A Critical Review of the Literature on the Accessibility of Music Therapy in Rural Areas in the USA for Families with Children with Special Needs

This capstone thesis explores the topic of the accessibility of music therapy in rural areas of the United States for families with children with special needs. Through a critical review of the literature on this topic, it was found that the small body of knowledge on music therapy in rural parts of the USA focused on populations other than families with children with special needs (Brotons & Marti, 2003; Leist, 2011; Levy, Spooner, Lee, Sonke, Myers, & Snow, 2018; Sisk, 2016). Literature from music therapy journals as well as related health professions were analyzed and synthesized to further understand why access to music therapy is limited for families with children with special needs living in rural areas. From the literature, ways of increasing accessibility and developing music therapy practices in rural parts of the country for this population included family-centered music therapy (Forrest, 2014; Gutierrez-Jimenéz & Franco, 2018; Nicholson, Berthelsen, Abad, Williams, & Bradley, 2008; Thompson, 2017), home-based music therapy (Forrest, 2014; Schmid & Ostermann, 2010), community music therapy (Bolger, 2015), resource-oriented music therapy (Pasiali, 2012; Rolvsjord, 2004), and culturally competent music therapy (Bolger, 2015; Forrest, 2014; Whitehead-Pleaux, Brink, & Tan, 2017). From these approaches, a model is developed that incorporates the approaches and findings highlighted above for increasing the accessibility of music therapy in rural areas for families with children with special needs

Photoluminescence properties of zinc white

Zinc white pigment has characterized artist’s palettes from the end of the eighteenth century up the twentieth century. It thus belongs to the modern pigments which were industrially produced by inorganic material (ZnO). This new category of pictorial materials interested conservators and scientists mainly for its behavour with aging. For this reason, this work focuses on the understanding of photo-physical behaviour of zinc white based on a time-resolved analysis of photoluminescence emission of historical samples. This study allowed the characterization of the decay kinetic properties of photoluminescence emissions. All historical samples showed near-band-edge and trap state emissions, typically occurring in semiconductors, that were modified by the interaction of the pigment with the surrounding organic binding material. The study further suggests that zinc carboxylates, detected in all historical samples, could be responsible for changes in emission mechanisms. Generally, data demonstrates how time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy is a powerful method for elucidating the nature of the mechanism processes in luminescent semiconductor pigments

S7E1: What is the state of K–12 education?

The average school day today looks different than in years past. K–12 educators face a myriad of challenges this year, including teacher and other staffing shortages, distance learning, the politicization of curricula, calls for book bans and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first episode of Season 7 of “The Maine Question,” we speak with Penny Bishop, dean of the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development; Jim Artesani, associate dean of graduate studies, research and outreach for the college; and Courtney Angelosante, coordinate of the Positive Behavior Supports & Interventions (PBIS) Initiative, to discuss the latest issues in the field of education, as well as opportunities for new and improved learning

Using Evidence-Based Criteria for Block Grant Funding of Collaborative Time for Educator Professional Development

This report was prepared by the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) at the request of the Maine State Legislature to provide recommendations for the development of a block grant program of supplemental funding to school districts to support evidence-based professional development for educators and/ or leaders or instructional coaching support in schools and classrooms. The report provides guidance to inform decisions on pending legislation, LD 1394, “An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Commission to Strengthen the Adequacy and Equity of Certain Cost Components of the School Funding Formula”. The report builds on an earlier MEPRI report which reviewed the most rigorous empirical research literature on educator professional development, and uses the evidence-based findings to recommend criteria for a block grant funding program. Specifically, this report: 1) identifies evidence-based characteristics of effective professional development and criteria for evaluating block grants applications, 2) suggests possible funding priorities for awarding grants based on school district attributes, and 3) suggests evaluation measures that grant recipients could report annually as a requirement of continued funding. In addition, the report provides findings from data collected through a focus group with 12 curriculum coordinators/ school districts from the Penobscot region around professional development supports needed to implement proficiency-based education. Finally, the authors discuss some broader considerations for policy and suggest that more work is needed to develop a coherent infrastructure for educator professional development in Maine and support for the use of evidence-based practices and effective implementation at the local level

Panel #6: Pine Tree Songscape: Historic Music of the Folk of Maine

Three panelists combine their musicianship and historical research to perform and present historic songs from Maine\u27s past

A photoluminescence study of the changes induced in the zinc white pigment by formation of zinc complexes

It is known that oil paintings containing zinc white are subject to rapid degradation. This is caused by the interaction between the active groups of binder and the metal ions of the pigment, which gives rise to the formation of new zinc complexes (metal soaps). Ongoing studies on zinc white paints have been limited to the chemical mechanisms that lead to the formation of zinc complexes. On the contrary, little is known of the photo-physical changes induced in the zinc oxide crystal structure following this interaction. Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy has been applied to follow modifications in the luminescent zinc white pigment when mixed with binder. Significant changes in trap state photoluminescence emissions have been detected: the enhancement of a blue emission combined with a change of the decay kinetic of the well-known green emission. Complementary data from molecular analysis of paints using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms the formation of zinc carboxylates and corroborates the mechanism for zinc complexes formation. We support the hypothesis that zinc ions migrate into binder creating novel vacancies, affecting the photoluminescence intensity and lifetime properties of zinc oxide. Here, we further demonstrate the advantages of a time-resolved photoluminescence approach for studying defects in semiconductor pigments

Integrated Imaging and Spectroscopic Analysis of Painted Fresco Surfaces Using Terahertz Time-Domain Technique

