Overt orienting of spatial attention and corticospinal excitability during action observation are unrelated

Observing moving body parts can automatically activate topographically corresponding motor representations in the primary motor cortex (M1), the so-called direct matching. Novel neurophysiological findings from social contexts are nonetheless proving that this process is not automatic as previously thought. The motor system can flexibly shift from imitative to incongruent motor preparation, when requested by a social gesture. In the present study we aim to bring an increase in the literature by assessing whether and how diverting overt spatial attention might affect motor preparation in contexts requiring interactive responses from the onlooker. Experiment 1 shows that overt attention-although anchored to an observed biological movement-can be captured by a target object as soon as a social request for it becomes evident. Experiment 2 reveals that the appearance of a short-lasting red dot in the contralateral space can divert attention from the target, but not from the biological movement. Nevertheless, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over M1 combined with electromyography (EMG) recordings (Experiment 3) indicates that attentional interference reduces corticospinal excitability related to the observed movement, but not motor preparation for a complementary action on the target. This work provides evidence that social motor preparation is impermeable to attentional interference and that a double dissociation is present between overt orienting of spatial attention and neurophysiological markers of action observation

PREPARATION OF ACTION PLAN FOR PROTECTION OF LAND IN ALBANIA

The degradation of Albania's land resources is a serious impediment to the welfare of the people of Albania as well as that of future generations. Resolving land degradation requires the concerted action of governmental and nongovernmental agencies. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a Land Protection Action Plan could be developed. There are three general types of land degradation which this Land Protection Action Plan would attempt to solve: excessive soil erosion, contamination of surface and ground water, and unguided urbanization on high-quality agricultural land. The paper goes on to describe the steps to be taken to prepare the action plan, including documenting problems, identifying high-risk areas, identifying and carrying out needed research, designing educational programs, reviewing and preparing legislation, developing an investment program for land protection, and monitoring the evolution of different types of land degradation. The paper also describes the implementation of such an action plan.Agricultural conservation -- Albania, Land use -- Albania -- Planning, Land degradation -- Albania -- Prevention, Land Economics/Use,

The significance of the reflective practitioner in blended learning

This is a case study paper concerned with the introduction of blended learning on a part-time higher education programme for mature students. The interpretive work draws on four action research cycles conducted over two years with two student cohorts. Discussion is based on observations, staff and student focus groups and interviews examining the students’ expectations and experiences. The initial focus of the action research was on the introduction of technology into the teaching and learning experience. The great advantage of an interpretive approach, however, is to allow the findings to determine the course of the research. During the first action research cycles, the focus of the research soon changed from the use of technology in blended learning to the role of the practitioners involved. We advocate the key role of reflective practitioners in facilitating blended learning and suggest that action research is a useful framework to develop this. Keywords: Educational Technology Implementation, Electronic Learning (E-Learning), Teacher Improvement, Teacher Preparation, Action Research, Asynchronous Communications, blended learning, part-time student, reflective practice

Design of Strict Control-Lyapunov Functions for Quantum Systems with QND Measurements

We consider discrete-time quantum systems subject to Quantum Non-Demolition (QND) measurements and controlled by an adjustable unitary evolution between two successive QND measures. In open-loop, such QND measurements provide a non-deterministic preparation tool exploiting the back-action of the measurement on the quantum state. We propose here a systematic method based on elementary graph theory and inversion of Laplacian matrices to construct strict control-Lyapunov functions. This yields an appropriate feedback law that stabilizes globally the system towards a chosen target state among the open-loop stable ones, and that makes in closed-loop this preparation deterministic. We illustrate such feedback laws through simulations corresponding to an experimental setup with QND photon counting

Investigation of otolith responses using ground based vestibular research facility

The general goal was to examine tilt sensitivity of horizontal semicircular canal afferents. Computer programs were tested which controlled the short axis centrifuge at the Vestibular Research Facility, acquired action potentials and produced data reduction analyses including histograms and gain and phase calculations. A pre-amplifier was also developed for the acquisition of action potentials. The data were gathered that can be used to contribute toward the understanding of the tilt sensitivity of semicircular canal afferents in the unanesthetized gerbil preparation

Undergraduate Library Internships at Musselman Library, Gettysburg College

In 2015-2016, Musselman Library at Gettysburg College participated in Cohort 3 of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Assessment in Action program. This report outlines an assessment completed of former undergraduate library interns in order to explore the impact their internship experience had on the development of career goals, acceptance to and preparation for graduate education, and their early career. Through an online survey (n= 45) and six semi-structured telephone interviews, respondents reported a positive impact on the above areas

One Action System or Two? Evidence for Common Central Preparatory Mechanisms in Voluntary and Stimulus-Driven Actions

Human behavior is comprised of an interaction between intentionally driven actions and reactions to changes in the environment. Existing data are equivocal concerning the question of whether these two action systems are independent, involve different brain regions, or overlap. To address this question we investigated whether the degree to which the voluntary action system is activated at the time of stimulus onset predicts reaction times to external stimuli.Werecorded event-related potentials while participants prepared and executed left- or right-hand voluntary actions, which were occasionally interrupted by a stimulus requiring either a left- or right-hand response. In trials where participants successfully performed the stimulus-driven response, increased voluntary motor preparation was associated with faster responses on congruent trials (where participants were preparing a voluntary action with the same hand that was then required by the target stimulus), and slower responses on incongruent trials. This suggests that early hand-specific activity in medial frontal cortex for voluntary action trials can be used by the stimulus-driven system to speed responding. This finding questions the clear distinction between voluntary and stimulus-driven action systems. © 2011 the authors

Improving University Principal Preparation Programs: Five Themes From The Field

What is the state of university-based principal preparation programs? How are these essential training grounds of future school leaders viewed -- by themselves as well as by the school districts that hire their graduates? Do the programs need to improve? If so, by what means?This publication seeks to help answer those questions by bringing together findings from four reports commissioned by The Wallace Foundation to inform its development of a potential new initiative regarding university-based principal training. In addition to confirming close-to-unanimous agreement among university educators and school superintendents about the important role principals play in advancing student achievement, it finds five themes:District leaders are largely dissatisfied with the quality of principal preparation programs, and many universities believe that their programs have room for improvement.Strong university-district partnerships are essential to high-quality preparation but are far from universal.The course of study at preparation programs does not always reflect principals' real jobs.Some university policies and practices can hinder change.States have authority to play a role in improving principal preparation, but many are not using this power as effectively as possible.The publication offers insight into the obstacles that stand in the way of improvement and suggests the need for action in: redesigning principal preparation by building on what we know from research and high-quality programs; establishing stronger connections between universities and districts; and ensuring that state policymakers create structures that encourage the proliferation of high-quality programs.The good news, according to the report, is that many university programs seem to be open to change -- and they benefit from having a number of strong programs to look to as models