Visual Orbits of Spectroscopic Binaries with the CHARA Array

We present the three dimensional orbits of eight double-lined spectroscopic binaries with longer orbital periods (7–35 days) to determine the fundamental stellar parameters of each component and make critical tests of stellar evolution models. We resolve the position of the secondary stars relative to the primaries on milliarcsecond scales using fringe visibility variations in interferometric observations with the CHARA Array, and measure new radial velocities using echelle spectra from the APO 3.5m, CTIO 1.5m, and Fairborn 2.0m telescopes. By combining the visual and spectroscopic observations, we solve for the orbital parameters for these systems and derive the stellar masses and distance. We then estimate the stellar radii from the distance and the angular diameter, set by fitting spectrophotometry from the literature to binary SED models or by directly fitting the interferometric visibilities. Finally, we compare the observed stellar parameters to the predictions of Yonsei-Yale and MESA stellar evolution models in order to estimate the ages of each system. We find that our distances from orbital parallax agree with the Gaia DR2 distances from trigonometric parallax, and that the mass-luminosity relationship for our long period systems generally agrees with that of short period systems. Therefore, the short period eclipsing binaries are good tools for testing models of stellar structure and evolution designed for single stars

Graduate Recital: Kathryn Lester, Piano; March 28, 1976

Recital HallSunday AfternoonMarch 28, 19762:00 p.m

Graduate Recital: Kathryn Lester, Piano; October 6, 1975

Hayden AuditoriumMonday EveningOctober 6, 19758:15 p.m

Intervention for School Anxiety and Absenteeism in Children (ISAAC):Co-designing a brief parent-focused intervention for emotionally-based school avoidance

Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA) is an important driver of persistent school absenteeism and may have worsened in the context of COVID-19. This paper describes the development of a brief parent-focused psychosocial intervention with the goal to address the lack of accessible early interventions for EBSA. The developmental process used a person-centred approach (Yardley, 2015) with two phases. In Phase 1, qualitative data were collected about intervention preferences and priorities from N=10 parents and N=7 practitioners in a series of co-design workshops. Phase 2 refined an intervention blueprint based on iterative consultations with N=4 parents and N=3 practitioners. Framework analysis was used to organise findings around key intervention parameters, including relevant mechanisms, content, and delivery methods needed to provide effective, acceptable and feasible support for families affected by EBSA. The resulting blueprint incorporates three online modules to be delivered over three weeks with each module consisting of psychoeducational videos, self-completed learning tasks and a corresponding coaching session. Respective module content includes: (i) self-care strategies to increase parent wellbeing and self-efficacy; (ii) parenting strategies to change behavioural patterns that maintain child distress and avoidance of school; and (iii) strategic communication strategies to increase the quality of home-school relationships. The blueprint has been developed into a full prototype for a forthcoming feasibility study

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors are expressed in the chicken retina and by cultured retinal amacrine cells

Glutamate is well established as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the vertebrate retina. Its role as a modulator of retinal function, however, is poorly understood. We used immunocytochemistry and calcium imaging techniques to investigate whether metabotropic glutamate receptors are expressed in the chicken retina and by identified GABAergic amacrine cells in culture. Antibody labeling for both metabotropic glutamate receptors 1 and 5 in the retina was consistent with their expression by amacrine cells as well as by other retinal cell types. In double-labeling experiments, most metabotropic glutamate receptor 1-positive cell bodies in the inner nuclear layer also label with anti-GABA antibodies. GABAergic amacrine cells in culture were also labeled by metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and 5 antibodies. Metabotropic glutamate receptor agonists elicited Ca2+ elevations in cultured amacrine cells, indicating that these receptors were functionally expressed. Cytosolic Ca2+ elevations were enhanced by metabotropic glutamate receptor 1-selective antagonists, suggesting that metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 activity might normally inhibit the Ca2+ signaling activity of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5. These results demonstrate expression of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors in the avian retina and suggest that glutamate released from bipolar cells onto amacrine cells might act to modulate the function of these cells

