An investigation into the detection of latent marks on the feathers and eggs of birds of prey

There are numerous enhancement techniques (physical and chemical) which have been developed for the successful visualisation of latent fingermarks. Nonetheless, problems arise when latent fingermarks require enhancement on difficult surfaces such as human skin, food stuffs, fabric and animals. The ability to develop latent fingermarks on the surface of bird of prey feathers and that of their eggs was investigated. Red and green magnetic fluorescent powders proved to be most suitable on the surface of bird of prey feathers whereas black magnetic powder was the most suitable technique on the eggs. These powders produced the highest quality of visible ridge-detailed developments over a controlled period of time

Developing the catecholamines hypothesis for the acute exercise-cognition interaction in humans: Lessons from animal studies

The catecholamines hypothesis for the acute exercise-cognition interaction in humans fails to adequately explain the interaction between peripherally circulating catecholamines and brain concentrations; how different exercise intensities × durations affect different cognitive tasks; and how brain catecholamines, glucocorticoids, BDNF and 5-hydroxytryptamine interact. A review of the animal literature was able to clarify many of the issues. Rodent studies showed that facilitation of cognition during short to moderate duration (SMD), moderate exercise could be accounted for by activation of the locus coeruleus via feedback from stretch reflexes, baroreceptors and, post-catecholamines threshold, β-adrenoceptors on the vagus nerve. SMD, moderate exercise facilitates all types of task by stimulation of the reticular system by norepinephrine (NE) but central executive tasks are further facilitated by activation of α2A-adrenoceptors and D1-dopaminergic receptors in the prefrontal cortex, which increases the signal to ‘noise’ ratio. During long-duration, moderate exercise and heavy exercise, brain concentrations of glucocorticoids and 5-hydroxytryptamine, the latter in moderate exercise only, also increase. This further increases catecholamines release. This results in increased activation of D1-receptors and α1-adrenoceptors, in the prefrontal cortex, which dampens all neural activity, thus inhibiting central executive performance. However, activation of β- and α1-adrenoceptors can positively affect signal detection in the sensory cortices, hence performance of perception/attention and autonomous tasks can be facilitated. Animal studies also show that during long-duration, moderate exercise and heavy exercise, NE activation of β-adrenoceptors releases cAMP, which modulates the signaling and trafficking of the BDNF receptor Trk B, which facilitates long-term potentiation

Paralyzed Traditions: European Influence on Global Dance

Although separated by cultural differences, language barriers, and geographic divides, many global dances share similarities in their purpose, style, and movement. Through a cross-examination of different cultural and global dances, one can recognize the innate human similarities that exist within dance as an art form. However, beyond these similarities, one more aspect remains the same among these dances from all over the world: through European influence, many global dances were degraded and therefore disassociated from their revered origins. As Europeans colonized places such as Hawaii, India, and Brazil, they viewed the traditional dances with disdain and fostered a continuous misperception about the greater culture in which these dances resided. Ultimately, many global dances today, while retaining some of their source value, have morphed and adapted due to European intervention, and they will never return to what they once were. This research aims to provide a comparison of global dances and the different ways in which European pressure influenced these cultural traditions

Modified Wavelet Methods for Identifying Transitions in Bean Beetle Maturation

As bean beetle embryos develop, time lapse photographs of their eggs exhibit varying levels of brightness that correspond to different stages of maturation. This signal can be analyzed to pinpoint the timing of these various stages. We have developed an averaging method based on a modified Haar wavelet technique to identify these changes visually. This method has been studied for both accuracy and precision through a process of randomized simulations at different levels of signal noise. The results of this study have supported the efficacy of this method, demonstrating its usefulness in analyzing a wide variety of signals

Early College Pedagogy: Intellectual Development in Community

This essay, a response to Elizabeth Blodgett Hall’s “The House of Education Needs Overhaul,” observes the early college classroom—a space for diverse and independent voices, community-driven intellectual development, and for growing social responsibility. The author describes her own experience as an early college educator and depicts this equity work in action

Past, present and future in exercise-cognition research

Early research into the effects of acute exercise on cognition were atheoretical and of poor design. In the 1990s and 2000s, cognitive-energetical theories and the catecholamines hypothesis have been developed as rationales for effects of acute exercise on cognition. It was claimed that acute exercise was a stressor and as such would affect cognition in an inverted-U manner, the same as other stressors. However, the inverted-U effect was rarely supported. Later research has somewhat consistently shown that moderate intensity, short to moderate duration exercise induces improved cognitive performance. However, the effects of heavy exercise and long-duration, moderate intensity exercise treatments remain somewhat equivocal, except for autonomous tasks which are facilitated. Recent research suggests that undertaking exercise, while simultaneously carrying out a motor task, is more beneficial than simply exercising before undertaking the cognitive tasks. Research examining the effect of chronic exercise on cognition was also originally atheoretical and poorly designed. Improved research designs have led to some consistency in findings and the evidence for chronic exercise having a facilitative effect on cognition is fairly consistent but only a small to moderate improvement has been demonstrated. Human studies provide a prima facie case for brain derived neurotrophic factor being a mediator in the chronic exercise-cognition interaction and evidence from animal studies strongly supports this. Recent work provides support for claims that exercise, while simultaneously undertaking a motor task, is more beneficial than simply exercising

Disengagement, Shifting and Engagement of Attention in Children And Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The present study examined the disengaging, shifting, and engaging abilities of children and adolescents with ASD compared to age- and cognitive ability-matched typically developing (TD) peers. Previous research has found that individuals with ASD have difficulty disengaging and shifting their attention or what has been termed sticky attention. This sticky attention has been hypothesized as a general deficit of the broader ASD phenotype, and subsequently as an aid in the early identification of ASD. However, researchers to date have only examined endogenous and exogenous attention abilities, which pertain to when the cue to shift and disengage attention is externally provided. Given that this type of attention may not be representative of everyday attention situations, in the present study I investigated autogenous attention abilities, which relate to when the cue to shift and disengage is internally generated. Due to the implications of attention on later social and language development and repetitive behaviour, a richer understanding of attention abilities in children and adolescents with ASD is critical. Using a novel eye-tracking task, an aim of the present study was to determine whether sticky attention is a core deficit of ASD or whether it is task dependent by evaluating performance on two types of attention tasks: exogenous (attention that is externally cued) and autogenous (attention that is internally cued). Additionally, I examined how the type of stimuli, level of complexity of the stimuli, and participants engagement effect attention abilities. Lastly, I determined if demographic and clinical factors predict attention abilities in children with ASD and TD children. Overall, findings from the present study do not support previous research indicating inferior disengaging and shifting abilities in children with ASD, as attention abilities in the present study varied based on attention type, and other task-dependent variables, including trial type and task stimuli. Although only chronological age and verbal cognitive ability predicted performance, engagement in the trial was associated with attention abilities, regardless of group. Given the numerous variables that predicted disengaging and shifting abilities in children with ASD, the current study does not provide support for the hypothesis that sticky attention is a core deficit of ASD, and thus its potential as a diagnostic marker in this population is questionable