Animal-Assisted Therapy and its Effects on Children in Schools

Animal-assisted therapy could be used in schools as a supportive intervention provided by school social workers. The purpose of this project was to explore how animal-assisted therapy in schools, specifically using dogs, could be a complimentary and supportive form of intervention provided by social workers in a school setting. Using a qualitative design, five school social workers and three therapy dog handlers were interviewed regarding their perceptions on using therapy dogs in schools and how the therapy dogs may impact students. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method in which themes were developed from participant responses, integrating the perceptions of the school social workers and the therapy dog handlers, and then were linked to previous literature. The findings indicated that using therapy dogs in schools could benefit students by serving as an intervention and helping students learn skills that result in better connection and relationships, and skills that can assist with self-regulation and self-control. In addition, objections to using therapy dogs in schools were addressed and countered in participants’ responses. These findings emphasize the potential benefit of using therapy dogs in school social work practice as a supportive intervention

Animal-Assisted Therapy and its Effects on Children in Schools

Animal-assisted therapy could be used in schools as a supportive intervention provided by school social workers. The purpose of this project was to explore how animal-assisted therapy in schools, specifically using dogs, could be a complimentary and supportive form of intervention provided by social workers in a school setting. Using a qualitative design, five school social workers and three therapy dog handlers were interviewed regarding their perceptions on using therapy dogs in schools and how the therapy dogs may impact students. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method in which themes were developed from participant responses, integrating the perceptions of the school social workers and the therapy dog handlers, and then were linked to previous literature. The findings indicated that using therapy dogs in schools could benefit students by serving as an intervention and helping students learn skills that result in better connection and relationships, and skills that can assist with self-regulation and self-control. In addition, objections to using therapy dogs in schools were addressed and countered in participants’ responses. These findings emphasize the potential benefit of using therapy dogs in school social work practice as a supportive intervention

Seiberg-Witten map for noncommutative super Yang-Mills theory

In this letter we derive the Seiberg-Witten map for noncommutative super Yang-Mills theory in Wess-Zumino gauge. Following (and using results of) hep-th/0108045 we split the observer Lorentz transformations into a covariant particle Lorentz transformation and a remainder which gives directly the Seiberg-Witten differential equations. These differential equations lead to a theta-expansion of the noncommutative super Yang-Mills action which is invariant under commutative gauge transformations and commutative observer Lorentz transformation, but not invariant under commutative supersymmetry transformations: The theta-expansion of noncommutative supersymmetry leads to a theta-dependent symmetry transformation. For this reason the Seiberg-Witten map of super Yang-Mills theory cannot be expressed in terms of superfields.Comment: 9 page

Duals of noncommutative supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory

Parent actions for component fields are utilized to derive the dual of supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory in 4 dimensions. Generalization of the Seiberg-Witten map to the component fields of noncommutative supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory is analyzed. Through this transformation we proposed parent actions for noncommutative supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory as generalization of the ordinary case.Duals of noncommutative supersymmetric U(1) gauge theory are obtained. Duality symmetry under the interchange of fields with duals accompanied by the replacement of the noncommutativity parameter \Theta_{\mu\nu} with \tilde{\Theta}_{\mu \nu} = \epsilon_{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}\Theta^{\rho\sigma} of the non--supersymmetric case is broken at the level of actions. We proposed a noncommutative parent action for the component fields which generates actions possessing this duality symmetry.Comment: Typos corrected. Version which will appear in JHE

Systematic coarse-graining of the dynamics of entangled polymer melts: the road from chemistry to rheology

