LIFELONG LEARNING AND ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP : THE CASE OF DIRECTING LIFE CHANGE PROJECT

Learning is our vehicle for change. As a learning community project, we can engage mature people to learn, initially through reflection, that they are empowered to, and can still influence, the direction of their life path. Choices including creative entrepreneurship, active citizenship through volunteering and mentoring, taking up further learning and address the emerging key societal challenge of the need for citizens to be and remain proactive. The aim of this paper is to emphasis in this process and to show how, ‘Directing Life Change’11 project empowers through direct participation, not only of other Learners, with whom relationships are fostered, but also with active participation of potential Life Change actors, locally and internationally. It also seeks to share innovation and experiences with a range of different audiences

Padé approximants for the acoustical properties of rigid frame porous media with pore size distributions

Expressions for the viscosity correction function, and hence bulk complex impedance, density, compressibility, and propagation constant, are obtained for a rigid frame porous medium whose pores are prismatic with fixed cross-sectional shape, but of variable pore size distribution. The lowand high-frequency behavior of the viscosity correction function is derived for the particular case of a log-normal pore size distribution, in terms of coefficients which can, in general, be computed numerically, and are given here explicitly for the particular cases of pores of equilateral triangular, circular, and slitlike cross-section. Simple approximate formulae, based on two-point Pade´ approximants for the viscosity correction function are obtained, which avoid a requirement for numerical integration or evaluation of special functions, and their accuracy is illustrated and investigated for the three pore shapes already mentione

Ebenezer Elliott : A study of his poetry, 1781-1849.

The intention of this study is to evaluate the writings of Ebenezer Elliott by particularly considering the response he makes in his poetry to his social environment as that is shaped by the impact of the Industrial Revolution on his native South Yorkshire during his lifetime (1781 - 1848).While this response to context in his verse remains central, the particular quality of Elliott's techniques are analysed and assessed by reference to the appraisal of his contemporaries, his own estimate of his achievement and also with detachment from those contemporary values and expectations which shaped both the poetry' and the estimate of it. The influence upon Elliott's work of his literary predecessors and contemporaries is referred to insofar as it facilitates an appreciation of Elliott's own work.In placing Elliott in his social and historical context, and in considering the strengths and weaknesses of his verse, a thematic approach is adopted. Consideration of his treatment of the natural surroundings of his own locality is followed by an assessment of the development of his industrial muse as he strove to find a suitable manner in which to express the impact of the Industrial Revolution on himself and those around him. Thirdly, his political poetry, notably the forceful Corn Law Rhymes, their form and their implication are discussed, before a final consideration of his use of the narrative mode, which began in his early Gothic tales and reached its fulfilment in The Village Patriarch, in which his contemplation of man in society exhibits a distinctive humanitarianism and concern.Insofar as this study provides a critical evaluation of Elliott's verse it breaks new ground and goes some way towards placing his achievement in both literary and historical terms

Influence of tree species and forest land use on soil hydraulic conductivity and implications for surface runoff generation

Forest planting is increasingly being incorporated into land management policies to mitigate diffuse pollution and localised flooding because forest soils are associated with enhanced hydraulic properties and lower surface runoff compared to soils under other vegetation types. Despite this, our understanding of the effects of different tree species and forest land use on soil hydraulic properties is limited. In this study we tested for the effects of two tree species, sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), subject to contrasting land use systems, namely ungrazed forest and livestock grazed forest, on soil surface saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) at a long term (23 year) experimental site in Scotland. Additionally these forest land use systems were compared to grazed pasture. Kfs was found to be significantly higher under ungrazed Scots pine forest (1239 mm hr− 1) than under ungrazed sycamore forest (379 mm hr− 1) and under both of these forest types than under pasture (32 mm hr− 1). However, this measure did not differ significantly between the sycamore and Scots pine grazed forest and pasture. It was inferred, from comparison of measured Kfs values with estimated maximum rainfall intensities for various return periods at the site, that surface runoff, as infiltration excess overland flow, would be generated in pasture and grazed forest by storms with a return period of at least 1 in 2 years, but that surface runoff is extremely rare in the ungrazed forests, regardless of tree species. We concluded that, although tree species with differing characteristics can create large differences in soil hydraulic properties, the influence of land use can mask the influence of trees. The choice of tree species may therefore be less important than forest land use for mitigating the effects of surface runoff

