Competitive Orientations and Motives of Adult Sport and Exercise Participants

Participants in four different adult sport and exercise programs (running club, exercise classes, cardiac rehabilitation program, senior games) completed measures of competitive orientation and participation motivation. Our samples were older and more diverse than samples of previous research, and their competitive orientations and motives were similarly diverse. Multivariate analyses revealed gender and sample differences. Males were higher than females on competitiveness and win orientation, and runners were less win-oriented than other groups, but overall, all groups were similar to previous college-age samples in competitive orientation. Groups varied on specific motives, with females rating fitness, flexibility, affiliation, and appearance higher than males did. Generally, participants were diverse in orientations and motives, and positive about their participation. Research and conceptual models of sport orientation must extend beyond achievement motives to capture the diversity of adult participants. Program directors and instructors who offer activities and approaches to match this diversity will encourage wider participation and provide a more satisfying experience for more participants

High Grazing Rates on Cryptophyte Algae in Chesapeake Bay

Cryptophyte algae are globally distributed photosynthetic flagellates found in freshwater, estuarine, and neritic ecosystems. While cryptophytes can be highly abundant and are consumed by a wide variety of protistan predators, few studies have sought to quantify in situ grazing rates on their populations. Here we show that autumnal grazing rates on in situ communities of cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay are high throughout the system, while growth rates, particularly in the lower bay, were low. Analysis of the genetic diversity of cryptophyte populations within dilution experiments suggests that microzooplankton may be selectively grazing the fastest-growing members of the population, which were generally Teleaulax spp. We also demonstrate that potential grazing rates of ciliates and dinoflagellates on fluorescently labeled (FL) Rhodomonas salina, Storeatula major, and Teleaulax amphioxeia can be high (up to 149 prey predator−1 d−1), and that a Gyrodinium sp. and Mesodinium rubrum could be selective grazers. Potential grazing was highest for heterotrophic dinoflagellates, but due to its abundance, M. rubrum also had a high overall impact. This study reveals that cryptophyte algae in Chesapeake Bay can experience extremely high grazing pressure from phagotrophic protists, and that this grazing likely shapes their community diversity

The genetic diversity of Mesodinium and associated cryptophytes

Ciliates from the genus Mesodinium are globally distributed in marine and freshwater ecosystems and may possess either heterotrophic or mixotrophic nutritional modes. Members of the Mesodinium major/rubrum species complex photosynthesize by sequestering and maintaining organelles from cryptophyte prey, and under certain conditions form periodic or recurrent blooms (= red tides). Here, we present an analysis of the genetic diversity of Mesodinium and cryptophyte populations from 10 environmental samples (eight globally dispersed habitats including five Mesodinium blooms), using group-specific primers for Mesodinium partial 18S, ITS, and partial 28S rRNA genes as well as cryptophyte large subunit RuBisCO genes (rbcL). In addition, 22 new cryptophyte and four new M, rubrum cultures were used to extract DNA and sequence rbcL and 18S-ITS-28S genes, respectively, in order to provide a stronger phylogenetic context for our environmental sequences. Bloom samples were analyzed from coastal Brazil, Chile, two Northeastern locations in the United States, and the Pribilof Islands within the Bering Sea. Additionally, samples were also analyzed from the Baltic and Barents Seas and coastal California under non-bloom conditions. Most blooms were dominated by a single Mesodinium genotype, with coastal Brazil and Chile blooms composed of M. major and the Eastern USA blooms dominated by M. rubrum variant B. Sequences from all four blooms were dominated by Teleaulax amphioxeia-like cryptophytes. Non bloom communities revealed more diverse assemblages of Mesodiniurn spp., including heterotrophic species and the mixotrophic Mesodinium Chamaeleon. Similarly, cryptophyte diversity was also higher in non-bloom samples. Our results confirm that Mesodinium blooms may be caused by M. major, as well as multiple variants of M, rubrum, and further implicate I amphioxeia as the key cryptophyte species linked to these phenomena in temperate and subtropical regions.Peer reviewe

Aromatic amino acid metabolism and shoot formation in tobacco callus cultures

Bibliography: p. 159-166

Traduction et validation canadienne-française d'une échelle portant sur l'estime de son corps

Validation canadienne française d'un instrument de recherche, le Body-Esteem Scale (Mendelson, White et Mendelson,1997-1998), en suivant la démarche méthodologique de Vallerand (1989). Processus de traduction de l'anglais au français, de validation transculturelle, et étude pilote auprès de 67 jeunes filles