For optimal processing and design of entangled polymeric materials it is important to establish a rigorous link between the detailed molecular composition of the polymer and the viscoelastic properties of the macroscopic melt. We review current and past computer simulation techniques and critically assess their ability to provide such a link between chemistry and rheology. We distinguish between two classes of coarse-graining levels, which we term coarse-grained molecular dynamics (CGMD) and coarse-grained stochastic dynamics (CGSD). In CGMD the coarse-grained beads are still relatively hard, thus automatically preventing bond crossing. This also implies an upper limit on the number of atoms that can be lumped together and therefore on the longest chain lengths that can be studied. To reach a higher degree of coarse-graining, in CGSD many more atoms are lumped together, leading to relatively soft beads. In that case friction and stochastic forces dominate the interactions, and actions must be undertaken to prevent bond crossing. We also review alternative methods that make use of the tube model of polymer dynamics, by obtaining the entanglement characteristics through a primitive path analysis and by simulation of a primitive chain network. We finally review super-coarse-grained methods in which an entire polymer is represented by a single particle, and comment on ways to include memory effects and transient forces.Comment: Topical review, 31 pages, 10 figure

Natural regeneration of trees in selectively logged forest in western Amazonia.

We evaluated the impacts of selective logging on tree regeneration one, four, and eight years after harvests in Antimary State Forest in the State of Acre, Brazil. We inventoried tree seedlings, saplings, and poles (>50 cm tall to <10 cm DBH) on secondary roads, log landing, and skid trails, as well as in the bole and crown zones of canopy gaps created by felling; for comparison we also sampled areas not affected directly by logging. We compared these habitats on the basis soil (physical) characteristics, canopy cover, and floristic composition. For areas one and four years after logging, we supplemented the ground-based information with aerial LiDAR data. By eight years post-logging the size class distributions of tree regeneration in all habitat types resembled those in unlogged areas, and densities were only lower in crown gaps. Eight years after logging, relative densities of pioneer trees were highest on secondary roads and log landings; no among habitat differences were observed in the relative densities of non-pioneer species at any time along the chronosequence. Tree species diversity (Fisher's alpha) converged on unlogged values on skid trails, bole gaps, and crown gaps at 8-years post-logging, but values remained lower on secondary roads and log landings. Canopy openness was greatest one year after logging, especially in log landings (mean 45.4 ± SE 4.5%) whereas four and eight years post-logging it did not exceed 10% and no differences were found among habitats. Soil bulk density was elevated relative to un-logged areas only on log landings one and four years after logging, and this difference disappeared by eight years postlogging. The total area disturbed by logging varied from 7.0% to 8.6% with nearly half of the totals in felling gaps (3.0-3.7%)

The Energy-Momentum Tensor in Noncommutative Gauge Field Models

We discuss the different possibilities of constructing the various energy-momentum tensors for noncommutative gauge field models. We use Jackiw's method in order to get symmetric and gauge invariant stress tensors--at least for commutative gauge field theories. The noncommutative counterparts are analyzed with the same methods. The issues for the noncommutative cases are worked out.Comment: 11 pages, completed reference

Computed tomography-osteoabsorptiometry for assessing the density distribution of subchondral bone as a measure of long-term mechanical adaptation in individual joints

To estimate subchondral mineralisation patterns which represent the long-term loading history of individual joints, a method has been developed employing computed tomography (CT) which permits repeated examination of living joints. The method was tested on 5 knee, 3 sacroiliac, 3 ankle and 5 shoulder joints and then investigated with X-ray densitometry. A CT absorptiometric presentation and maps of the area distribution of the subchondral bone density areas were derived using an image analyser. Comparison of the results from both X-ray densitometry and CT-absorptiometry revealed almost identical pictures of distribution of the subchondral bone density. The method may be used to examine subchondral mineralisation as a measure of the mechanical adaptability of joints in the living subject

Optical Properties of Vanadium in 4H Silicon Carbide for Quantum Technology

We study the optical properties of tetravalent vanadium impurities in 4H silicon carbide (4H SiC). Emission from two crystalline sites is observed at wavelengths of 1.28 \mum and 1.33 \mum, with optical lifetimes of 163 ns and 43 ns. Group theory and ab initio density functional supercell calculations enable unequivocal site assignment and shed light on the spectral features of the defects. We conclude with a brief outlook on applications in quantum photonics