Post-hatch heat warms adult beaks: irreversible physiological plasticity in Japanese quail

Across taxa, the early rearing environment contributes to adult morphological and physiological variation. For example, in birds, environmental temperature plays a key role in shaping bill size and clinal trends across latitudinal/thermal gradients. Such patterns support the role of the bill as a thermal window and in thermal balance. It remains unknown whether bill size and thermal function are reversibly plastic. We raised Japanese quail in warm (308C) or cold (158C) environments and then at a common intermediate temperature. We predicted that birds raised in cold temperatures would develop smaller bills than warm-reared individuals, and that regulation of blood flow to the bill in response to changing temperatures would parallel the bill’s role in thermal balance. Cold-reared birds developed shorter bills, although bill size exhibited ‘catch-up’ growth once adults were placed at a common temperature. Despite having lived in a common thermal environment as adults, individuals that were initially reared in the warmth had higher bill surface temperatures than coldreared individuals, particularly under cold conditions. This suggests that blood vessel density and/or the control over blood flow in the bill retained a memory of early thermal ontogeny. We conclude that post-hatch temperature reversibly affects adult bill morphology but irreversibly influences the thermal physiological role of bills and may play an underappreciated role in avian energetics

Web based content and hybrid teaching: student perceptions of the effectiveness of using web based content and hyper-linked teaching units in teaching hybrid business and marketing post secondary classes /

This exploratory, descriptive action research study is based on a survey of a sample of convenience consisting of 172 college and university marketing students, and 5 professors who were experienced in teaching in an internet based environment. The students that were surveyed were studying e-commerce and international business in 3^^ and 4*'' year classes at a leading imiversity in Ontario and e-commerce in 5^ semester classes at a leading college. These classes were taught using a hybrid teaching style with the contribution of a large website that contained pertinent text and audio material. Hybrid teaching employs web based course materials (some in the form of Learning Objects) to deliver curriculimi material both during the attended lectures and also for students accessing the course web page outside of class hours. The survey was in the form on an online questionnaire. The research questions explored in this study were: 1. What factors influence the students' ability to access and learn from web based course content? 2. How likely are the students to use selected elements of internet based curriculum for learning academic content? 3. What is the preferred physical environment to facilitate learning in a hybrid environment? 4. How effective are selected teaching/learning strategies in a hybrid environment? The findings of this study suggest that students are very interested in being part of the learning process by contributing to a course web site. Specifically, students are interested in audio content being one of the formats of online course material, and have an interest in being part of the creation of small audio clips to be used in class.

Amputation and heat induced protein synthesis in the regenerating forelimb of Notophthalmus viridescens

This thesis compares the responses of regenerating forelimb tissues of the newt Notophthalmu..f vlridescens to the stresses of hyperthermia and ID.echanical injury of amputation. In particular, both quantitative and qualitative changes in the synthesis of soluble proteins in stump tissues, including those of the heat shock protein family (HSP70-1ike) were examined. Results from SDS-PAGEfluorography indicate that the trauma of amputation mimics the heat shock response both quantitatively and temporally in its transient repression of the synthesis of most normal cellular proteins, and qualitatively. in the locaJized expression of two unique proteins (hsp30 and hsp70). Fluorography of proteins separated by twodimensional gets revealed that thelCl4:alizedt amputation induced 70kDa protein (amp70) was distinct from the more basic newt hsp/hsc70 isoforms. Although limb amputation resulted in an increase in the synthesis of HSP70 mRNA analogous to that induced by heat 3.b.OCKf amp70 did not cross-react with murine monoclonal antibodies directed against both the inducible and cognate HSP70 proteins of the human. Thus, the possible relationship of amp70 to other members of the HSP70-1ike protein family remains unclear. Western analyses indicated that the levels of the constitutive form of HSP70 (hsc70) were found to be regulated in a stage-dependent manner in the distal stump tissues of the regen,erating forelimb of the newt. The highest levels were found in the mid-late bud stage, a period during which rapidly dividing blastema cells begin to redifferentiate in a proximodistal direction. Immediately after amputation) hsc70 synthesis and accumulation was depressed below steady-state levels measured in the unamputated limb~ The results are discussed in light of a possible role for HSPs and amputatio~ induced proteins in the epimorphic regeneration of the amphibian limb.

