Durupt, Antoine; Adjagba, Alex

2016-12-07

National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) are facing increasingly complex vaccination issues together with a lack of human resources for evidence assessment and data analysis. One way to reduce these burdens could be to share some of the preparatory work across NITAGs. We conducted an inventory of all the advisory reports issued by five well-established European NITAGs from 2011 to 2014 to assess overlaps in issues and activities. A total of 104 advisory reports were retrieved. Advisory reports on the same issues were compared to identify overlapping activities and processes. Advisory reports issued by the five NITAGs showed little overlap in issues and processes. A first step towards efficient collaboration would be to establish an independent platform to provide insight into each NITAG's work and to facilitate the exchange of agendas, assessment frameworks and evidence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensuring Patient Safety in Care Transitions: An Empirical Evaluation of a Handoff Intervention Tool

PubMed Central

Abraham, Joanna; Kannampallil, Thomas; Patel, Bela; Almoosa, Khalid; Patel, Vimla L.

2012-01-01

Successful handoffs ensure smooth, efficient and safe patient care transitions. Tools and systems designed for standardization of clinician handoffs often focuses on ensuring the communication activity during transitions, with limited support for preparatory activities such as information seeking and organization. We designed and evaluated a Handoff Intervention Tool (HAND-IT) based on a checklist-inspired, body system format allowing structured information organization, and a problem-case narrative format allowing temporal description of patient care events. Based on a pre-post prospective study using a multi-method analysis we evaluated the effectiveness of HAND-IT as a documentation tool. We found that the use of HAND-IT led to fewer transition breakdowns, greater tool resilience, and likely led to better learning outcomes for less-experienced clinicians when compared to the current tool. We discuss the implications of our results for improving patient safety with a continuity of care-based approach. PMID:23304268

Orofacial muscular activity and related skin movement during the preparatory and sustained phases of tone production on the French horn.

PubMed

Hirano, Takeshi; Kudo, Kazutoshi; Ohtsuki, Tatsuyuki; Kinoshita, Hiroshi

2013-07-01

This study investigated activity of the embouchure-related orofacial muscles during pre- and postattack phases of sound production by 10 trained French-horn players. Surface electromyogram (EMG) from five selected facial muscles, and related facial skin kinematics were examined in relation to pitch and intensity of a tone produced. No difference in EMGs and facial kinematics between the two phases was found, indicating importance of appropriate formation of preattack embouchure. EMGs in all muscles during the postattack phase increased linearly with an increase in pitch, and they also increased with tone intensity without interacting with the pitch effect. Orofacial skin movement remained constant across all pitches and intensities except for lateral retraction of the lips during high-pitch tone production. Contraction of the orofacial muscles is fundamentally isometric by which tension on the lips and the cheeks is regulated for flexible sound parameter control.

Launch vehicle design and GNC sizing with ASTOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremaschi, Francesco; Winter, Sebastian; Rossi, Valerio; Wiegand, Andreas

2018-03-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) is currently involved in several activities related to launch vehicle designs (Future Launcher Preparatory Program, Ariane 6, VEGA evolutions, etc.). Within these activities, ESA has identified the importance of developing a simulation infrastructure capable of supporting the multi-disciplinary design and preliminary guidance navigation and control (GNC) design of different launch vehicle configurations. Astos Solutions has developed the multi-disciplinary optimization and launcher GNC simulation and sizing tool (LGSST) under ESA contract. The functionality is integrated in the Analysis, Simulation and Trajectory Optimization Software for space applications (ASTOS) and is intended to be used from the early design phases up to phase B1 activities. ASTOS shall enable the user to perform detailed vehicle design tasks and assessment of GNC systems, covering all aspects of rapid configuration and scenario management, sizing of stages, trajectory-dependent estimation of structural masses, rigid and flexible body dynamics, navigation, guidance and control, worst case analysis, launch safety analysis, performance analysis, and reporting.

Direct and indirect antioxidant activity of polyphenol- and isothiocyanate-enriched fractions from Moringa oleifera.

