Exploring, tailoring, and traversing the solution landscape of a phase-shaped CARS process

Pulse shaping techniques are used to improve the selectivity of broadband CARS experiments, and to reject the overwhelming background. Knowledge about the fitness landscape and the capability of tailoring it is crucial for both fundamental insight and performing an efficient optimization of phase shapes. We use an evolutionary algorithm to find the optimal spectral phase of the broadband pump and probe beams in a background-suppressed shaped CARS process. We then investigate the shapes, symmetries, and topologies of the landscape contour lines around the optimal solution and also around the point corresponding to zero phase. We demonstrate the significance of the employed phase bases in achieving convex contour lines, suppressed local optima, and high optimization fitness with a few (and even a single) optimization parameter

Water bathing alters threat perception in starlings.

The majority of bird taxa perform water bathing, but little is known about the adaptive value of this behaviour. If bathing is important for feather maintenance then birds that have not bathed should have poorer feather condition, compromised escape ability and therefore increased responsiveness to cues of predation. We conducted two experiments examining the behaviour of captive starlings responding to conspecific alarm calls. Birds that had no access to bathing water showed a decreased willingness to feed and increased their vigilance behaviour following an alarm call. We argue that birds denied access to bathing water interpreted an ambiguous cue of threat as requiring more caution than birds that had access, consistent with higher levels of anxiety. Our results support the provision of bathing water for captive birds as an important welfare measure

Teaching and Learning in Two iPad-Infused Classrooms: A Descriptive Case Study of a Dual Classroom, School-Based Pilot Project

This multi-methods, descriptive case study examines attitudes and practices of classroom-based iPad use. The site is one inner-city, urban, publicly funded school, focused on two iPad-infused classrooms (Grade 2/3 and Grade 4/5). Data were collected from 5 educators and 35 students to investigate two research questions: How are iPads being utilized in student instruction? How do educators and students perceive the value of using iPads in the classroom? For this study, we analyzed the transcript of a focus group with five educators, data from 10 days of structured student observations, and the results from 35 student questionnaires. Five themes emerged from the focus group; the strongest related to pedagogical practices. Data related to student perceptions indicated a positive attitude toward iPads. They enjoyed iPad use, were concerned about equity issues, had high self-ratings about related skills, felt they used it most often in Mathematics, and indicated various preferred applications. Overall, iPads were used in 31.7% of observed instructional time, 94.7% of which was facilitated by classroom teachers. Of this iPad- based instructional time, 72.5% was for individualized teaching, typically in language and/or mathematics instruction. Our analysis culminates in recommendations for school leadership such as teaching prerequisite skills and providing ongoing technological supports

Developing Social Skills of Summer Campers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study of Camps on TRACKS Implementation in an Inclusive Day-Camp Setting

This research provides preliminary results of an exploratory case study conducted of the Camps on TRACKS program in an inclusive, municipal day-camp program in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Positive changes are demonstrated in the social skills of nine day campers with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in the program. In this model of social inclusion, all campers were taught skills to interact with peers with exceptionalities through a peer-mediated model. Social skills change was measured using direct observation and counsellor questionnaires. Primary findings included an overall increase in social skills in campers with an ASD, and an inverse relationship between adult and peer interactions. Camps on TRACKS is a promising model for supporting the social skills development of campers with an ASD in inclusive settings

Investigating Stay, Play, & Talk: A Peer-Mediated Social Skills Intervention for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Social Challenges

Two preliminary pilot phases of a peer-mediated social skills program—Stay, Play, and Talk—within inclusive early years settings in Ontario, Canada, investigated changes in observed social interactions and perceived social skills. In Phase 1, a single-subject AB design demonstrated increases in total social interaction units for two of three kindergarten participants during structured activities, and pre- and post-intervention educator ratings demonstrated small social skill increases with peers for all three participants. In Phase 2, pre- and post-intervention educator ratings for nine participants in a group design demonstrated increases in play interaction and disruption and decreases in play disconnection, with a large effect size for increases in play interaction. Findings suggest that program participation within structured settings may support social skills gains for children with social communication difficulties

Femtosecond spectral phase shaping for CARS spectroscopy and imaging

Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) is a third-order non-linear optical process that provides label-free, chemically selective microscopy by probing the internal vibrational structure of molecules. Due to the resonant enhancement of the CARS process, faster imaging is possible compared to Raman microscopy. CARS is unaffected by background fluorescence, but the inherent non-resonant background signal can overwhelm the resonant signal. We demonstrate how simple phase shapes on the pump (and probe) beam reduce the background signal and enhance the resonant signal. We demonstrate chemically selective microscopy using these shaped pulses on plastic beads

Knee adduction moments are not increased in obese knee osteoarthritis patients during stair negotiation

Background: Negotiating stairs is an important activity of daily living that is also associated with large loads on the knee joint. In medial compartment knee osteoarthritis, the knee adduction moment during level walking is considered a marker for disease severity. It could be argued that the discriminative capability of this parameter is even better if tested in a strenuous stair negotiation task. Research question: What is the relation with knee osteoarthritis on the knee adduction moment during the stance phase of both stair ascent and descent in patients with and without obesity? Methods: This case control study included 22 lean controls, 16 lean knee osteoarthritis patients, and 14 obese knee osteoarthritis patients. All subjects ascended and descended a two-step staircase at a self-selected, comfortable speed. Three-dimensional motion analysis was performed to evaluate the knee adduction moment during stair negotiation. Results: Obese knee osteoarthritis patients show a prolonged stance time together with a more flattened knee adduction moment curve during stair ascent. Normalized knee adduction moment impulse, as well as the first and second peaks were not different between groups. During stair descent, a similar increase in stance time was found for both osteoarthritis groups. Significance: The absence of a significant effect of groups on the normalized knee adduction moment during stair negotiation may be explained by a lower ambulatory speed in the obese knee osteoarthritis group, that effectively lowers vertical ground reaction force. Decreasing ambulatory speed may be an effective strategy to lower knee adduction moment during stair negotiation

EGR1 controls divergent cellular responses of distinctive nucleus pulposus cell types

Background Immediate early genes (IEGs) encode transcription factors which serve as first line response modules to altered conditions and mediate appropriate cell responses. The immediate early response gene EGR1 is involved in physiological adaptation of numerous different cell types. We have previously shown a role for EGR1 in controlling processes supporting chondrogenic differentiation. We recently established a unique set of phenotypically distinct cell lines from the human nucleus pulposus (NP). Extensive characterization showed that these NP cellular subtypes represented progenitor-like cell types and more functionally mature cells. Methods To further understanding of cellular heterogeneity in the NP, we analyzed the response of these cell subtypes to anabolic and catabolic factors. Here, we test the hypothesis that physiological responses of distinct NP cell types are mediated by EGR1 and reflect specification of cell function using an RNA interference-based experimental approach. Results We show that distinct NP cell types rapidly induce EGR1 exposure to either growth factors or inflammatory cytokines. In addition, we show that mRNA profiles induced in response to anabolic or catabolic conditions are cell type specific: the more mature NP cell type produced a strong and more specialized transcriptional response to IL-1β than the NP progenitor cells and aspects of this response were controlled by EGR1. Conclusions Our current findings provide important substantiation of differential functionality among NP cellular subtypes. Additionally, the data shows that early transcriptional programming initiated by EGR1 is essentially restrained by the cells’ epigenome as it was determined during development and differentiation. These studies begin to define functional distinctions among cells of the NP and will ultimately contribute to defining functional phenotypes within the adult intervertebral disc.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio