Scientist - performers - audiences. Different modes of meaning-making

This paper provides a brief overview of the emergence of dance in the field of cognitive neuroscience and sustains the importance to understand-ing how dance is conceptualised in other disciplines in order to design valuable future research employing dance. It is proposed that recognising the distinct modes of meaning-making will undoubtedly affect and advance the scientific progress understanding by modes of meaning-making the phenomenological difference in how a dancer relates to a movement phrase from how a scientist or a choreographer watches, interprets, and experiences a dance phrase. The overall message is that the different modes of meaning-making requires consideration in scientific studies where a new generation of artists-scientists is needed, driven to excel in both, data handling and artistic purposes.//Abstract in Spanish:Este artículo proporciona una breve descripción de la aparición de la danza en el campo de la neurociencia cognitiva y sostiene que es importante entender cómo se conceptualiza la danza en otras disciplinas para diseñar in-vestigaciones futuras que la empleen. Se propone que reconocer los distintos modos de creación de significado afectará y avanzará el progreso científico entendiendo por modos de creación de significado la diferencia fenomenológica en la forma en que un bailarín se relaciona con una frase de movimiento de cómo lo hace un científico o un coreógrafo. El mensaje general es que los dif-erentes modos de creación de significado requieren consideración en estudios científicos donde son necesarios una nueva generación de artistas-científicos, impulsados a sobresalir tanto en el manejo de datos como en los propósitos artísticos

The dancing queen:explanatory mechanisms of the 'feel-good effect' in dance

Dance is a social, creative form of human activity impacting on wellbeing through emotional involvement in active or passive participation at all levels of mastery. Dance as a physical activity can potentially improve health physiologically, psychologically, and socially. Despite a recent surge in dance-related research, the authors believe that this area of human behaviour is still relatively unexplored. Here, therefore, they examine possible mechanisms that may contribute to the ‘feel-good effect’ of dance participation by emphasizing its positive as well as its potentially detrimental effects, taking the physical activity literature as a starting point. They address biochemical, brain neurotransmitters, cognitive–neuroscientific, and psychological mechanisms that are thought to explain the impact of physical activity in wellbeing, and discuss functional and structural brain changes that are linked to participation in dance. They conclude by highlighting the need to increase research to better recognize the potential risks and benefits of dance in improving health and wellbeing

Spectators’ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in dance performance

In this paper we present a study of spectators’ aesthetic experiences of sound and movement in live dance performance. A multidisciplinary team comprising a choreographer, neuroscientists and qualitative researchers investigated the effects of different sound scores on dance spectators. What would be the impact of auditory stimulation on kinesthetic experience and/or aesthetic appreciation of the dance? What would be the effect of removing music altogether, so that spectators watched dance while hearing only the performers’ breathing and footfalls? We investigated audience experience through qualitative research, using post-performance focus groups, while a separately conducted functional brain imaging (fMRI) study measured the synchrony in brain activity across spectators when they watched dance with sound or breathing only. When audiences watched dance accompanied by music the fMRI data revealed evidence of greater intersubject synchronisation in a brain region consistent with complex auditory processing. The audience research found that some spectators derived pleasure from finding convergences between two complex stimuli (dance and music). The removal of music and the resulting audibility of the performers’ breathing had a significant impact on spectators’ aesthetic experience. The fMRI analysis showed increased synchronisation among observers, suggesting greater influence of the body when interpreting the dance stimuli. The audience research found evidence of similar corporeally focused experience. The paper discusses possible connections between the findings of our different approaches, and considers the implications of this study for interdisciplinary research collaborations between arts and sciences

Neuronal bases of structural coherence in contemporary dance observation

The neuronal processes underlying dance observation have been the focus of an increasing number of brain imaging studies over the past decade. However, the existing literature mainly dealt with effects of motor and visual expertise, whereas the neural and cognitive mechanisms that underlie the interpretation of dance choreographies remained unexplored. Hence, much attention has been given to the Action Observation Network (AON) whereas the role of other potentially relevant neuro-cognitive mechanisms such as mentalizing (theory of mind) or language (narrative comprehension) in dance understanding is yet to be elucidated. We report the results of an fMRI study where the structural coherence of short contemporary dance choreographies was manipulated parametrically using the same taped movement material. Our participants were all trained dancers. The whole-brain analysis argues that the interpretation of structurally coherent dance phrases involves a subpart (Superior Parietal) of the AON as well as mentalizing regions in the dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex. An ROI analysis based on a similar study using linguistic materials (Pallier et al. 2011) suggests that structural processing in language and dance might share certain neural mechanisms

The Sentencing System in the Albanian Criminal Code and the Demand for Special Tretament of Juveniles

Juveniles are subject to a cognitive process and growth, where the physical, intellectual, emotional and personality are still in phase of development phase. As a result, they enjoy a special status which arises the demand for their specialized treatment. The status as a minor in criminal matters raises the need to create a system consisting of different rules, which should take into consideration the physical and psychological peculiarities of the child and his educational needs. This system should be oriented towards the goal of juvenile education, rehabilitation and development, goal which can be successfully implemented only if it is reflected in the nature and types of sanctions applied to juveniles. In the application of sanctions it should be taken into consideration the need for education, assistance and welfare of the juvenile. Prison sentence and other similar measures should be considered as a last resort and used in order to reduce only when other forms of treatment do not comply with the personality of the offender and the seriousness of the offense. Priority should be given to educational and non-institutional measures. These requirements impose the necessity of legal interventions in the system of sanctions to address the needs for special treatment in accordance with the personality of the children and their individual needs for education. This paper aims at a critical analysis of the sentencing system provided in the Criminal Code, in the focus of the standards set by the international instruments which safeguard in a special manner the juvenile as a criminal offender. Through the analysis of legal provisions as well as referring to the juridical doctrine and court jurisprudence, there will be evidenced some issues related to the special treatment of juvenile criminal offenders in the field of the system of sentencing. After a detailed analysis, there will be provided conclusions and concrete recommendations on the current stage of the sentencing system, its’ compliance with the need for special treatment of juvenile criminal offenders, the need for improvement as well as the concrete legal initiatives to be adopted