PubMed

Tumer, Tugba Boyunegmez; Rojas-Silva, Patricio; Poulev, Alexander; Raskin, Ilya; Waterman, Carrie

2015-02-11

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a fast-growing, tropical tree with various edible parts used as nutritious food and traditional medicine. This study describes an efficient preparatory strategy to extract and fractionate moringa leaves by fast centrifugal partition chromatography (FCPC) to produce polyphenol and isothiocyanate (ITC) rich fractions. Characterization and further purification of these fractions showed that moringa polyphenols were potent direct antioxidants assayed by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), whereas moringa ITCs were effective indirect antioxidants assayed by induction of NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) activity in Hepa1c1c7 cells. In addition, purified 4-[(α-l-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl]isothiocyanate and 4-[(4'-O-acetyl-α-l-rhamnosyloxy)benzyl]isothiocyanate were further evaluated for their ORAC and NQO1 inducer potency in comparison with sulforaphane (SF). Both ITCs were as potent as SF in inducing NQO1 activity. These findings suggest that moringa leaves contain a potent mixture of direct and indirect antioxidants that can explain its various health-promoting effects.

Familiality of neural preparation and response control in childhood attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Albrecht, B; Brandeis, D; Uebel, H; Valko, L; Heinrich, H; Drechsler, R; Heise, A; Müller, U C; Steinhausen, H-C; Rothenberger, A; Banaschewski, T

2013-09-01

Patients with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit difficulties in multiple attentional functions. Although high heritability rates suggest a strong genetic impact, aetiological pathways from genes and environmental factors to the ADHD phenotype are not well understood. Tracking the time course of deviant task processing using event-related electrophysiological brain activity should characterize the impact of familiality on the sequence of cognitive functions from preparation to response control in ADHD. Method Preparation and response control were assessed using behavioural and electrophysiological parameters of two versions of a cued continuous performance test with varying attentional load in boys with ADHD combined type (n = 97), their non-affected siblings (n = 27) and control children without a family history of ADHD (n = 43). Children with ADHD and non-affected siblings showed more variable performance and made more omission errors than controls. The preparatory Cue-P3 and contingent negative variation (CNV) following cues were reduced in both ADHD children and their non-affected siblings compared with controls. The NoGo-P3 was diminished in ADHD compared with controls whilst non-affected siblings were located intermediate but did not differ from both other groups. No clear familiality effects were found for the Go-P3. Better task performance was further associated with higher CNV and P3 amplitudes. Impairments in performance and electrophysiological parameters reflecting preparatory processes and to some extend also for inhibitory response control, especially under high attentional load, appeared to be familially driven in ADHD and may thus constitute functionally relevant endophenotypes for the disorder.

Development of the first disability index for inflammatory bowel disease based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health

PubMed Central

Peyrin-Biroulet, Laurent; Cieza, Alarcos; Sandborn, William J; Coenen, Michaela; Chowers, Yehuda; Hibi, Toshifumi; Kostanjsek, Nenad; Stucki, Gerold

2011-01-01

Objective The impact of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on disability remains poorly understood. The World Health Organization's integrative model of human functioning and disability in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) makes disability assessment possible. The ICF is a hierarchical coding system with four levels of details that includes over 1400 categories. The aim of this study was to develop the first disability index for IBD by selecting most relevant ICF categories that are affected by IBD. Methods Relevant ICF categories were identified through four preparatory studies (systematic literature review, qualitative study, expert survey and cross-sectional study), which were presented at a consensus conference. Based on the identified ICF categories, a questionnaire to be filled in by clinicians, called the ‘IBD disability index’, was developed. Results The four preparatory studies identified 138 second-level categories: 75 for systematic literature review (153 studies), 38 for qualitative studies (six focus groups; 27 patients), 108 for expert survey (125 experts; 37 countries; seven occupations) and 98 for cross-sectional study (192 patients; three centres). The consensus conference (20 experts; 17 countries) led to the selection of 19 ICF core set categories that were used to develop the IBD disability index: seven on body functions, two on body structures, five on activities and participation and five on environmental factors. Conclusions The IBD disability index is now available. It will be used in studies to evaluate the long-term effect of IBD on patient functional status and will serve as a new endpoint in disease-modification trials. PMID:21646246

