Determinants of impact : towards a better understanding of encounters with the arts

The article argues that current methods for assessing the impact of the arts are largely based on a fragmented and incomplete understanding of the cognitive, psychological and socio-cultural dynamics that govern the aesthetic experience. It postulates that a better grasp of the interaction between the individual and the work of art is the necessary foundation for a genuine understanding of how the arts can affect people. Through a critique of philosophical and empirical attempts to capture the main features of the aesthetic encounter, the article draws attention to the gaps in our current understanding of the responses to art. It proposes a classification and exploration of the factors—social, cultural and psychological—that contribute to shaping the aesthetic experience, thus determining the possibility of impact. The ‘determinants of impact’ identified are distinguished into three groups: those that are inherent to the individual who interacts with the artwork; those that are inherent to the artwork; and ‘environmental factors’, which are extrinsic to both the individual and the artwork. The article concludes that any meaningful attempt to assess the impact of the arts would need to take these ‘determinants of impact’ into account, in order to capture the multidimensional and subjective nature of the aesthetic experience

Labour Force Participation and Employment of Humanitarian Migrants: Evidence from the Building a New Life in Australia Longitudinal Data

This study uses the longitudinal data from the Building a New Life in Australia survey to examine the relationships between human capital and labour market participation and employment status among recently arrived/approved humanitarian migrants. It includes attention to the heterogeneity of labour force participation and employment status across genders and also migration pathways. We find that the likelihood of participating in the labour force is higher for those who had preimmigration paid job experience, completed study/job training and have job searching knowledge/skills in Australia and possess higher proficiency in spoken English. We find that the chance of getting a paid job is negatively related to having better pre-immigration education, but it is positively related to having unpaid work experience and job searching skills in Australia, and better health

Migration pathways of CD4 T cell subsets in vivo: the CD45RC- subset enters the thymus via α4 integrin-VCAM-1 interaction

The present investigation examines the localization and migration of purified T cell subsets in comparison with B cells, CD8 T cells and CD4+CD8− single-positive thymocytes. CD4 T cell subsets in the rat are defined by mAb MRC OX22 ( anti-CD45RC), which distinguishes resting CD4 T cells (CD45RC+) from those (CD45RC−) which have encountered antigen in the recent past– subpopulations often referred to as ‘naive’ and ‘memory’. Purified, 51Cr-labelled CD45RC+ CD4 T cells broadly reflected the migration pattern of CD8 T cells and B cells. Early localization to the spleen was followed by a redistribution to mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and cervical lymph nodes ( CLN) , B cells migrating at a slightly slower tempo. There was almost no localization of these subpopulations to the small or large intestine [Peyer's patches (PP) excluded]. In contrast, CD45RC− CD4 T cells (indistinguishable in size from the CD45RC+ subset) localized in large numbers to the intestine; they were present here at the earliest time point (0.5 h) , persisted for at least 48 h but did not accumulate, indicating a rapid exit. Numerically, localization of CD45RC− CD4 T cells in the MLN could be accounted for entirely by afferent drainage from the intestine. Unexpectedly, CD45RC− CD4 T cells (but not other subsets) localized and accumulated in the thymus. In vivo treatment with mAb HP2/1 against the integrin α4 subunit inhibited almost entirely CD45RCT− CD4 T cell migration into the PP (98.1%), intestine (87.1%) , MLN (89.1%) and thymus (93.5%) migration into the CLN was only reduced by half. To distinguish between recognition of MAdCAM-1 and VCAM-1 by α4−containing integrins, recipients were treated with mAb 5F10 against rat VCAM-1. Except for the thymus and a small reduction in CLN, localization of CD45RC− CD4 T cells was unaffected; entry to the thymus was almost completely blocked (92.3%) by anti-VCAM-1. The results indicated (i) that CD45RC− CD4 T cells alone showed enhanced localization to the gut and PP, probably via α4β7-MAdCAM-1 interaction; ( II) that many CD45RC− cells entered nonmucosal LN independently of α4 integrin or VCAM-1; and (III) that entry of mature recirculatlng CD45RC− CD4 T cells into the thymus across thymic endothellum was apparently regulated by α4 integrln-VCAM-1 interaction