Exploiting Mimetic Theory for Instrument Design

This paper will present a first instrument and discuss its design method, derived from principles informed by mimetic theories. The purpose of these design principles is to create new and innovative digital music instruments. Even though mimetic theories are known to be important in the communication, engagement and expression of music performance, this ongoing enquiry represents the first consolidated effort to develop design principles from mimetic theories. [1], [2] As part of the project, a development cycle is being followed to produce, evaluate and improve the design principles, and as part of this paper, a first prototype will be presented. This paper covers a short description of the first prototype, describes the design process towards developing some generically applicable design principles and covers some of the underlying theories around empathy, communicative musicality and mimetic participation

Body-wave tomographic imaging of the Turkana Depression: Implications for rift development and plume-lithosphere interactions

The Turkana Depression, a topographically-subdued, broadly-rifted zone between the elevated East African and Ethiopian plateaus, disrupts the N–S, fault-bounded rift basin morphology that characterizes most of the East African Rift. The unusual breadth of the Turkana Depression leaves unanswered questions about the initiation and evolution of rifting between the Main Ethiopian and Eastern rifts. Hypotheses explaining the unusually broad, low-lying area include superposed Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting and a lack of mantle lithospheric thinning and dynamic support. To address these issues, we have carried out the first body-wave tomographic study of the Depression’s upper mantle. Seismically-derived temperatures at 100 km depth exceed petrological estimates, suggesting the presence of mantle melt, although not as voluminous as the Main Ethiopian Rift, contributes to velocity anomalies. A NW–SE-trending high wavespeed band in southern Ethiopia at urn:x-wiley:15252027:media:ggge22580:ggge22580-math-0001200 km depth is interpreted as refractory Proterozoic lithosphere which has likely influenced the localization of both Mesozoic and Cenozoic rifting. At urn:x-wiley:15252027:media:ggge22580:ggge22580-math-0002100 km depth below the central Depression, a single localized low wavespeed zone is lacking. Only in the northernmost Eastern Rift and southern Lake Turkana is there evidence for focused low wavespeeds resembling the Main Ethiopian Rift, that bifurcate below the Depression and broaden approaching southern Ethiopia further north. These low wavespeeds may be attributed to melt-intruded mantle lithosphere or ponded asthenospheric material below lithospheric thin-spots induced by the region's multiple rifting phases. Low wavespeeds persist to the mantle transition zone suggesting the Depression may not lack mantle dynamic support in comparison to the two plateaus

Reported goal setting and benefits of person centred planning for people with intellectual disabilities

Recent research suggests that person centred planning (PCP) can have a positive impact on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. This article presents data from open-ended comments collected during research on the impact of PCP on the life experiences of 65 people with intellectual disabilities living in England. These comments addressed the goals set prior to and during PCP, and the main benefits of PCP for participants. The results suggest that PCP led to increased goal setting in a range of goal categories. This was reflected in the most common main benefit of PCP of `increased activities and opportunities\u27 reported for 57 percent of participants. For 48 percent of participants, a main benefit of PCP was that they felt better in themselves, in terms of happiness or self-esteem. This must surely be the ultimate aim of those seeking to improve the quality of life of people with intellectual disabilities

Quantifying spatio-temporal consistency in the trophic ecology of two sympatric flatfishes

Sympatric flatfish predators may partition their resources in coastal environments to reduce competition and maximise foraging efficiency. However, the degree of spatial and temporal consistency in their trophic ecology is not well understood because dietary studies tend to overlook the heterogeneity of consumed prey. Increasing the spatial and temporal scale of dietary analyses can thus help to resolve predator resource use. We applied a stomach content and multi-tissue (liver and muscle) stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) approach to investigate the feeding habits of two co-occurring flatfish predators, common dab (Limanda limanda) and European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), across four bays on the Northumberland coast (UK) over short (hours), medium (days) and long (months) temporal scales. Stomach content analyses showed spatial consistencies in predator resource use, whereas stable isotope mixing models revealed considerable inter-bay diet variability. Stomach contents also indicated high dietary overlap between L. limanda and P. platessa, while the stable isotope data yielded low to moderate levels of overlap, with cases of complete niche separation. Furthermore, individual specialisation metrics indicated consistently low levels of specialisation among conspecifics over time. We document changes in resource partitioning in space and time, reflecting diet switching in response to local and temporal fluctuations of patchily distributed prey. This study highlights how trophic tracers integrated at multiple temporal and spatial scales (within tens of kilometres) provide a more integrative approach for assessing the trophic ecology of sympatric predators in dynamic environments