Terahertz time-domain (THz-TD) imaging plays an increasingly significant role in the study of solid-state materials by enabling the simultaneous extraction of spectroscopic composition and surface topography in the far-infrared region (3–300 cm^-1). However, when applied to works of art in reflection configuration, significant challenges arise, including weak signal intensity, multiple signal losses, and surface distortion. This study proposes a practical solution to overcome these limitations and conducts an integrated imaging and spectroscopic analysis on painted fresco surfaces, allowing for the retrieval of surface thicknesses, material distribution, and pigment spectroscopic signals. The study addresses the issue of surface geometrical distortion, which hampers the accurate determination of the THz phase signal. By tackling this challenge, this work successfully determines the absorption coefficient for each point on the surface and retrieves spectroscopic signatures. Additionally, the temporal deconvolution technique is employed to separate different layers of the sample and differentiate between outer and inner surface topography. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of THz-TD imaging in determining surface thicknesses, material distribution, and pigment spectroscopic signals. The results obtained highlight the potential of THz-TD imaging in investigating painted works of art, offering new possibilities for routine analysis in the field of cultural heritage preservation

Time-resolved photoluminescence microscopy for the analysis of semiconductor-based paint layers

In conservation, science semiconductors occur as the constituent matter of the so-called semiconductor pigments, produced following the Industrial Revolution and extensively used by modern painters. With recent research highlighting the occurrence of various degradation phenomena in semiconductor paints, it is clear that their detection by conventional optical fluorescence imaging and microscopy is limited by the complexity of historical painting materials. Here, we illustrate and prove the capabilities of time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) microscopy, equipped with both spectral and lifetime sensitivity at timescales ranging from nanoseconds to hundreds of microseconds, for the analysis of cross-sections of paint layers made of luminescent semiconductor pigments. The method is sensitive to heterogeneities within micro-samples and provides valuable information for the interpretation of the nature of the emissions in samples. A case study is presented on micro samples from a painting by Henri Matisse and serves to demonstrate how TRPL can be used to identify the semiconductor pigments zinc white and cadmium yellow, and to inform future investigations of the degradation of a cadmium yellow paint

On the photoluminescence changes induced by ageing processes on zinc white paints

Recent research is focusing on the study of interaction mechanisms between pigments and binders, as they are crucial for understanding paint ageing and conservation issues. In this work, we investigate these mechanisms and follow the changes induced by ageing on zinc white paint by employing Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and Time-Resolved Photoluminescence (TRPL) spectroscopies. The two techniques, applied on thermally aged mock-up samples and on a 19th oil painting, provide complementary information on the effect of the binder on the ZnO pigment particles. The characterization of the infrared absorption spectra confirms the well-known tendency of amorphous metal carboxylate formation in zinc white paint following ageing. At the same time, the ageing of paint film produces significant changes in the photoluminescence emission from defect centres of ZnO. The emission that is mostly affected by the changes of the micro-environment is the blue band (430 nm) – associated with surface defects – whereas the green emission (530 nm) is stable. The results demonstrate that the evolution of the pigment-binder system has detectable consequences on the crystalline structure of the pigment particles and we speculate that the main cause of these modifications is the functionalization of the pigment particle surfaces. The possibility to follow crystal structure changes with time-resolved photoluminescence can thus support chemical studies on metal carboxylate formation and paint deterioration by providing information about pigment-binder interactions

Chemical analysis and computed tomography of metallic inclusions in Roman glass to unveil ancient coloring methods

This paper describes the analysis of two near-spherical metallic inclusions partially incorporated within two Roman raw glass slags in order to elucidate the process that induced their formation and to determine whether their presence was related to ancient glass colouring processes. The theory of metallic scraps or powder being used in Roman times for glass-making and colouring purposes is widely accepted by the archaeological scientific community, although the assumption has been mainly based on oral traditions and documented medieval practices of glass processing. The analysis of the two inclusions, carried out by X-ray computed tomography, electrochemical analyses, and scanning electron microscopy, revealed their material composition, corrosion and internal structure. Results indicate that the two metallic bodies originated when, during the melting phase of glass, metal scraps were added to colour the material: the colloidal metal–glass system reached then a supersaturation condition and the latter ultimately induced metal expulsion and agglomeration. According to the authors’ knowledge, these two inclusions represent the first documented and studied finds directly associated with the ancient practise of adding metallic agents to colour glass, and their analysis provides clear insights into the use of metallic waste in the glass colouring process.This paper describes the analysis of two near-spherical metallic inclusions partially incorporated within two Roman raw glass slags in order to elucidate the process that induced their formation and to determine whether their presence was related to ancient glass colouring processes. The theory of metallic scraps or powder being used in Roman times for glass-making and colouring purposes is widely accepted by the archaeological scientific community, although the assumption has been mainly based on oral traditions and documented medieval practices of glass processing. The analysis of the two inclusions, carried out by X-ray computed tomography, electrochemical analyses, and scanning electron microscopy, revealed their material composition, corrosion and internal structure. Results indicate that the two metallic bodies originated when, during the melting phase of glass, metal scraps were added to colour the material: the colloidal metal-glass system reached then a supersaturation condition and the latter ultimately induced metal expulsion and agglomeration. According to the authors' knowledge, these two inclusions represent the first documented and studied finds directly associated with the ancient practise of adding metallic agents to colour glass, and their analysis provides clear insights into the use of metallic waste in the glass colouring process