Recreational users in Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks

This research has been undertaken under contract to the New Zealand Forest Service. It has arisen from a major study of recreational hunting in the Central North Island (Groome, Simmons, Clark, 1983). A significant data base on Forest Park Users in the Kaimanawa/Kaweka region was assembled for the recreational hunting study. While the principal purpose of that data was to explore the compatibility of a Recreational Hunting Area with existing uses of the Forest Parks, the comprehensiveness of, and response to the surveys suggested that further analysis would also be useful to management. The aim of this report, then, is to separately describe key recreational user groups within the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks. It is envisaged that this will have direct benefit to planning and help determine promotional activity by describing recreational preference and participation behaviour of park users

Polymorphisms in the circadian expressed genes PER3 and ARNTL2 are associated with diurnal preference and GNβ3 with sleep measures

Sleep and circadian rhythms are intrinsically linked, with several sleep traits, including sleep timing and duration, influenced by both sleep homeostasis and the circadian phase. Genetic variation in several circadian genes has been associated with diurnal preference (preference in timing of sleep), although there has been limited research on whether they are associated with other sleep measurements. We investigated whether these genetic variations were associated with diurnal preference (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire) and various sleep measures, including: the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality index score; sleep duration; and sleep latency and sleep quality. We genotyped 10 polymorphisms in genes with circadian expression in participants from the G1219 sample (n = 966), a British longitudinal population sample of young adults. We conducted linear regressions using dominant, additive and recessive models of inheritance to test for associations between these polymorphisms and the sleep measures. We found a significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in period homologue 3 (PER3) (P < 0.005, recessive model) and a novel nominally significant association between diurnal preference and a polymorphism in aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 2 (ARNTL2) (P < 0.05, additive model). We found that a polymorphism in guanine nucleotide binding protein beta 3 (GNβ3) was associated significantly with global sleep quality (P < 0.005, recessive model), and that a rare polymorphism in period homologue 2 (PER2) was associated significantly with both sleep duration and quality (P < 0.0005, recessive model). These findings suggest that genes with circadian expression may play a role in regulating both the circadian clock and sleep homeostasis, and highlight the importance of further studies aimed at dissecting the specific roles that circadian genes play in these two interrelated but unique behaviours

The parent play questionnaire: development of a parent questionnaire to assess parent–child play and digital media use

We introduce the Parent Play Questionnaire (PPQ), a parent-report measure designed to assess frequency of parent–infant play, parents’ attitudes towards play with their infant, and infants’ use of digital media. We describe measure development and empirical data across three samples of parent–infant dyads (total N = 414, offspring aged 0.3–2.5 years). Three latent factors explain the PPQ, corresponding with theoretically defined subscales. Summary scores showed good internal consistency and normally distributed results. Weak to moderate correlations were found between the frequency and attitude play scales, and with standardized measures of family social and emotional characteristics. Overall, frequency of digital media use was not correlated with play or broader family variables. Results suggest that the PPQ will be a useful tool for researchers interested in assessing parent–child play during early childhood

Associations between attentional bias and interpretation bias and change in school concerns and anxiety symptoms during the transition from primary to secondary school

The transition from primary to secondary school is often associated with a period of heightened anxiety and worry. For most children, any feelings of anxiety subside relatively quickly but for a small minority, emotional difficulties can continue into the first year of secondary school and beyond. This study recruited 109 children and measured their anxiety symptoms and school concerns toward the end of primary school and again at the end of their first term of secondary school. We investigated for the first time whether pre-transition measures of attentional and interpretation bias, and the magnitude of change in attentional bias toward and away from threat stimuli were associated with pre- and post-transition measures of anxiety and school concerns, and the change in these measures over time. Over 50% of the current sample exceeded clinical levels of anxiety at pre-transition. However, anxiety symptoms and school concerns had significantly reduced by post-transition. Higher levels of pre-transition anxiety or school concerns, and a greater magnitude of change in attentional bias towards threat stimuli predicted a larger reduction in anxiety symptoms and school concerns across the transition period. A greater interpretation bias toward threat was associated with higher pre-transition anxiety symptoms and school concerns but not post-transition scores, or the change in these scores. While many children experience heightened anxiety prior to school transition, this appears to be largely temporary and self-resolves. Nonetheless, the current findings highlight the importance of monitoring children’s anxiety and concerns, and related cognitive processes during this important transition period