Auditioning for empathy:dance, acting, and psychology students

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Theoretical and Practical Issues of Freedom Deprivation for Juveniles in Procedurial Albanian Legislation

Reforms undertaken after 90’s have brought progress in legislation changes and compliance with international standards. This goal is also supported from the membership of our country in several international organizations and ratification of international legal acts. Legal reforms have brought many positive aspects in terms of guaranteeing the procedural position of juveniles and respect their rights at all stages of criminal proceedings. One of the most important aspects of the process is the one related to the freedom deprivation in terms of which are sanctioned a number of principles and procedural rules. Despite positive steps, the Procedural Penal Code should be subject to further amendments and improvements regarding procedural provisions for the treatment of juveniles during criminal proceedings. This article seeks to analyze the specific guarantees and particularly procedural rules related to deprivation of personal freedom as well as issues associated with the treatment of juveniles at this stage. The paper will focus primarily on: - The issues on special protection of juveniles in criminal proceedings and cases of freedom deprivation in the framework of the international standards. - Reflecting the concrete situation and the judicial practice issues, in the framework of the Jurisprudence of the Criminal College of the Supreme Court. - Drawing concrete conclusions and recommendations in regard to the current stage of reflection of the international standards on minors freedom deprivation in the penal legislation and its implementation in practice, as well as the concrete needs for improvement through legal interventions and institutional arrangements

Effectivness on the Use of IPA Funds in Albania Covering the Period 2014-2016

The utilization of foreign aid and especially EU funding in Albania has been of high interest by both the Government and Developing Partners on their use, transparency and accountability on mobilization on effective use of development resources in the country. This paper intends to provide an analytical overview of development partners’ activities in Albania especially the European Union covering the period 2014-2016, mapping of their support in a variety of sectors, as well as the impact of their support in line with country priorities and the achievement of country’s objectives toward the European Integration. First we look at the effectiveness of external aid as a whole in different sectors and make an analyses of the contribution per donors and especially EU and secondly, we analyze the fact of the EU contribution is it good and enough source to stimulate economic growth in Albania in line with the European Agenda. The finding shows that financial resources are not fully absorbed by the country and there is a need to establish and strengthening the Integrated Policy Management Group (IPMG) per each sector as e mean to monitor, influence and recommend areas of intervention in order to increase the effectiveness and the external use of the financial resources available

Characterization of extremophilic sulfur oxidizing microbial communities inhabiting the sulfur blocks of Alberta's oil sands

This study was designed to determine if Alberta's sulfur blocks were inhabited by microorganisms which contribute to oxidation of elemental sulfur. The first objective was to elucidate a functional method of differentiating between viable and non-viable organisms in environmental samples. The second objective was to use this and other more established microbiological analyses to characterize the microbial population inhabiting the block and determine if they influence elemental sulfur oxidation.In order to differentiate between viable and non-viable microorganisms, I relied on a DNA binding agent called ethidium monoazide bromide (EMA). Based on previous literature, I was able to test its activity in different environmental samples. Treatment with EMA inhibits the amplification of free DNA, whereas DNA protected by the membranes of viable cells is not affected. After finding that killed pure culture cells had a substantial reduction in their DNA amplification I proceeded to inoculate the same species of killed and viable cells into either soil, biofilm, or elemental sulfur samples obtained from Syncrude's Phase I sulfur block. I have found the EMA treatment to be sufficient at inhibiting amplification of DNA from non-viable cells inoculated into both the soil and sulfur samples, but not in the biofilms. In achieving the second objective I designed experiments which tested in vitro and in situ samples of the sulfur block. Bioreactors containing microbiological inoculants from water running off the sulfur block were compared to sterile bioreactors for levels of acidity, sulfate accumulation and microbial population. Comparison between the surface block samples and the matrix samples showed a higher number of bacteria in the surface samples; however, the differences between the two bioreactor treatments were not significant. Bioreactors which received sterile water did not increase in acidity or sulfate accumulation. The two treatments which were inoculated with 10% sulfur block run off increased by 3 and 4.3 mM sulfate, and 8.6 x 10-3 and 1.8 x 10-2 hydronium ion concentration, in the surface and matrix treatments respectively. In situ samples obtained by coring the sulfur blocks showed that microbial inhabitants are present throughout the block depth profile with a discontinuous pattern, which could be attributed to the fractures associated with the solidification of the block and subsequent colonization. The level of microbiological inhabitants ranged from 2.5 to 5.5 log heterotroph colony forming units g-1 sulfur, and 3.19 x 101 to 1.62 x 102 A. thiooxidans amplified copy numbers, and 1.23 x 103 to 1.11 x 104 Eubacteria amplified DNA copy numbers ìg-1 of extracted DNA from EMA treated sulfur block samples. Most probable number counts for autotrophs only detected organisms along the 0-10 cm depth of the block. The results of this study suggest that the use of ethidium monoazide bromide is a suitable method of detecting the large and varied microbial population inhabiting Alberta's sulfur blocks which can influence the level of block oxidation. The level of microorganisms present in the block is varied, which may parallel the varied pockets of air and water collected in the geomorphic fractures. Microbial communities residing in the sulfur block are partially responsible for sulfur oxidation. Methods aimed at reducing the level of sulfur oxidation must aim to reduce both the chemical and biological pathways leading to sulfur oxidation