Movement, Technological Mediation and Embodied Interactions, in the Education of children with autism.

The thesis offers insight into an embodied practice informed by childhood development studies, cognitive science, and pedagogy as an iterative approach to develop creative alternatives to the application of solo engagement with technologies in the education of autistic children. Through the diverse experiences enabled by the project’s dual practice and theoretical approach, this work evidences alternative ways to reflect on the education of autistic children, and reports methods that can offer the education sector ways to support children exposed to computer technologies in education through more holistic methods. The thesis advocates for an approach, developed through the practice-research method, that works with computer technologies socially, to engage children, rather than resorting to the commonly seen isolated interactions. The concept of a hybrid offers an alternative to binary, either/or, approaches to consider the role of ICT in special needs education, and instead suggests a more productive triad of approaches premising adaptation over compromise. This triad, suggests three areas of interest; autism, education and technological advances. By applying techniques such as improvisation, somatic movement techniques and participant observation, the thesis proposes a reconsideration of existing interventions in order to promote holistic development, rather than short-term temporary solutions. The practical research of one-to-one movement interactions, with autistic children, is a method basing its approach at the intersection between traditional interventions and therapies, reliant on human interaction, and more recent technological advances developing as a result of ICT use in schools. The focus on the diagnosis of autism leads the thesis to focus on themes relating to human interaction. Empathy, mimicry and touch are developed as central concerns due to their placement in literature surrounding both childhood development and movement practices. The thesis suggests how Dance and Movement practices may offer insights into adapting such engagements with technologies within the education sector. The research advocates for a hybrid model throughout the education of autistic children. It reports a body of practice-research using movement with autistic children, as the participants, that situates and explores themes of embodiment

Parasitic gastroenteritis in calves during their first season at grass: The potential for a performance-based targeted selective anthelmintic treatment programme

The work described in this thesis was designed to investigate the current impact of parasitic gastroenteritis on organic and conventional dairy farms in first season grazing youngstock in Scotland, and to elucidate a marker of significant parasite challenge within individual calves, in order to target these calves with an anthelmintic treatment. It was felt particularly that any recommendations should be practical and easily implemented on-farm, and optimise anthelmintic usage, with regard to animal health, welfare and performance on both organic and conventional farms. There is world-wide recognition that nematode parasite infections are one of the greatest causes of lost productivity of grazing livestock. In the UK, the single most important cause of parasitic gastroenteritis in cattle is infection with the abomasal nematode, Ostertagia ostertagi, although concomitant infection with the less pathogenic intestinal nematode, Cooperia oncophora is common. Often, non-organic (conventional) producers use anthelmintic treatment programmes that prevent disease or treat all animals in a group without necessarily considering the basic epidemiological information needed for an optimal strategic control. Organic producers are encouraged to avoid this approach, thus it may be hypothesised that organic livestock harbour higher parasite burdens compared to livestock in conventional systems. However, little information is available on current UK organic dairy anthelmintic use and subsequent parasite challenge to youngstock. This thesis aimed to investigate current management practices on three Scottish organic farms compared to three Scottish conventional farms and examine different ways of assessing parasite challenge (including novel markers) with a view to the implementation of a targeted selective treatment (TST) programme. Liveweight gain assessment by means of weigh-bands as a tool to investigate the effect of parasitism on the host was also examined. In year one of the study, the six farms were visited on four occasions throughout the grazing season where fifteen first season grazers on each farm had their liveweight measured (weigh-band or weigh-scale), a faecal egg count (FEC) recorded and plasma pepsinogen, plasma fructosamine and Ostertagia ostertagi antibody concentrations measured. Knowledge of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of gastrointestinal nematode infestation has led to the identification of parasitic biomarkers for use either as a diagnostic tool or for providing a threshold for anthelmintic treatment. Faecal egg counts (FEC) are the most widely used parameter, both clinically and in studies on gastrointestinal nematode infections of ruminants, because of their relative convenience and low cost. Organic producers are encouraged to use faecal egg counts in order to direct anthelmintic treatment to calves, or groups of calves, that have counts of 200 eggs per gram or more (Soil Association, 2010). The recent launch of COWS (Control of Worms Sustainably in Cattle) in May 2010 - an initiative to prevent widespread anthelmintic resistance and to use anthelmintics appropriately in cattle in the UK - has also seen conventional farmers encouraged to use faecal egg counts in the same manner as their organic counterparts (Taylor, 2010i). None of the biomarkers, including FEC, investigated in the study reflected liveweight gain adequately to use in a targeted selective anthelmintic treatment programme. An ideal biomarker would give indication of calves that would most benefit from anthelmintic treatment before liveweight gain was affected. The biomarkers in this study indicated presence of gastrointestinal parasitism but could not target the animals that had poor liveweight gains. The emphasis on FEC in advice to farmers regarding the need for anthelmintic treatment requires re-evaluation. The data from year one showed that the conventionally farmed first season grazers (FSG) had significantly higher liveweight gains than the organically farmed calves. Anthelmintic treatment was applied to the organic calves in the study when the calves were known to be harbouring gastrointestinal parasite infection from positive faecal egg counts. The organically farmed first season grazers in this study had high gastrointestinal parasite challenge, indicated by parasite-based markers such as FEC and plasma pepsinogen concentration. The conventional producers in this study exposed FSG to 652% more days of anthelmintic than the organic producers and gained superior liveweight gains over the grazing season. Essentially, the organic producers fulfilled the ethos of organic production, reducing anthelmintic usage and showing necessity of anthelmintic treatment. However, subclinical and clinical parasitic gastroenteritis reduces animal welfare, the essence of the organic ethos. The organic industry needs to investigate whether there is a superior alternative to FEC that still promotes the organic ethos and reduces subclinical and clinical parasitic gastroenteritis. The possibility of using liveweight gain as a marker for anthelmintic treatment was investigated. An accurate assessment of liveweight is necessary if calf liveweight gain is to be calculated accurately and used as a threshold for anthelmintic treatment. Cattle weigh-scales are expensive and often not available on farm, particularly where youngstock may be grazing at pasture and gathered in the field for handling. With this in mind, cattle weigh-bands, which measure heart girth and relate this to liveweight, have been devised and used in practice in order to estimate cattle liveweight. Realistically, if a liveweight gain threshold were to be recommended for use on farms in the UK, the weigh-band must estimate liveweight and hence liveweight gain accurately. Given that many farmers do not possess weigh-scales on farm, use of heart-girth measurements to estimate liveweight gain is the best option available to farmers currently. Year two involved the implementation of a targeted selective anthelmintic treatment (TST) programme on two organic farms and one conventional farm; all were previously involved in the year one study. Anthelmintic treatment was applied only to FSG calves growing at <0.75kg/day at two points in the grazing season. Organic Farm 1 (O1) and Organic Farm 2 (O2) increased the liveweight gain of the FSG in year two by 50% and 44% respectively. Farm O2 exposed the FSG to 1160% more days of anthelmintic than in 2009; however, approximately 10% of the group were left untreated. Conventional FSG showed reduced liveweight gain from the previous year by 19%. However, respiratory disease was present on-farm also and may have confounded findings. Applying a performance-based targeted anthelmintic regime treatment in the field is possible and using it on farms where anthelmintic treatment was already minimal, such as organic farms, increased liveweight gain in first season grazers without significantly increasing anthelmintic treatment. Applying a TST regime to a conventional farm where previously a suppressive anthelmintic treatment had been applied may have reduced liveweight gain in the first season grazers (FSG) but maintained it at an acceptable level. The acceptance by farmers of TST strategies, and their implementation, may require a high level of input and education to the farming community

