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The effects of a shared teacher-child play intervention on the amount and type of targeted play behaviors of young children with blindness were evaluated. Nondirective strategies (following the child's lead to make indirect play suggestions, modeling appropriate play activities, and participating as a play partner) resulted in improved play behaviors by all three children. (Author/DB)

The social participation patterns of 28 young children with visual impairments (some with additional disabilities) during free-play periods was compared across specialized and integrated settings. Although no significant differences were found between settings, there were significant differences between children with and without additional disabilities. (Author/DB)

Sixty-five persons with visual impairments were videotaped as they located and learned the arrangement of five objects in a novel space. Analysis of videotapes and verbal self-reports of the 15 best performing participants revealed that they implemented systematic perimeter and/or gridline patterns, utilized their canes efficiently, and implemented object-link types of search patterns. (JDD)

This article reports the findings of a survey of 37 orientation and mobility specialists who serve preschool-age visually impaired children. It presents demographics of the children and the specialists involved in long cane instruction and identifies the factors related to the decision to begin this instruction. (Author/DB)

Summary: Fractures are medical conditions that compromise the athletic potential of horses and/or the safety of jockeys. Therefore, the reduction of fracture risk is an important horse and human welfare issue. The present study used molecular genetic approaches to determine the effect of genetic risk for fracture at four candidate SNPs spanning the myostatin (MSTN) gene on horse chromosome 18. Among the 3706 Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses, 1089 (29.4%) had experienced fractures in their athletic life, indicating the common occurrence of this injury in Thoroughbreds. In the case/control association study, fractures of the carpus (carpal bones and distal radius) were statistically associated with g.65809482T/C (P = 1.17 x 10‐8), g.65868604G/T (P = 2.66 x 10‐9), and g.66493737C/T (P = 6.41 x 10‐8). In the retrospective cohort study using 1710 racehorses born in 2000, the relative risk (RR) was highest for male horses at g.65868604G/T, based on the dominant allele risk model (RR = 2.251, 95% confidence interval 1.407–3.604, P = 0.00041), and for female horses at g.65868604G/T, based on the recessive allele risk model (RR = 2.313, 95% confidence interval 1.380–3.877, P = 0.00163). Considering the association of these SNPs with racing performance traits such as speed, these genotypes may affect the occurrence of carpus fractures in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses as a consequence of the non‐genetic influence of the genotype on the distance and/or intensity of racing and training. The genetic information presented here may contribute to the development of strategic training programs and racing plans for racehorses that improve their health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining an accurate profile of the spatial sensitivity of Hall cross structures is crucial if such devices are to be used to analyze the switching behavior of magnetic nanostructures and determine the switching field distribution of bit patterned media. Here, we have used the anomalous Hall effect to investigate the switching of patterned Co/Pt multilayer magnetic nanoislands, where the Hall cross has been integrated into the Pt seed layer. Using the anomalous Hall output voltage we have observed the magnetic switching of individual islands, allowing the spatial sensitivity across a Hall cross structure to be determined. The experimental results agree well with numerical simulation studies, using a three-dimensional finite element model, and with existing theoretical studies, where the spatial sensitivity of two-dimensional Hall cross structures have been found numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the deposition process on the magnetic characteristics of coupled permalloy thin films with thicknesses ranging from 200 to 1,300 angstroms was investigated. The results showed that in the permalloy thickness range of 200-600 angstroms, the coercivity was substantially affected by the substrate temperature. Samples prepared at 40 degrees celsius had lower coercivities than those deposited at 400 degrees celsius.

