SU(3) Quantum Interferometry with single-photon input pulses

We develop a framework for solving the action of a three-channel passive optical interferometer on single-photon pulse inputs to each channel using SU(3) group-theoretic methods, which can be readily generalized to higher-order photon-coincidence experiments. We show that features of the coincidence plots vs relative time delays of photons yield information about permanents, immanants, and determinants of the interferometer SU(3) matrix

Unitary transformations for testing Bell inequalities

It is shown that optical experimental tests of Bell inequality violations can be described by SU(1,1) transformations of the vacuum state, followed by photon coincidence detections. The set of all possible tests are described by various SU(1,1) subgroups of Sp(8,$\Bbb R$). In addition to establishing a common formalism for physically distinct Bell inequality tests, the similarities and differences of post--selected tests of Bell inequality violations are also made clear. A consequence of this analysis is that Bell inequality tests are performed on a very general version of SU(1,1) coherent states, and the theoretical violation of the Bell inequality by coincidence detection is calculated and discussed. This group theoretical approach to Bell states is relevant to Bell state measurements, which are performed, for example, in quantum teleportation.Comment: 3 figure

A scoping review of latent moderated structural equations and recommendations

Structural equation modeling involving latent interaction has garnered much attention from researchers in many disciplines. Interestingly, Becher \& Trowler (2001) described academics as living in a tribe sharing a common set of practices and led by a stable elite. To provide an overview of psychological and educational studies using the latent moderated structural equations approach (LMS), we produced a scoping review from three databases (ERIC, PsychInfo, and Érudit) and selected 78 articles. The goal of this study is to examine the nature and extent of practices regarding the use of the LMS method in order to recommend good practices. Our results show that there are some discrepancies in the way researchers analyze data using LMS

Apprendre à motiver aux futurs enseignants d’éducation physique

Résumé Soutenir la motivation des élèves est un enjeu important pour les (futurs) enseignants d’éducation physique et à la santé (ÉPS). Pourtant, le référentiel des compétences professionnelles – profession enseignante (Ministère de l’Éducation, 2020) met de l’avant l’importance d’outiller les enseignants à cet égard. Afin de recueillir la perception des étudiants quant à ce qui est leur est enseigné en formation initiale pour apprendre à soutenir la motivation des élèves, la présente étude vise à identifier les contenus enseignés au regard du soutien de la motivation, décrire les modalités d’enseignement utilisées pour enseigner ces contenus et identifier les points forts et les points à améliorer en formation initiale selon le point de vue des étudiants. Au total, 18 étudiants en enseignement de l’ÉPS (Mâge = 25 ans; É-T = 3,61 ans; femmes = 38,9 %) de cinq universités francophones québécoises ont participé à quatre groupes de discussion. Les résultats des analyses qualitatives réalisées selon l’approche de Boutin (2007) indiquent que les stratégies motivationnelles sont principalement enseignées dans les cours théoriques et orientées vers l’instauration d’un climat de maîtrise. Il y aurait lieu de rendre plus explicites les liens entre le soutien de la motivation et les différentes notions théoriques. De plus, les étudiants perçoivent un manque de continuité et, parfois, de réalisme entre les cours théoriques et les opportunités de pratique. Au cours de la formation, ils souhaiteraient avoir plus de pratiques dans des situations qui se rapprochent de la réalité vécue avec des élèves lors de leur insertion professionnelle. Abstract Supporting student motivation is an important issue for (future) physical education (PE) teachers. However, the Reference framework for professional competencies for teachers (Minister of Education, 2020) emphasize the importance of providing teachers with resources in this regard. In order to collect students’ perceptions of what is taught to them in teacher training to learn how to support student motivation, this study aims to identify the content taught in teacher training about supporting student motivation, describe the teaching methods used to teach this content, and identify the strengths and areas for improvement in pre-service teachers' point of view. A total of 18 pre-service PE teachers (MAge = 25 years; SD = 3.61 years; Female = 38.9%) from five Francophone universities in Quebec participated in four focus groups. The results of the qualitative analyses realized according to Boutin's (2007) indicate that motivational strategies are mainly taught in theory courses and oriented towards creating a mastery climate. Moreover, the links between motivational support and the various theoretical concepts should be made more explicit. In addition, students perceive a lack of continuity and, at times, realism between theory courses and practice opportunities. Finally, they would like to have more opportunities for practice that are closer to the reality experienced with students during their professional insertion

Exposure to Oil and Hypoxia Results In Alterations of Immune Transcriptional Patterns In Developing Sheepshead Minnows (\u3ci\u3eCyprinodon variegatus\u3c/i\u3e)

The area and timing of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill highlight the need to study oil and hypoxia exposure in early life stage fishes. Though critical to health, little research has targeted the effect of oil and hypoxia exposure on developing immune systems. To this end, we exposed sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) at three early life stages: embryonic; post-hatch; and post-larval, to a high energy water accommodated fraction (HEWAF) of oil, hypoxia, or both for 48 hours. We performed RNAseq to understand how exposures alter expression of immune transcripts and pathways. Under control conditions, the embryonic to post-hatch comparison (first transition) had a greater number of significantly regulated immune pathways than the second transition (post-hatch to post-larval). The addition of oil had little effect in the first transition, however, hypoxia elicited changes in cellular and humoral immune responses. In the second transition, oil exposure significantly altered many immune pathways (43), and while hypoxia altered few pathways, it did induce a unique signature of generally suppressing immune pathways. These data suggest that timing of exposure to oil and/or hypoxia matters, and underscores the need to further investigate the impacts of multiple stressors on immune system development in early life stage fishes