Adipose-derived stem cell conditioned medium impacts asymptomatic peripheral neuromuscular denervation in the mutant superoxide dismutase (G93A) transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Background:Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is devastating, leading to paralysis and death. Disease onset begins pre-symptomatically through spinal motor neuron (MN) axon die-back from musculature at ∼47 days of age in the mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (mSOD1G93A) transgenic ALS mouse model. This period may be optimal to assess potential therapies. We previously demonstrated that post-symptomatic adipose-derived stem cell conditioned medium (ASC-CM) treatment is neuroprotective in mSOD1G93A mice. We hypothesized that early disease onset treatment could ameliorate neuromuscular junction (NMJ) disruption. Objective:To determine whether pre-symptom administration of ASC-CM prevents early NMJ disconnection. Methods:We confirmed the NMJ denervation time course in mSOD1G93A mice using co-labeling of neurofilament and post-synaptic acetylcholine receptors (AchR) by α-bungarotoxin. We determined whether ASC-CM ameliorates early NMJ loss in mSOD1G93A mice by systemically administering 200μl ASC-CM or vehicle medium daily from post-natal days 35 to 47 and quantifying intact NMJs through co-labeling of neurofilament and synaptophysin with α-bungarotoxin in gastrocnemius muscle. Results:Intact NMJs were significantly decreased in 47 day old mSOD1G93A mice (p < 0.05), and daily systemic ASC-CM prevented disease-induced NMJ denervation compared to vehicle treated mice (p < 0.05). Conclusions:Our results lay the foundation for testing the long-term neurological benefits of systemic ASC-CM therapy in the mSOD1G93A mouse model of ALS

First Year Physical Activity Findings From Turn up the Heat (Healthy Eating and Activity Time) in Summer Day Camps

Background Summer day camps (SDCs) serve 14 million children yearly in the U.S. and aim to provide participating children with 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study evaluated an intervention designed to increase the percent of children meeting this MVPA guideline. Design Two-group, pre-post quasi-experimental. Setting/Participants Twenty SDCs serving 1,830 children aged 5–12 years were assigned to MVPA intervention (n = 10) or healthy eating attention control (n = 10). Intervention The STEPs (Strategies to Enhance Practice) intervention is a capacity-building approach grounded in the Theory of Expanded, Extended and Enhanced Opportunities. Camp leaders and staff receive training to expand (e.g., introduction of activity breaks/active field trips), extend (e.g., schedule minimum of 3 hours/day for PA opportunities), and enhance (e.g., maximize MVPA children accumulate during schedule activity) activity opportunities. Camps in the comparison condition received support for improving the types of foods/beverages served. Main outcome measures Percent of children accumulating the 60min/d MVPA guideline at baseline (summer 2015) and post-test (summer 2016) measured via wrist-accelerometry. Results Multilevel logistic regression conducted fall 2016 indicated boys and girls attending intervention SDCs were 2.04 (95CI = 1.10,3.78) and 3.84 (95CI = 2.02,7.33) times more likely to meet the 60min/d guideline compared to boys and girls attending control SDCs, respectively. This corresponded to increases of +10.6% (78–89%) and +12.6% (69–82%) in the percentage of boys and girls meeting the guideline in intervention SDCs, respectively. Boys in comparison SDCs increased by +1.6% (81–83%) and girls decreased by -5.5% (76–71%). Process data indicated intervention SDCs successfully extended and enhanced PA opportunities, but were unable to expand PA opportunities, compared to control SDCs. Conclusions Although substantial proportions of children met the MVPA guideline at baseline, no SDCs ensured all children met the guideline. This intervention demonstrated that, with support, SDCs can help all children in attendance to accumulate their daily recommended 60min MVPA. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0216180

