Western Extended Techniques in Traditional Japanese Wind Performance: Gagaku Kangen and Shakuhachi Honkyoku

The term “extended techniques” in the context of Western art music refers to performance techniques that fall outside the normal course of study for an instrument. The purpose of this study is, 1) to show that woodwind techniques considered “extended” and relatively “new” in Western classical music appear in traditional repertoires in Japan, and 2) to show that these techniques do not function as merely ornamental or virtuosic devices, but are instead structurally significant. I approach these two objectives through case studies of the instrumental kangen repertoire of the gagaku court ensemble (with a focus on the hichiriki and ryūteki wind parts) and the classical Zen Buddhist honkyoku repertoire of the shakuhachi flute. Whereas previous studies have disregarded the role of performance techniques in their analyses of form and mode, I have investigated how performance techniques confirm, emphasize, and even outline the formal and modal structure of the case-study pieces: Etenraku (gagaku) and Sokaku Reibo (shakuhachi). In this study, I analyze two recordings of the virtuosic shakuhachi piece Sokaku Reibo by recognized masters: Aoki Reibo II and Yamaguchi Gorō, and three recordings of the well-known gagaku piece Etenraku by Japanese court ensembles, in addition to recordings of the individual wind parts and sung mnemonics. In order to create a comprehensive picture of the role of the relevant performance techniques, I combine the methods of transnotation of tablature scores and mnemonics into staff notation (and lists of pitch cells in the case of Sokaku Reibo), transcription of recordings, and spectral analysis of recorded excerpts. This study demonstrates that all elements of a performance should be considered in analysis. An analysis that considers only the basic melodic line of a piece risks discarding elements that could inform and confirm the results. In the case of Etenraku and Sokaku Reibo, my investigation of performance techniques has led to a discovery of their structural significance

Modeling Evolution in the Classroom: An Interactive LEGO Simulation

Evolutionary theory is critical for a comprehensive understanding of biology, yet students often fail to grasp its underlying principles. This results partially from ineffective teaching; however, the use of interactive activities could alleviate this problem. In this guided investigation of evolutionary mechanisms, students use LEGO bricks to simulate how mutation, migration, genetic drift, and natural selection can affect the evolution of a population. This exercise was undertaken and assessed with college introductory biology students, but is also appropriate for advanced high school students

The health impacts of place-based creative programmes on older adults’ health: a critical realist review

Place-based creative programmes can help alleviate the structural and place-related problems that affect older adults' health. However, it is unclear why these programmes achieve positive outcomes, and how these may vary across contexts. This critical realist review aimed to address these gaps. We were able to evidence why these programmes may work for older people's mental, social and physical health. Place-based creative programmes impact on health because they support social relatedness, motivation, self-continuity and self-efficacy. However, the circumstances under which and for whom these programmes work remain hidden since existing studies do not report sufficiently on context. We set out some of the general aspects of context that could form the basis of minimum standards for reporting

Phylogenetic analyses suggest reverse splicing spread of group I introns in fungal ribosomal DNA

BACKGROUND: Group I introns have spread into over 90 different sites in nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) with greater than 1700 introns reported in these genes. These ribozymes generally spread through endonuclease-mediated intron homing. Another putative pathway is reverse splicing whereby a free group I intron inserts into a homologous or heterologous RNA through complementary base-pairing between the intron and exon RNA. Reverse-transcription of the RNA followed by general recombination results in intron spread. Here we used phylogenetics to test for reverse splicing spread in a taxonomically broadly sampled data set of fungal group I introns including 9 putatively ancient group I introns in the rDNA of the yeast-like symbiont Symbiotaphrina buchneri. RESULTS: Our analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history of the fungal introns with many cases of vertical inheritance (putatively for the 9 introns in S. buchneri) and intron lateral transfer. There are several examples in which introns, many of which are still present in S. buchneri, may have spread through reverse splicing into heterologous rDNA sites. If the S. buchneri introns are ancient as we postulate, then group I intron loss was widespread in fungal rDNA evolution. CONCLUSION: On the basis of these results, we suggest that the extensive distribution of fungal group I introns is at least partially explained by the reverse splicing movement of existing introns into ectopic rDNA sites

Open Access Issues and Potential Solutions Workshop

This report provides a summary of the discussion and findings of the Open Access Issues and Potential Solutions workshop held as part of the End-to-End Project. The workshop was highly interactive and feedback received indicated it was extremely valuable, stimulating a useful exchange of ideas

Speaking the same language – a scoping review to identify the terminology associated with social prescribing

Aim: To identify the social prescribing-related terminology within the peer-reviewed literature of the UK and the grey literature from Wales. Background: Social prescribing has seen a period of development that has been accompanied by a proliferation of related terminology and a lack of standardisation in the manner in which it is employed. This creates barriers to engagement and impairs communication, both between professionals and members of the public. The Wales School for Social Prescribing Research and Public Health Wales committed to the development of a glossary of terms for social prescribing, to facilitate the clarification and standardisation of the associated terminology. Here, we describe the first step in that process.Method: A scoping review of the peer-reviewed UK literature and Welsh grey literature was conducted. The titles and abstracts of 46,242 documents and the full text of 738 documents were screened. Data were charted from 205 documents. Data capture included terminology, the location within the UK of the research or intervention described in the article, and the perspective from which the article was authored. A general inductive approach was used to categorise the terms by theme. Findings: This research serves to highlight the breadth and diversity of the terminology associated with social prescribing. Results demonstrate aspects of shared commonality and clear distinction between the terminology from the two literature sources. The greatest contributions of terms were from articles that examined research and/or interventions in England and that were authored from the perspective of health or health and social care. The research indicates that nation- and sector-specific terms may not be adequately represented in the literature at large. Looking forward, it will be important to ensure that social prescribing terminology within the UK literature is culturally relevant and accurately reflects the terminology used by the workforce who encounter and deliver social prescribing

Care.data: democracy and health experts respond to concerns over the privacy of NHS patient information

The planned NHS scheme in which patient’s medical records would be compiled into a national database for research purposes has been postponed, amid concerns that the project was communicated poorly to the public. In this post, we ask democracy and health experts to share the views on the value of the care.data scheme and the important safeguards around the privacy of personal information that need to be in place before any re-launch