Joint action in a cooperative precision task: Nested processes of intrapersonal and interpersonal coordination

The authors determined the effects of changes in task demands on interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination. Participants performed a joint task in which one participant held a stick to which a circle was attached at the top (holding role), while the other held a pointer through the circle without touching its borders (pointing role). Experiment 1 investigated whether interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination varied depending on task difficulty. Results showed that interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination increased in degree and stability with increments in task difficulty. Experiment 2 explored the effects of individual constraints by increasing the balance demands of the task (one or both members of the pair stood in a less stable tandem stance). Results showed that interpersonal coordination increased in degree and stability as joint task demands increased and that coupling strength varied depending on joint and individual task constraints. In all, results suggest that interpersonal and intrapersonal coordination are affected by the nature of the task performed and the constraints it places on joint and individual performance

Review of the Natural History of the Handsome Fungus Beetles (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea: Endomychidae)

The literature pertaining to natural history of Endomychidae (Coleoptera: Cucujoidea) is reviewed. One hundred fungal host records are provided for 32 endomychid species. Twenty-three records of endomychid yeast endosymbionts are compiled. Summaries are also presented for feeding preferences, interactions with natural enemies, non-lethal symbiotic relationships, and pest activity within the family. Unusual endomychid behaviors and habitats are reviewed, with particular attention to gregariousness and defensive strategies within Endomychidae

The ultra-sensitive electrical detection of spin Rabi oscillation at paramagnetic defects

A short review of the pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance (pEDMR) experiment is presented. PEDMR allows the highly sensitive observation of coherent electron spin motion of charge carriers and defects in semiconductors by means of transient current measurements. The theoretical foundations, the experimental implementation, its sensitivity and its potential with regard to the investigation of electronic transitions in semiconductors are discussed. For the example of the P_b center at the crystalline silicon (111) to silicon dioxide interface it is shown experimentally how one can detect spin Rabi-oscillation, its dephasing, coherence decays and spin-coupling effects.Comment: The manuscript has been submitted for journal publicatio

A protocol for co-creating research project lay summaries with stakeholders:Guideline development for Canada's AGE-WELL Network

Background Funding bodies increasingly require researchers to write lay summaries to communicate projects’ real-world relevance to the public in an accessible way. However, research proposals and findings are generally not easily readable or understandable by non-specialist readers. Many researchers find writing lay summaries difficult because they typically write for fellow subject specialists or academics rather than the general public or a non-specialist audience. The primary objective of our project is to develop guidelines for researchers in Canada’s AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence, and ultimately various other disciplines, sectors, and institutions, to co-create lay summaries of research projects with stakeholders. To begin, we produced a protocol for co-creating a lay summary based on workshops we organized and facilitated for an AGE-WELL researcher. This paper presents the lay summary co-creation protocol that AGE-WELL researchers will be invited to use. Methods Eligible participants in this project will be 24 AgeTech project researchers who are funded by the AGE-WELL network in its Core Research Program 2020. If they agree to participate in this project, we will invite them to use our protocol to co-produce a lay summary of their respective projects with stakeholders. The protocol comprises six steps: Investigate principles of writing a good lay summary, identify the target readership, identify stakeholders to collaborate with, recruit the identified stakeholders to work on a lay summary, prepare for workshop sessions, and execute the sessions. To help participants through the process, we will provide them with a guide to developing an accessible, readable research lay summary, help them make decisions, and host, and facilitate if needed, their lay summary co-creation workshops. Discussion Public-facing research outputs, including lay summaries, are increasingly important knowledge translation strategies to promote the impact of research on real-world issues. To produce lay summaries that include information that will interest a non-specialist readership and that are written in accessible language, stakeholder engagement is key. Furthermore, both researchers and stakeholders benefit by participating in the co-creation process. We hope the protocol helps researchers collaborate with stakeholders effectively to co-produce lay summaries that meet the needs of both the public and project funders

PPARγ2 Regulates a Molecular Signature of Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Bone formation and hematopoiesis are anatomically juxtaposed and share common regulatory mechanisms. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) contain a compartment that provides progeny with bone forming osteoblasts and fat laden adipocytes as well as fibroblasts, chondrocytes, and muscle cells. In addition, marrow MSC provide an environment for support of hematopoiesis, including the development of bone resorbing osteoclasts. The PPARγ2 nuclear receptor is an adipocyte-specific transcription factor that controls marrow MSC lineage allocation toward adipocytes and osteoblasts. Increased expression of PPARγ2 with aging correlates with changes in the MSC status in respect to both their intrinsic differentiation potential and production of signaling molecules that contribute to the formation of a specific marrow micro-environment. Here, we investigated the effect of PPARγ2 on MSC molecular signature in respect to the expression of gene markers associated exclusively with stem cell phenotype, as well as genes involved in the formation of a stem cell supporting marrow environment. We found that PPARγ2 is a powerful modulator of stem cell-related gene expression. In general, PPARγ2 affects the expression of genes specific for the maintenance of stem cell phenotype, including LIF, LIF receptor, Kit ligand, SDF-1, Rex-1/Zfp42, and Oct-4. Moreover, the antidiabetic PPARγ agonist TZD rosiglitazone specifically affects the expression of “stemness” genes, including ABCG2, Egfr, and CD44. Our data indicate that aging and anti-diabetic TZD therapy may affect mesenchymal stem cell phenotype through modulation of PPARγ2 activity. These observations may have important therapeutic consequences and indicate a need for more detailed studies of PPARγ2 role in stem cell biology

Chiral Symmetry Versus the Lattice

After mentioning some of the difficulties arising in lattice gauge theory from chiral symmetry, I discuss one of the recent attempts to resolve these issues using fermionic surface states in an extra space-time dimension. This picture can be understood in terms of end states on a simple ladder molecule.Comment: Talk at the meeting "Computer simulations studies in condensed matter physics XIV" Athens, Georgia, Feb. 19-24, 2001. 14 page

Methodological checklists for improving research quality and reporting consistency

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via the DOI in this recor