Summary: Background: We hypothesised that grade/appearance for upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders identified at the first overground endoscopy (OGE) examination would vary at subsequent examinations. Objectives: To compare OGE examinations from horses evaluated on at least two occasions under similar exercise conditions without treatment intervention. Study design: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Pre‐exercise and exercising OGE recordings from Thoroughbred horses undergoing multiple examinations under similar exercise conditions were reviewed, with the first two recordings for each horse statistically evaluated. Paired Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests were used to assess differences in exercise and physiological parameters between examinations. Z‐tests were used to assess the proportion of changes in URT disorder grade/appearance between examinations. A McNemar's test was used to compare the proportion of horses with each disorder at each examination. Test–retest reliability across examinations was assessed using Spearman's ρ, and ordered logistic regression used to explore temporal effects on repeatability. Lattice plots were constructed to view variability in disorders over time. Results: Seventy‐eight horses (median age 2.4 years) with 195 resting endoscopic examinations including 72/78 horses with 179 pre‐exercise and exercising OGE examinations were evaluated. Median time between examinations was 226.5 days with no differences between exercise and physiological parameters. Grades significantly varied between examinations for all disorders, and in particular for palatal instability (PI) and epiglottic grade at rest. A temporal link between examination interval and disorder grade change was identified for PI and resting arytenoid asymmetry. Main limitations: OGE re‐examinations within a shorter, more consistent time‐frame would allow determination of intrahorse variability. The sample size was inadequate to conclusively establish temporal links between disorders and time between examinations. Conclusions: Variability for most URT abnormalities identified with OGE should be considered when making therapeutic decisions based on a single examination and may partially explain development of additional URT conditions after surgical intervention. The Summary is available in Portuguese ‐ see Supporting Information [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Endoscopic tip placement in the pharynx and water flushing interval (FI) may affect exercising upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopic results. Objectives: To determine associations between the endoscopic tip position in the pharynx and automated FI with overground endoscopic (OGE) results. Study design: Randomised balanced 2X5 factorial design. Methods: A total of n = 200 horses undergoing OGE were randomly assigned into 10 groups (n = 20/group) of different automated endoscopic FIs (no flushing, 60, 120, 180, 240 s) with the endoscope tip positioned either rostrally (position A) or caudally (position B) in the pharynx. Endoscopic videos were analysed and all URT abnormalities graded using published scales. Disorders with ≤10% prevalence were excluded from the final analysis with only arytenoid asymmetry at exercise (AAex), vocal fold collapse (VFC), palatal dysfunction (PD) and medial deviation of the aryepiglottic folds (MDAF) included. The association of endoscope position and FI with URT disorders was assessed using ordinal regression models with P≤0.05 significant. Results: Endoscope tip positioning was significantly associated with PD grading (P = 0.002), with 63/100 horses diagnosed with PD in position A and 45/100 in position B. No other significant direct associations between URT disease and endoscope tip position were identified, although interactions between exercise velocity and endoscope position affected MDAF grade. FI was not directly associated with alterations in disorder grading, although interactions between exercise velocity and FI appeared to affect MDAF grade. Main limitations: The same horse was not evaluated under each test condition potentially resulting in sample bias. Interactions between disorders were not evaluated. The sample size was insufficient to conclusively explore relationships between all factors and disorder grading. Conclusions: Position of the endoscope tip within the pharynx appears to affect grading of PD during OGE examination. Exercise velocity may affect MDAF grade through interactions with endoscope position and FI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Conflicting results have been reported for risk factors for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) based on resting endoscopic evaluation and comparison of single conformation traits, with many traits correlated to one another. Objectives: To simplify identification of signalment and conformation traits (i.e. variables) associated with RLN cases and controls diagnosed with exercising overground endoscopy (OGE) using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Study design: Prospective cohort. Methods: Pearson's rank correlation was used to establish significance and association between variables collected from n = 188 Thoroughbreds from one stable by observers blinded to OGE results. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on nine variables for cases and controls; common elements between variables developed a factor, with variables grouped into three factors for cases and controls respectively. Correlation (loading) between each variable and factor was calculated to rank relationships between variables and cases/controls, with factors retrospectively named based on their underlying correlations with variables. Results: Numerous inter‐correlations were present between variables. Most strongly correlated in cases were wither height with body weight (r = 0.70) and ventral neck length (r = 0.68) and in controls body weight with rostral neck circumference (r = 0.58). Wither height (r = 0.61) significantly loaded the top‐ranked factor for cases ('heightRLN'), explaining 25% of conformational variance. Ventral neck length (r = 0.69) and age (r = 0.57) significantly loaded the second‐ranked factor for cases ('neck lengthRLN'), explaining 16% of conformational variance. Rostral neck circumference (r = 0.86) and body weight (r = 0.6) significantly loaded the top‐ranked factor for controls ('body sizeCON'), explaining 19% of the variance. Wither height (r = 0.84) significantly loaded the second‐ranked factor for controls ('heightCON'), explaining 13% of the variance. Main limitations: Horses had not reached skeletal maturity. Conclusions: Exploratory factor analysis allowed weightings to be determined for each variable. Wither height was the predominant conformational feature associated with RLN. Exploratory factor analysis confirms aggregated conformational differences exist between RLN cases and controls, suitable for future evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]