The EPOS Implementation Phase: building thematic and integrated services for solid Earth sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocco, Massimo; Epos Consortium, the

2015-04-01

The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) has a scientific vision and approach aimed at creating a pan-European infrastructure for Earth sciences to support a safe and sustainable society. To follow this vision, the EPOS mission is integrating a suite of diverse and advanced Research Infrastructures (RIs) in Europe relying on new e-science opportunities to monitor and understand the dynamic and complex Earth system. To this goal, the EPOS Preparatory Phase has designed a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data and products as well as access to facilities from mainly distributed existing and new research infrastructures for solid Earth Science. EPOS will enable innovative multidisciplinary research for a better understanding of the Earth's physical processes that control earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, ground instability and tsunami as well as the processes driving tectonics and Earth surface dynamics. Through integration of data, models and facilities EPOS will allow the Earth Science community to make a step change in developing new concepts and tools for key answers to scientific and socio-economic questions concerning geo-hazards and geo-resources as well as Earth sciences applications to the environment and to human welfare. Since its conception EPOS has been built as "a single, Pan-European, sustainable and distributed infrastructure". EPOS is, indeed, the sole infrastructure for solid Earth Science in ESFRI and its pan-European dimension is demonstrated by the participation of 23 countries in its preparatory phase. EPOS is presently moving into its implementation phase further extending its pan-European dimension. The EPOS Implementation Phase project (EPOS IP) builds on the achievements of the successful EPOS preparatory phase project. The EPOS IP objectives are synergetic and coherent with the establishment of the new legal subject (the EPOS-ERIC in Italy). EPOS coordinates the existing and new solid Earth RIs within Europe and builds the integrating RI elements. This integration requires a significant coordination between, among others, disciplinary (thematic) communities, national RIs policies and initiatives, as well as geo- and IT-scientists. The RIs that EPOS is coordinating include: i) regionally-distributed geophysical observing systems (seismological and geodetic networks); ii) local observatories (including geomagnetic, near-fault and volcano observatories); iii) analytical and experimental laboratories; iv) integrated satellite data and geological information services v) new services for natural and anthropogenic hazards. Here we present the successful story of the EPOS Preparatory Phase and the progress towards the implementation of both integrated core services (ICS) and thematic core services (TCS) for the different communities participating to the integration plan. We aim to discuss the achieved results and the approach followed to design the implementation phase. The goal is to present and discuss the strategies adopted to foster the implementation of TCS, clarifying their crucial role as domain-specific service hubs for coordinating and harmonizing national resources/plans with the European dimension of EPOS, and their integration to develop the new ICS. We will present the prototype of the ICS central hub as a key contribution for providing multidisciplinary services for solid Earth sciences as well as the glue to keep ICT aspects integrated and rationalized across EPOS. Finally, we will discuss the well-defined role of the EPOS-ERIC Headquarter to coordinate and harmonize national RIs and EPOS services (through ICS and TCS) looking for an effective commitment by national governments. It will be an important and timely opportunity to discuss the EPOS roadmap toward the operation of the novel multidisciplinary platform for discoveries to foster scientific excellence in solid Earth sciences.

[AGING, HEALTH AND ACTIVE LONGEVITY: SEMANTIC CONTEXT OF THEIR MENTIONING IN SOCIAL NETWORKS].

PubMed

Grigoryeva, I A; Bikkulov, A S

2015-01-01

Traditional media play a large role in shaping the image of oldsters as weak and sick members of society, while the gerontologists say the health of the elderly is quite specific. In a study of the views of the Internet audience, we tried to find out what this IT-competent part of society thinks on aging, what meanings they associate with aging and active longevity.

