A qualitative analysis of the Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi

The Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi (太一金華宗旨) is an important Daoist text, in particular to the Longmen branch of the Quanzhen movement. It is attributed to Lü Dongbin and describes a form of meditation called huiguang (回光 – turning around or reversing the light). The text was popularized in the West through a commentary by Carl Jung on Richard Wilhelm’s translation. However, the accuracy of both Jung’s commentary (e.g., Cott & Rock, 2009) and Wilhelm’s translation (e.g., Cleary, 1991) have been questioned. While the Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi tends to express its message in much clearer language than many Daoist texts, it is still may not be immediately accessible to most readers on first viewing. Thus, the results presented herein are intended to clearly present the main messages of the Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi for those unfamiliar with the text, while attempting to avoid committing the same errors as, for example, Jung. To do this, the present analysis extracted all the prominent constructs discussed in the text, descriptions of their nature, and the relationships between them. This resulted in five overarching themes, two of which describe the general process of turning the light around, and a further three that describe a stage-like progression resulting from this general process. The constructs and relationships that constitute each theme are discussed in detail with the aid of diagrammatic representations, as are the relationships between the five themes.It is hoped that this analysis will make the general teachings of the Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi more accessible to psychologists wishing to pursue studies in the area of Daoism

The Effect of Repeated Reading with Audio-recorded Modeling on the Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension of Adolescents with EBD or OHI and Behavioral Difficulties

Adolescents with behavioral difficulties and emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) or other health impairment (OHI) have demonstrated deficits in reading, and these deficits appear to remain stable or worsen over time. Reading fluency is an essential skill for overall reading achievement, yet relatively few studies have addressed reading fluency intervention for adolescents, particularly adolescents with behavioral difficulties. This study used a multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effect of a repeated reading intervention on the reading fluency and comprehension skills of middle school students with reading difficulties and behavioral difficulties and EBD or OHI. The intervention involved repeated reading combined with an audio-recorded model and cues to read for comprehension. Working independently at a classroom computer, participants received six to nine minutes of daily supplemental fluency instruction over a four-week period. Instruction involved listening to an audio recording of a model reading a passage, receiving cues to read for understanding, reading the passage aloud while using the computer to record the reading, listening to the recording, and reading the passage aloud again while recording. Results indicated no functional relation between the intervention and the number of words correct per minute or the percentage of comprehension questions answered correctly. However, on-task behavior did improve during study session when compared with on-task behavior during regular classroom instruction. The findings of the study have implications for addressing the needs of adolescents with behavioral difficulties who have reading difficulties

Concordance of Bing doubles and boundary genus

Cha and Kim proved that if a knot K is not algebraically slice, then no iterated Bing double of K is concordant to the unlink. We prove that if K has nontrivial signature $\sigma$, then the n-iterated Bing double of K is not concordant to any boundary link with boundary surfaces of genus less than $2^{n-1}\sigma$. The same result holds with $\sigma$ replaced by $2\tau$, twice the Ozsvath-Szabo knot concordance invariant.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Relationships between braid length and the number of braid strands

For a knot K, let b_n(K) be the minimum length of an n-stranded braid representative of K. Examples of knots exist for which b_n(K) is a non-increasing function. We investigate the behavior of b_n(K). We develop bounds on the function in terms of the genus of K, with stronger results for homogeneous knots and braid positive knots. For knots of nine or fewer crossings, we show that b_n(K) is an increasing function and determine it completely.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; minor revision

Recruitment of Liberals into the Conservative party

PhD ThesisConsideration of recruitment of Liberal politicians into the Conservative party, in the first third of the twentieth century, is an important but under-explored aspect of the political realignment which saw the demise of the Liberal party and the rise of a new duopoly between the Conservative and Labour parties. A specific and detailed investigation of the phenomenon is necessary. This study provides an opportunity to appreciate the nature of how individual Liberal politicians reacted to changing political circumstances with the weakening of the Liberal party. It examines a range of relevant factors – both of a long-term and immediate nature – and undertakes comparative analysis of the careers of the relevant politicians, including not only prominent politicians but also less well-known ones to assist in ensuring that the topic avoids being merely a study of high politics. All findings point to a diverse range of issues which influenced political thinking about party allegiances, but broadly these relate to the growth of a shared political agenda, between Liberals and Conservatives. Some Liberals wanted positively to coalesce with Conservatives, forming relationships, both in Parliament and in the constituencies, which eventually brought them inside the Conservative party or close to it, whilst others, by contrast, almost fell into working with the Conservatives due to political pressures over time. All seemed to suffer some level of disaffection from the Liberal party, which was therefore a key ingredient in hastening their change of party