This man country

Includes bibliographical references (leaf 123).This collection of short stories explores how ordinary individuals in extraordinary situations negotiate issues of race, gender, sexuality, and longing for home. Set in New York, the Caribbean, and South Africa, they reflect the history and culture of Caribbean immigrants and their children. These stories are meant to entertain and shed light on routinely unexplored areas of human experience: those of women, girls, homosexuals, immigrants, and working class people. The title, This Man Country, refers to how Caribbean people in my grandparents' generation thought of America as "this man country," a place where they would stay temporarily to connect with their children, make money, escape from their lives at home, among other reasons

A Critical Discursive Psychological Study: Political Rhetoric Surrounding Welfare Reform from 2010-2014

This research critically analyses the language used by politicians: David Cameron, George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith, in their efforts to build and convey constructs of welfare recipients and welfare reform in the period of 2010-2014. Using Critical Discursive Psychology principles and practices, the constructs are analysed by asking how they were built and how. These questions are considered alongside a focus on linguistic tools, rhetorical features and their function regarding macro factors. The data analysed consisted of transcribed speeches which were delivered by Cameron, Osborne and Duncan Smith prior to and subsequent to the introduction of welfare reforms. Drawing from this data, the analysis discusses how aspects of welfare are rhetorically managed in discourse. The interpretive repertoires which were built and drawn from by the politicians constructed welfare recipients as victims and abusers and welfare reform as fairness and opportunity. The accounts of welfare produced by these Conservative leaders provide a vague, insufficient version of reality. The speeches are socially functional: they work to condemn unemployed welfare recipients, to criticise the previous Labour government, to praise working people and to justify the welfare reforms. The discourses place blame and responsibility for the economic downturn and personal financial struggles on individual welfare recipients regardless of their individual circumstances. The discourses were also found to portray the reforms as both punitive and beneficial to welfare recipients therefore appealing to different perspectives. This research challenges the discourses produced by Conservative elites with regards to their validity and their political implications. In doing so, the research aims to offer a critique of the constructs of social security recipients and the coalition’s welfare reforms built by Conservative politicians by deconstructing their accounts. In challenging these accounts the research also aims to provide alternative cultural resources for this social debate. The greater implications of powerful discourses, as well as how discursive practices can be employed to encourage greater awareness, are also discussed

CITAR LOS RENGLONES CINEMATOGRÁFICOS EN LA CONVERSACIÓN: ¿QUÉ, POR QUÉ, Y CÓMO?