Changes in physical education teachers’ beliefs regarding motivational strategies: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract Physical education teachers use motivational strategies that can (positively or negatively) affect their students’ level of motivation and engagement. Indeed, according to their experiences and beliefs, some teachers may focus on strategies that thwart, rather than support, students’ psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). Effective professional development represents an excellent opportunity to help teachers use research-supported motivational strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to discover if attendance at a 2-day training course could positively affect PE teachers’ beliefs regarding empowering motivational strategies. Specifically, 11 PE teachers (experimental group = 6 [attending the training]; control group = 5 [no training]) from primary school (n = 6) and secondary school (n = 5) expressed their beliefs (effectiveness, feasibility, and normality) regarding 31 empowering motivational strategies proposed during training at the beginning (October) and the end (April) of the school year. Results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for related samples indicated no significant differences for the belief regarding effectiveness in either group. However, some positive significant changes (p ≤ .05) occurred in the experimental group for two motivational strategies supporting students’ need for autonomy and one supporting their need for competence. Given the small sample, positive trends (p ≤ .10) are also considered results of interest. In conclusion, the training appears likely to impact teachers’ beliefs. However, future professional development should provide additional feedback and follow-up time with teachers during experimentation with students to allow teachers to refine their understanding and use of the motivational strategies proposed

Fungal and Bacterial Loads: Noninvasive Inflammatory Bowel Disease Biomarkers for the Clinical Setting

Malaltia inflamatòria intestinal; Càrrega microbiana; PrediccióEnfermedad inflamatoria intestinal; Carga microbiana; PredicciónInflammatory bowel disease; Microbial load; PredictionMicrobiome sequence data have been used to characterize Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Based on these data, we have previously identified microbiomarkers at the genus level to predict CD and CD relapse. However, microbial load was underexplored as a potential biomarker in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here, we sought to study the use of fungal and bacterial loads as biomarkers to detect both CD and UC and CD and UC relapse. We analyzed the fecal fungal and bacterial loads of 294 stool samples obtained from 206 participants using real-time PCR amplification of the ITS2 region and the 16S rRNA gene, respectively. We combined the microbial data with demographic and standard laboratory data to diagnose ileal or ileocolonic CD and UC and predict disease relapse using the random forest algorithm. Fungal and bacterial loads were significantly different between healthy relatives of IBD patients and nonrelated healthy controls, between CD and UC patients in endoscopic remission, and between UC patients in relapse and non-UC individuals. Microbial load data combined with demographic and standard laboratory data improved the performance of the random forest models by 18%, reaching an average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.842 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65 to 0.98), for IBD diagnosis and enhanced CD and UC discrimination and CD and UC relapse prediction. Our findings show that fecal fungal and bacterial loads could provide physicians with a noninvasive tool to discriminate disease subtypes or to predict disease flare in the clinical setting. IMPORTANCE Next-generation sequence data analysis has allowed a better understanding of the pathophysiology of IBD, relating microbiome composition and functions to the disease. Microbiome composition profiling may provide efficient diagnosis and prognosis tools in IBD. However, the bacterial and fungal loads of the fecal microbiota are underexplored as potential biomarkers of IBD. Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients have higher fecal fungal and bacterial loads than patients with ileal or ileocolonic CD. CD patients who relapsed harbor more-unstable fungal and bacterial loads than those of relapsed UC patients. Fecal fungal and bacterial load data improved prediction performance by 18% for IBD diagnosis based solely on clinical data and enhanced CD and UC discrimination and prediction of CD and UC relapse. Combined with existing laboratory biomarkers such as fecal calprotectin and C-reactive protein (CRP), microbial loads may improve the diagnostic accuracy of IBD and of ileal CD and UC disease activity and prediction of UC and ileal CD clinical relapse.This work was funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, grant PI17/00614, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by the PERIS (SLT002/16). F. Casellas has received research funding from AbbVie, Ferring, MSD, Shire, and Zambon and speaker fees from AbbVie, Chiesi, Ferring, Gebro, MSD, Shire, Takeda, and Zambon. S. Vermeire has received grant support from AbbVie, MSD, Pfizer, J&J, and Takeda; received speaker fees from AbbVie, MSD, Takeda, Ferring, Dr. Falk Pharma, Hospira, Pfizer Inc., and Tillots; and served as a consultant for AbbVie, MSD, Takeda, Ferring, Genentech/Roche, Robarts clinical trials, Gilead, Celgene, Prometheus, Avaxia, Prodigest, Shire, Pfizer Inc, Galapagos, Mundipharma, Hospira, Celgene, Second Genome, and Janssen. C. Manichanh has received financial support for research from Danone