An examination of transcriptional and translational regulation of the 70kDa heat shock proteins following amputation of the tail and forelimb in the newt Notophthalmus viridescens

Several stresses to tissues including hyperthermia, ischemia, mechanical trauma and heavy metals have been demonstrated to affect the regulation of a subset of the family of heat shock proteins of70kOa (hsp70). In several organisms following some of these traumas, the levels of hsp70 mRNA and proteins are dramatically upregulated. However, the effects of the stress on limb and tail amputation in the newt Notophthalmus viridescens, involving mechanical tissue damage, have not adequately been examined. In the present study, three techniques were utilized to quantitate the levels of hsp70 mRNA and protein in the tissues of the forelimbs and tails of newts during the early post-traumatic events following surgical resection of these:: appendages. These included quantitative Western blotting of proteins separated by both one and twodimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantitative Northern blot analysis of total RNA. In tissues of both the limb and tail one hour after amputation, there were no significant differences in the levels of hsp70 protein measured by one-dimensional SOSPAGE followed by Western blotting, when compared to the levels measured in the unamputated limb. A 30 minute heat shock at 35°C failed to elicit an increase in the levels of hsp70 protein in these tissues. Further analysis using the more sensitive 20 PAGE separation of stump tissue proteins revealed that at least some of the five hsp70 isoforms of the newt may be differentially regulated in limbs and tails in response to trauma. It appears also that amputation of the tail and limb tissues leads to slight 3 elevation in the levels of HSP70 mRNA when compared to those of their respective unstressed tissues.

Using fuction-based CBT with parent involvement to treat OCD in two school-age children with high-functioning autism

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves excessive worry coupled with engaging in rituals that are believed to help alleviate the worry. Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PODs) are characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, and the presence of repetitive and/or restrictive behaviours (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Research suggests that as many as 81% of children with a POD also meet criteria for a diagnosis ofOCD. Currently, only a handful of studies have investigated the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in treating OCD in children with autism (Reaven & Hepburn, 2003 ; Sze & Wood, 2007; Lehmkuhl, Storch, Bodtish & Geflken, 2008). In these case studies. the use of a multi-modal CBT treatment package was successful in alleviating OCD behaviours. The current study used function-based CBT with parent involvement and behavioural supplements to treat 2 children with POD and OCD. Using a multiple baseline design across behaviours and participants, parents reported that their child 's anxiety was alleviated and these gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. According to results of the Children 's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Goodman, Price, Rasmussen, Riddle, & Rapoport, 1986) from preto post-test, OCD behaviours of the children decreased II"om the severe to the mild range. In addition, the parents rated the family's level of interference related to their child 's OCD as substantially lower. Last, the CBT treatment received high ratings of consumer satisfaction.

The Beneficial Effects of Motivational Self-Talk on Endurance Performance and Cognitive Function in the Heat

The role of psychological strategies on endurance performance and cognitive function in the heat is unclear. This thesis tested the effects of a two-week motivational self-talk (MST) intervention - specific to heat stress - on endurance capacity and cognitive function in the heat (35°C 50% RH). The study utilized a pre-test / post-test design testing endurance capacity using a time to exhaustion test (TTE) after exercise-induced hyperthermia. Cognitive function (e.g executive function) was tested at baseline in thermoneutral (22°C 30% RH), before (R1) and after the TTE (R2). MST led to a significant improvement (~30%) in TTE and significantly faster completion time with fewer errors made on executive function tasks at baseline and R2, but not in R1, while there were no differences in the control group. Overall, these results indicate that using a top-down regulation strategy consisting of self-contextualized MST can improve physical and cognitive performance in the heat.