Although media are known to impact affect, attitudes, behavior, and physiological indicators, no research has examined the very common but long-ignored behavior of quoting lines from movies in conversation. The primary goal of the present exploratory studies was to observe the emotions, reasons, and behaviors associated with movie quoting, and compare predicted accuracy with actual accuracy. Questionnaires were administered to two samples of 478 young adult university students. Results showed that 100% quoted movies, primarily comedies (about 70%), in conversation. They did so primarily in order to amuse themselves and others and reported little to no effort necessary to remember the lines. Lines were quoted completely or almost completely accurately around 90% of the time, and the intended hearers were usually others who had seen the film, with quoters seldom surprised at others’ reactions. Results were interpreted in light of Bandura’s (2002) theory of observational learning and its four components.Aunque los medios tienen un impacto significativo sobre las emociones, las actitudes, el comportamiento, y las medidas fisiológicas, ninguna investigación ha examinado un hecho muy usual como lo es el citar renglones cinematográficos en conversaciones cotidianas. La meta principal de la investigación actual fue medir las emociones, razones, y el comportamiento asociado a la citación de los renglones cinematográficos, y para comparar la exactitud predicha con la verdadera exactitud. Se administraron 478 cuestionarios a una muestra de estudiantes universitarios adultos jóvenes. Los resultados mostraron que el100% de los mismos citaron renglones cinematográficos, principalmente provenientes de comedias (70%) tanto para divertirse como para divertir a otros. Refirieron que recordar los renglones les requería poco o ningún esfuerzo y citaron a los mismos textualmente o casi textualmente en aproximadamente 90% de los casos. Quienes recepcionaban los mensajes habían visto la película y quienes los citaban no se mostraron sorprendidos por la respuesta de los receptores. Los resultados fueron interpretados a la luz de la Teoría de Bandura (2002) sobre el Aprendizaje Observacional y sus cuatro componentes

Reduction of the self-reference effect in younger and older adults

Relating information to the self improves memory. However, this self-reference effect (SRE) is typically studied through explicit self-judgments on individual trials. The current study assessed whether a self-referential mode of thought, induced through a writing task, also induced an SRE on a later task. The study also tested the effects of aging on the SRE, given that a long-lasting mnemonic strategy may be especially relevant for this group. Ninety-two younger adults and 60 older adults were assigned to different writing conditions and then completed an unrelated SRE task. Across younger and older adults, the classic SRE effect was observed in the narrative writing condition, reduced in the semantic self-reference condition, and further reduced in the episodic self-reference condition. These results support the induction of a self-referential mode of thought, but this mode does not enhance memory. The classic SRE effect can be reduced after thinking about the self by reflecting on autobiographical memories. Results argue for a single shared self-referential mechanism that can be accessed through self-focused writing or the classic SRE task

Equity-Oriented Conceptual Framework for K-12 STEM Literacy

We introduce a conceptual framework of K-12 STEM literacy that rightfully and intentionally positions each and every student, particularly minoritized groups, as belonging in STEM. In order to conceptualize the equity-based framework of STEM literacy, we conducted a systematic review of literature related to STEM literacy, which includes empirical studies that contribute to STEM literacy. The literature on the siloed literacies within STEM (i.e., science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literacy) also contributed to formulate the necessity of and what it means to develop STEM literacy. The Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy Framework illuminates the complexities of disrupting the status quo and rightfully transforming integrated STEM education in ways that provide equitable opportunities and access to all learners. The Equity-Oriented STEM Literacy Framework is a research-based, equity and access-focused framework that will guide research, inform practice, and provide a lens for the field that will ensure each and every student, especially minoritized students, develop, and are developing STEM literacy

Examining the bidirectional association between emotion recognition and social autistic traits using observational and genetic analyses

Background: There is mixed evidence for an association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and emotion recognition deficits. We sought to assess the bidirectionality of this association using phenotypic and genetic data in a large community sample. Methods: Analyses were conducted in three stages. First, we examined the bidirectional association between social autistic traits at age 8 years and emotion recognition task (ERT) responses at age 24 years (Study 1; N = 3,562); and between Diagnostic Analysis of Non-Verbal Accuracy (DANVA) emotion recognition responses at age 8 years and social autistic traits at age 10 years (Study 2; N = 9,071). Next, we used genetic analyses (Study 3) to examine the association between polygenic risk scores for ASD and outcomes for the ERT and DANVA. The genetic correlation between ASD and ERT responses at age 24 was also estimated. Analyses were conducted in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Results: Social autistic traits at age 8 years were negatively associated with later total correct responses on ERT in Study 1 (b = −0.18; 95% CI: −0.27 to −0.09). We also found evidence of an association in Study 2 (b = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.05 to −0.03). We found the opposite association, that is positive, between the ASD polygenic risk score and ERT (b = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.10 to 0.70); however, this association varied across different p-value thresholds and would not survive multiple testing, so should be interpreted with caution. We did not find evidence of a genetic correlation between ASD and ERT. Conclusion: We found an observational association between poorer emotion recognition and increased social autistic traits. Our genetic analyses may suggest a shared genetic aetiology between these or a potential causal pathway; however, future research would benefit from using better powered GWAS to examine this further. Our results may inform interventions targeting emotion recognition