La collaboration famille – milieu de garde : Ce que nous apprend la recherche

Le principal objectif de cet article est de présenter une recension des écrits portant sur la collaboration et la communication entre les parents et les éducatrices travaillant en milieu de garde. Dans un premier temps, l’article aborde les aspects théoriques et historiques associés à la collaboration entre les adultes qui participent à l’éducation des jeunes enfants. Les effets de l’implication des parents dans les milieux éducatifs préscolaires, tels que démontrés par la recherche scientifique, font ensuite l’objet d’une attention particulière (notamment les effets de cette implication sur le développement et le bien-être des tout-petits). Le point suivant définit et illustre les différentes formes que peut prendre la collaboration entre les parents et les éducatrices; les conditions de réussite de cette collaboration sont également identifiées. La recension se termine en abordant trois thèmes ayant particulièrement attiré l’attention des chercheurs : la satisfaction des parents à l’égard des services éducatifs, les stratégies de communication parent-éducatrice et la question de la concordance éducative entre les adultes qui prennent quotidiennement en charge les jeunes enfants. La conclusion résume les points saillants qui se dégagent de la documentation consultée et présente quelques pistes prometteuses pour les recherches futures.The main objective of this article is to present a review of writings about collaboration and communication between day-care educators and parents. The first part of the article deals with theoretical and historical aspects of the collaboration between adults involved in the education of young children. The effects of parents’ involvement in pre-school educational settings as demonstrated by scientific research, are then examined (especially the effects of this involvement on the development and well-being of infants). The next point defines and illustrates the different forms this collaboration between parents and educators can take, and identifies the conditions required for a successful collaboration. The review ends with a look at three themes that have particularly captured the attention of researchers: parents’ satisfaction with educational services, parent-educator communication strategies and the question of the educational concordance among the adults who take care of the young children on a daily basis. The conclusion summarizes the main points that emerge from the documents consulted, and presents a few promising avenues for future research.El objetivo principal del presente artículo es presentar una recensión de escritos sobre la colaboración y la comunicación entre la familia y las educadoras que trabajan en el medio de guarda. Por principio, el artículo aborda los aspectos teóricos e históricos asociados a la colaboración entre los adultos que participan en la educación de los niños. Los efectos de la implicación de los padres de familia en los medios educativos preescolares, tal y como ha sido demostrado por la investigación científica, se estudian con particular atención (principalmente los efectos de dicha implicación sobre el desarrollo y el bienestar de los niños). Enseguida se definen e ilustran las diferentes formas que puede tomar la colaboración entre los padres de familia y las educadoras; también se identifican las condiciones que favorecen el éxito de dicha colaboración. La recensión se termina al abordar tres temas que han captado la atención de los investigadores: la satisfacción de los padres de familia en lo que respecta a los servicios educativos, las estrategias de comunicación familia-educadoras y la cuestión de la concordancia educativa entre los adultos que se encargan cotidianamente de los niños. La conclusión resume los puntos sobresalientes que se desprenden de la documentación consultada y presenta algunas pistas prometedoras para las investigaciones futuras

Do young children believe that robots possess a Theory of Mind?

This study investigated children’s anthropomorphism using direct and indirect tasks, as well as a parental report measure of Theory of Mind (ToM) skills. Given that much of the prior research has examined biological aspects of animate and inanimate agents, the present work examines the psychological properties of agents (e.g., whether children will attribute mental states to inanimate agents). To capture children’s anthropomorphic tendencies, subsets (Epistemic, Intentions and Desires) of the Attribution of Mental States Questionnaire (Manzi et al., 2020) were administered to 4-year-old children. A new subset of questions that assessed False Beliefs was also created as part of the Interview task. Additionally, children completed the Wellman and Liu Theory of Mind Scale (Wellman and Liu, 2004), which featured either a human or a robot protagonist. Parents also completed the Children’s Social Understanding Scale (CSUS, Tahiroglu et al., 2014), which measures children’s ToM skills. Findings showed that regardless of condition, children performed similarly on the Interview Questions and the Wellman and Liu Scale. However, differences were observed across conditions for some of the subsets of questions. Children in the Human Condition scored higher on the Epistemic subset of interview questions (e.g., “Do you think this robot/person can learn?”) compared to the children in the Robot Condition. No correlations between either task (Wellman and Liu Scale, Interview questions) and the CSUS was found. Overall, we conclude that 4-yer-old children anthropomorphize a humanoid robot

The Relationship between the Beginning Reading Skills and Social Adjustment of a General Sample of Elementary Aged Children

Although fundamental beginning reading skills are highly related to later reading success (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000), it remains unclear how these beginning reading skills impact the social adjustment of kindergarten through second grade children. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (a) to examine the strength of the relationship between beginning reading skills (i.e., letter-word identification, word attack, passage comprehension, and auditory comprehension) and social adjustment (i.e., social skills, problem behaviors, and academic competence); and (b) to assess the beginning reading skills that predict the social adjustment of elementary aged public school children (K-2). A range of significant correlations was present between measures of beginning reading skills and ratings of social adjustment. In general, early literacy skills and skills of auditory comprehension were significantly and positively associated with measures of social skills and academic competence. In addition, early literacy skills and vocabulary were negatively associated with measures of problem behaviors. Letter-word identification was the best predictor of social skills (? = .41), problem behaviors (? = -.31), and academic competence (? = .66). In addition, vocabulary (? = .17) and overall auditory comprehension (? = .18) predicted social skills and academic competence, respectively. Findings, limitations, and future research needs are discussed