Will fire danger be reduced by using Solar Radiation Management to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to 2.0°C

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Geophysical Union (AGU) via the DOI in this record.The commitment to limit warming to 1.5°C as set out in the Paris Agreement is widely regarded as ambitious and challenging. It has been proposed that reaching this target may require a number of actions, which could include some form of carbon removal or Solar Radiation Management in addition to strong emission reductions. Here we assess one theoretical solution using Solar Radiation Management to limit global mean warming to 1.5°C above pre‐industrial temperatures, and use the McArthur fire danger index to evaluate the change in fire danger. The results show that globally fire danger is reduced in most areas when temperatures are limited to 1.5°C compared to 2.0°C. The number of days where fire danger is ‘high’ or above is reduced by up to 30 days per year on average, although there are regional variations. In certain regions, fire danger is increased, experiencing 31 more days above ‘high’ fire danger.This work was supported by the European Commission‟s 7th Framework Programme (EU/FP7) under Grant Agreement 603864 (HELIX), and the Joint UK BEIS/Defra Met Office Hadley Centre Climate Programme (GA01101)

Maude Abbott and the origin and mysterious disappearance of the Canadian Medical War Museum

From the mid-1960s a new breed of scientific instrument curators emerged in the United Kingdom. This small community of practice developed in parallel to but Context.—In the early 1900s, it was common practice to retain, prepare, and display instructive pathologic specimens to teach pathology to medical trainees and practitioners; these collections were called medical museums. Maude Abbott established her reputation by developing expertise in all aspects of medical museum work. She was afounder of the International Association of Medical Museums (later renamed the International Academy of Pathology) and became an internationally renowned expert on congenital heart disease. Her involvement in the Canadian Medical War Museum (CMWM) is less well known. Objective.—To explore Abbott’s role in the development of the CMWM during and after World War I and to trace its history. Design.—Available primary and secondary historical sources were reviewed. Results.—Instructive pathologic specimens derived from Canadian soldiers dying during World War I were shipped to the Royal College of Surgeons in London, which served as a clearinghouse for museum specimens from Dominion forces. The Canadian specimens were repatriated to Canada, prepared by Abbott, and displayed at several medical meetings. Abbott, because she was a woman, could not enlist and so she reported to a series of enlisted physicians with no expertise in museology. Plans for a permanent CMWM building in Ottawa eventually failed and Abbott maintained the collection at McGill (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) until her death in 1940. We trace the CMWM after her death. Conclusions.—Sadly, after Abbott had meticulously prepared these precious teaching specimens so that their previous owners’ ultimate sacrifice would continue to help their military brethren, the relics were bureaucratically lost

Mapping whitegrub damage in sugarcane from high spatial resolution satellite imagery

‘Canegrubs’ (whitegrubs; Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) feed on the roots of sugarcane plants, reducing plant vigour and yield, and if left untreated they have the potential to rapidly increase the impacted area in the following year. For the targeted control of the canegrub, it is essential that the location of the affected areas is identified. However, identifying canegrub damage in the field is difficult due to the often impenetrable nature of sugarcane. The objective of this research was to use geographic object‐based image analysis (GEOBIA) and high spatial resolution satellite imagery to map canegrub damage. The GEOBIA mapping approach used in this research was based on the following key steps for three selected study sites in Queensland, Australia: (1) initial segmentation of sugarcane block boundaries and further segmentation of each block into smaller homogenous objects; (2) classification and subsequent omission of fallow/harvested fields, tracks and other non‐sugarcane features; (3) identification of ‘potentially’ grub‐damaged areas within each block based on low NDVI and high image texture values; and (4) identification of ‘likely’ grub affected areas based on the absolute difference in NDVI and texture values between the ‘potentially’ grub damaged areas and the remaining parts of each block. Overall accuracies were between 53‐79%. Further research will focus on improving these mapping accuracies. The results of this research will help cane growers to manage and reduce damage caused by canegrubs and increase future yields