824 research outputs found
Relationship Between Early Feeding and Communication Development in Infants: Birth To 12 Months
Introduction: Anecdotal reports suggest that infants experiencing early feeding difficulties may have delays in communication development.
Methods: The first stage of the study involved the development of a theoretically based assessment protocol to test the hypothesis of linked or independent processes required for feeding and speech. The assessment protocol will be piloted on 10 full term and 10 preterm infants at birth, 4, 8 and 12 months post term age. Measures of inter-judge and intra-judge reliability will also be taken of the observation protocol. Observation of the infant\u27s language, speech, environment and maternal relationship will also be conducted to determine the nature and impact of environmental and social factors on feeding and/or speech and language development.
Results: To be analysed.
Conclusion: It is hypothesised that infants experiencing early feeding difficulties and delay will also experience later speech and language delay.
Massey, S. J., Hird, K. M., & Simmer, K. (2004). Relationship between early feeding and communication development in infants: Birth to 12 months. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 39(2), 227-228.
ISSN: 0277-2116
Abstract only available for downloa
Active contractility in actomyosin networks
Contractile forces are essential for many developmental processes involving
cell shape change and tissue deformation. Recent experiments on reconstituted
actomyosin networks, the major component of the contractile machinery, have
shown that active contractility occurs above a threshold motor concentration
and within a window of crosslink concentration. We present a microscopic
dynamic model that incorporates two essential aspects of actomyosin
self-organization: the asymmetric load response of individual actin filaments
and the correlated motor-driven events mimicking myosin-induced filament
sliding. Using computer simulations we examine how the concentration and
susceptibility of motors contribute to their collective behavior and interplay
with the network connectivity to regulate macroscopic contractility. Our model
is shown to capture the formation and dynamics of contractile structures and
agree with the observed dependence of active contractility on microscopic
parameters including the contractility onset. Cooperative action of
load-resisting motors in a force-percolating structure integrates local
contraction/buckling events into a global contractile state via an active
coarsening process, in contrast to the flow transition driven by uncorrelated
kicks of susceptible motors.Comment: 15 pages, 4 main figures, 4 supplementary figure
Moisture susceptibility of high and low compaction dry process crumb rubber modified asphalt mixtures
The field performance of dry process crumb rubber-modified (CRM) asphalt mixtures has been reported to be inconsistent with stripping and premature cracking on the surfacing. One of the concerns is that, because achieving field compaction of CRM material is difficult due to the inherent resilient nature of the rubber particle, nonuniform field compaction may lead to a deficient bond between rubber and bitumen. To assess the influence of compaction, a series of CRM and control mixtures was produced and compacted at two levels: 4% (low, optimum laboratory compaction) and 8% (high, field experience) air void content. The long-term durability, in regard to moisture susceptibility of the mixtures, was assessed by conducting repeated moisture conditioning cycles. Mechanical properties (stiffness, fatigue, and resistance to permanent deformation) were determined in the Nottingham Asphalt Tester. Results indicated that compared with conventional mixtures, the CRM mixtures, regardless of compaction effort, are more susceptible to moisture with the degree of susceptibility primarily depending on the amount of rubber in the mixture, rather than the difference in compaction. This behavior is different from that of conventional mixtures in which, as expected, poorly compacted mixtures were found to be more susceptible to moisture than were well-compacted mixtures
Guidance and Ethical Considerations for Undertaking Transgender Health Research and Institutional Review Boards Adjudicating this Research
The purpose of this review is to create a set of provisional criteria for Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to refer to when assessing the ethical orientation of transgender health research proposals. We began by searching for literature on this topic using databases and the reference lists of key articles, resulting in a preliminary set of criteria. We then collaborated to develop the following nine guidelines: (1) Whenever possible, research should be grounded, from inception to dissemination, in a meaningful collaboration with community stakeholders; (2) language and framing of transgender health research should be non-stigmatizing; (3) research should be disseminated back to the community; (4) the diversity of the transgender and gender diverse (TGGD) community should be accurately reflected and sensitively reflected; (5) informed consent must be meaningful, without coercion or undue influence; (6) the protection of participant confidentiality should be paramount; (7) alternative consent procedures should be considered for TGGD minors; (8) research should align with current professional standards that refute conversion, reorientation, or reparative therapy; and (9) IRBs should guard against the temptation to avoid, limit, or delay research on this subject
Calculation of the properties of the rotational bands of Gd
We reexamine the long-standing problem of the microscopic derivation of a
particle-core coupling model. We base our research on the Klein-Kerman
approach, as amended by D\"onau and Frauendorf. We describe the formalism to
calculate energy spectra and transition strengths in some detail. We apply our
formalism to the rotational nuclei Gd, where recent experimental
data requires an explanation. We find no clear evidence of a need for Coriolis
attenuation.Comment: 27 pages, 13 uuencoded postscript figures. Uses epsf.st
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