Affinity through Mathematical Activity: Cultivating Democratic Learning Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sengupta-Irving, Tesha

2014-01-01

In this article, the author demonstrates how a broader view of what shapes affinity is ideologically and practically linked to creating democratic learning communities. Specifically, the author explores how a teacher employed complex instruction (an equity pedagogy) with her ethnically and racially diverse students in the "lowest track"…

The Design Process of Corporate Universities: A Stakeholder Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patrucco, Andrea Stefano; Pellizzoni, Elena; Buganza, Tommaso

2017-01-01

Purpose: Corporate universities (CUs) have been experiencing tremendous growth during the past years and can represent a real driving force for structured organizations. The paper aims to define the process of CU design shaped around company strategy. For each step, the authors propose specific roles, activities and methods.…

The EPOS Architecture: Integrated Services for solid Earth Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocco, Massimo; Consortium, Epos

2013-04-01

The European Plate Observing System (EPOS) represents a scientific vision and an IT approach in which innovative multidisciplinary research is made possible for a better understanding of the physical processes controlling earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, unrest episodes and tsunamis as well as those driving tectonics and Earth surface dynamics. EPOS has a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, models and facilities from existing (but also new) distributed research infrastructures, for solid Earth science. One primary purpose of EPOS is to take full advantage of the new e-science opportunities coming available. The aim is to obtain an efficient and comprehensive multidisciplinary research platform for the Earth sciences in Europe. The EPOS preparatory phase (EPOS PP), funded by the European Commission within the Capacities program, started on November 1st 2010 and it has completed its first two years of activity. EPOS is presently mid-way through its preparatory phase and to date it has achieved all the objectives, milestones and deliverables planned in its roadmap towards construction. The EPOS mission is to integrate the existing research infrastructures (RIs) in solid Earth science warranting increased accessibility and usability of multidisciplinary data from monitoring networks, laboratory experiments and computational simulations. This is expected to enhance worldwide interoperability in the Earth Sciences and establish a leading, integrated European infrastructure offering services to researchers and other stakeholders. The Preparatory Phase aims at leveraging the project to the level of maturity required to implement the EPOS construction phase, with a defined legal structure, detailed technical planning and financial plan. We will present the EPOS architecture, which relies on the integration of the main outcomes from legal, governance and financial work following the strategic EPOS roadmap and according to the technical work done during the first two years in order to establish an effective implementation plan guaranteeing long term sustainability for the infrastructure and the associated services. We plan to describe the RIs to be integrated in EPOS and to illustrate the initial suite of integrated and thematic core services to be offered to the users. We will present examples of combined data analyses and we will address the importance of opening our research infrastructures to users from different communities. We will describe the use-cases identified so far in order to allow stakeholders and potential future users to understand and interact with the EPOS infrastructure. In this framework, we also discuss the global perspectives for data infrastructures in order to verify the coherency of the EPOS plans and present the EPOS contributions. We also discuss the international cooperation initiatives in which EPOS is involved emphasizing the implications for solid Earth data infrastructures. In particular, EPOS and the satellite Earth Observation communities are collaborating in order to promote the integration of data from in-situ monitoring networks and satellite observing systems. Finally, we will also discuss the priorities for the third year of activity and the key actions planned to better involve users in EPOS. In particular, we will discuss the work done to finalize the design phase as well as the activities to start the validation and testing phase of the EPOS infrastructure.

Lilliputian Suburbia Grows Like a Giant

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Open Door, 1969

1969-01-01

As part of the building trades drafting program at Robeson Technical Institute students build models of homes they have designed. Other aspects of the program including preparatory courses, field trips, and planned improvements in the curriculum are discussed. (HH)

Developing Speech Habits with the Help of Songs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orlova, Natalia

1997-01-01

Discusses the use of songs (folk, rock, country, pop) to teach oral English to prospective teachers of foreign languages. The development of speech habits through music is comprised of three stages: preparatory, forming, and developing.(Author/VWL)

The protein phosphatase inhibitor cantharidin induces head and foot formation in buds of Cassiopea andromeda (Rhizostomae, Scyphozoa).