A cluster randomised feasibility study of an adolescent incentive intervention to increase uptake of HPV vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is suboptimal among some groups. We aimed to determine the feasibility of undertaking a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of incentives to improve HPV vaccination uptake by increasing consent form return. METHODS: An equal-allocation, two-arm cluster RCT design was used. We invited 60 London schools to participate. Those agreeing were randomised to either a standard invitation or incentive intervention arm, in which Year 8 girls had the chance to win a £50 shopping voucher if they returned a vaccination consent form, regardless of whether consent was provided. We collected data on school and parent participation rates and questionnaire response rates. Analyses were descriptive. RESULTS: Six schools completed the trial and only 3% of parents opted out. The response rate was 70% for the girls' questionnaire and 17% for the parents'. In the intervention arm, 87% of girls returned a consent form compared with 67% in the standard invitation arm. The proportion of girls whose parents gave consent for vaccination was higher in the intervention arm (76%) than the standard invitation arm (61%). CONCLUSIONS: An RCT of an incentive intervention is feasible. The intervention may improve vaccination uptake but a fully powered RCT is needed.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication: 22 August 2017; doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.284 www.bjcancer.com

Brief Report: Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Anxiety is a prevalent and impairing co-morbidity among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet assessment measures, including screening tools, are seldom validated with autism samples. We explored the psychometric properties of the child and parent reports of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and the Screen for Anxiety Related Disorder-71 (SCARED-71) with 49 males with ASD (10–16 years, 63% co-occurring anxiety). Both measures had excellent internal consistency and fair-good parent–child agreement. The SCAS has a higher proportion of items evaluating observable behaviors. Predictive power of the measures did not differ. Higher cut-points in the parent reports (SCARED only) and lower cut-points in the child reports may enhance prediction in this sample. Choice of measure and cut-points should be considered alongside intended purpose

Diverse Profiles of Anxiety Related Disorders in Fragile X, Cornelia de Lange and Rubinstein–Taybi Syndromes

Anxiety disorders are heightened in specific genetic syndromes in comparison to intellectual disability of heterogeneous aetiology. In this study, we described and contrasted anxiety symptomatology in fragile X (FXS), Cornelia de Lange (CdLS) and Rubinstein–Taybi syndromes (RTS), and compared the symptomatology to normative data for typically-developing children and children diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Scores did not differ between children diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and (a) participants with FXS on social phobia, panic/agoraphobia, physical injury fears, and obsessive–compulsive subscales (b) participants with CdLS on separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic/agoraphobia, physical injury fears and obsessive–compulsive subscales, and (c) participants with RTS on panic/agoraphobia and obsessive–compulsive subscales. The results highlight divergent profiles of anxiety symptomatology between these groups

Clinical Performance Status and Technical Factors Affecting Outcomes from Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Interventions; A Multicentre, Prospective, Observational Cohort Study.

Funder: British Society of Interventional RadiologyPURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of a 'Modified Karnofsky Scoring System' on outcomes and provide real-world data regarding the UK practice of biliary interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective multi-centred cohort study was performed. The pre-procedure modified Karnofsky score, the incidence of sepsis, complications, biochemical improvement and mortality were recorded out to 30 days post procedure. RESULTS: A total of 292 patients (248 with malignant lesions) were suitable for inclusion in the study. The overall 7 and 30 day mortality was 3.1% and 16.1%, respectively. The 30 day sepsis rate was 10.3%. In the modified Karnofsky 'high risk' group the 7 day mortality was 9.7% versus 0% for the 'low risk' group (p = 0.002), whereas the 30 day mortality was 28.8% versus 13.3% (p = 0.003). The incidence of sepsis at 30 days was 19% in the high risk group versus 3.3% at the low risk group (p = 0.001) CONCLUSION: Percutaneous biliary interventions in the UK are safe and effective. Scoring systems such as the Karnofsky or the modified Karnofsky score hold promise in allowing us to identify high risk groups that will need more careful consideration and enhanced patient informed consent but further research with larger studies is warranted in order to identify their true impact on patient selection and outcomes post biliary interventions

Brief report:effects of sensory sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty on anxiety in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

This study examined the relations between anxiety and individual characteristics of sensory sensitivity (SS) and intolerance of uncertainty (IU) in mothers of children with ASD. The mothers of 50 children completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Highly Sensitive Person Scale and the IU Scale. Anxiety was associated with both SS and IU and IU was also associated with SS. Mediation analyses showed direct effects between anxiety and both IU and SS but a significant indirect effect was found only in the model in which IU mediated between SS. This is the first study to characterize the nature of the IU and SS interrelation in predicting levels of anxiety