PubMed

Kehls, N E; Herrmann, K; Berking, S

1999-01-01

The polyps of Cassiopea andromeda produce spindle shaped, freely swimming buds which do not develop a head (a mouth opening surrounded by tentacles) and a foot (a sticky plate at the opposite end) until settlement to a suited substrate. The buds, therewith, look very similar to the planula larvae produced in sexual reproduction. With respect to both, buds and planulae, several peptides and the phorbolester TPA have been found to induce the transformation into a polyp. Here it is shown that cantharidin, a serine/threonine protein phosphatase inhibitor, induces head and foot formation in buds very efficiently in a 30 min treatment, the shortest yet known efficient treatment. Some resultant polyps show malformations which indicate that a bud is ordinary polyp tissue in which preparatory steps of head and foot formation mutually block each other from proceeding. Various compounds related to the transfer of methyl groups have been shown to affect head and foot formation in larvae of the hydrozoon Hydractinia echinata. These compounds including methionine, homocysteine, trigonelline, nicotinic acid and cycloleucine are shown to also interfere with the initiation of the processes which finally lead to head and foot formation in buds of Cassiopea andromeda.

GAUDI: A Preparatory Archive for the COROT Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solano, E.; Catala, C.; Garrido, R.; Poretti, E.; Janot-Pacheco, E.; Gutiérrez, R.; González, R.; Mantegazza, L.; Neiner, C.; Fremat, Y.; Charpinet, S.; Weiss, W.; Amado, P. J.; Rainer, M.; Tsymbal, V.; Lyashko, D.; Ballereau, D.; Bouret, J. C.; Hua, T.; Katz, D.; Lignières, F.; Lüftinger, T.; Mittermayer, P.; Nesvacil, N.; Soubiran, C.; van't Veer-Menneret, C.; Goupil, M. J.; Costa, V.; Rolland, A.; Antonello, E.; Bossi, M.; Buzzoni, A.; Rodrigo, C.; Aerts, C.; Butler, C. J.; Guenther, E.; Hatzes, A.

2005-01-01

The GAUDI database (Ground-based Asteroseismology Uniform Database Interface) is a preparatory archive for the COROT (Convection, Rotation, and Planetary Transits) mission developed at the Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental (Laboratory for Space Astrophysics and Theoretical Physics, Spain). Its intention is to make the ground-based observations obtained in preparation of the asteroseismology program available in a simple and efficient way. It contains spectroscopic and photometric data together with inferred physical parameters for more than 1500 objects gathered since 1998 January 1998 in 6 years of observational campaigns. In this paper, the main functions and characteristics of the system are described. Based on observations collected at La Silla (ESO proposals 67.D-0169, 69.D-0166, and 70.D-0110), Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (proposal 6-20-068), Observatoire de Haute-Provence, the South African Astronomical Observatory, Tautenburg Observatory, and Sierra Nevada Observatory.

Disentangling gaze shifts from preparatory ERP effects during spatial attention

PubMed Central

Kennett, Steffan; van Velzen, José; Eimer, Martin; Driver, Jon

2007-01-01

After a cue directing attention to one side, anterior event-related potentials (ERPs) show contralateral negativity (Anterior Directing Attention Negativity, ADAN). It is unclear whether ADAN effects are contaminated by contralateral negativity arising from residual gaze shifts. Conversely, it is possible that ADAN-related potentials contaminate the horizontal electrooculogram (HEOG), via volume conduction. To evaluate these possibilities, we used high-resolution infrared eye tracking, while recording EEG and HEOG in a cued spatial-attention task. We found that, after conventional ERP and HEOG pre-processing exclusions, small but systematic residual gaze shifts in the cued direction can remain, as revealed by the infrared measure. Nevertheless, by using this measure for more stringent exclusion of small gaze shifts, we confirmed that reliable ADAN components remain for preparatory spatial attention in the absence of any systematic gaze shifts toward the cued side. PMID:17241141

Selective Activation of the Deep Layers of the Human Primary Visual Cortex by Top-Down Feedback.

PubMed

Kok, Peter; Bains, Lauren J; van Mourik, Tim; Norris, David G; de Lange, Floris P

2016-02-08

In addition to bottom-up input, the visual cortex receives large amounts of feedback from other cortical areas [1-3]. One compelling example of feedback activation of early visual neurons in the absence of bottom-up input occurs during the famous Kanizsa illusion, where a triangular shape is perceived, even in regions of the image where there is no bottom-up visual evidence for it. This illusion increases the firing activity of neurons in the primary visual cortex with a receptive field on the illusory contour [4]. Feedback signals are largely segregated from feedforward signals within each cortical area, with feedforward signals arriving in the middle layer, while top-down feedback avoids the middle layers and predominantly targets deep and superficial layers [1, 2, 5, 6]. Therefore, the feedback-mediated activity increase in V1 during the perception of illusory shapes should lead to a specific laminar activity profile that is distinct from the activity elicited by bottom-up stimulation. Here, we used fMRI at high field (7 T) to empirically test this hypothesis, by probing the cortical response to illusory figures in human V1 at different cortical depths [7-14]. We found that, whereas bottom-up stimulation activated all cortical layers, feedback activity induced by illusory figures led to a selective activation of the deep layers of V1. These results demonstrate the potential for non-invasive recordings of neural activity with laminar specificity in humans and elucidate the role of top-down signals during perceptual processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Probing the interaction of archaeal DNA polymerases with deaminated bases using X-ray crystallography and non-hydrogen bonding isosteric base analogues.

PubMed

Killelea, Tom; Ghosh, Samantak; Tan, Samuel S; Heslop, Pauline; Firbank, Susan J; Kool, Eric T; Connolly, Bernard A

2010-07-13

Archaeal family-B DNA polymerases stall replication on encountering the pro-mutagenic bases uracil and hypoxanthine. This publication describes an X-ray crystal structure of Thermococcus gorgonarius polymerase in complex with a DNA containing hypoxanthine in the single-stranded region of the template, two bases ahead of the primer-template junction. Full details of the specific recognition of hypoxanthine are revealed, allowing a comparison with published data that describe uracil binding. The two bases are recognized by the same pocket, in the N-terminal domain, and make very similar protein-DNA interactions. Specificity for hypoxanthine (and uracil) arises from a combination of polymerase-base hydrogen bonds and shape fit between the deaminated bases and the pocket. The structure with hypoxanthine at position 2 explains the stimulation of the polymerase 3'-5' proofreading exonuclease, observed with deaminated bases at this location. A beta-hairpin element, involved in partitioning the primer strand between the polymerase and exonuclease active sites, inserts between the two template bases at the extreme end of the double-stranded DNA. This denatures the two complementary primer bases and directs the resulting 3' single-stranded extension toward the exonuclease active site. Finally, the relative importance of hydrogen bonding and shape fit in determining selectivity for deaminated bases has been examined using nonpolar isosteres. Affinity for both 2,4-difluorobenzene and fluorobenzimidazole, non-hydrogen bonding shape mimics of uracil and hypoxanthine, respectively, is strongly diminished, suggesting polar protein-base contacts are important. However, residual interaction with 2,4-difluorobenzene is seen, confirming a role for shape recognition.

Lateralization of brain activation in fluent and non-fluent preschool children: a magnetoencephalographic study of picture-naming.

PubMed

Sowman, Paul F; Crain, Stephen; Harrison, Elisabeth; Johnson, Blake W

2014-01-01

The neural causes of stuttering remain unknown. One explanation comes from neuroimaging studies that have reported abnormal lateralization of activation in the brains of people who stutter. However, these findings are generally based on data from adults with a long history of stuttering, raising the possibility that the observed lateralization anomalies are compensatory rather than causal. The current study investigated lateralization of brain activity in language-related regions of interest in young children soon after the onset of stuttering. We tested 24 preschool-aged children, half of whom had a positive diagnosis of stuttering. All children participated in a picture-naming experiment whilst their brain activity was recorded by magnetoencephalography. Source analysis performed during an epoch prior to speech onset was used to assess lateralized activation in three regions of interest. Activation was significantly lateralized to the left hemisphere in both groups and not different between groups. This study shows for the first time that significant speech preparatory brain activation can be identified in young children during picture-naming and supports the contention that, in stutterers, aberrant lateralization of brain function may be the result of neuroplastic adaptation that occurs as the condition becomes chronic.