Feldenkrais movement lessons improve older adults’ awareness, comfort, and function

This prospective controlled intervention study assessed Feldenkrais Moving Forward movement lessons for older adults. Participants ( N = 87 returning from original sample of 124; median age = 76 years) were assigned to movement ( n = 51) or waitlist control ( n = 36) groups. The movement groups took twelve 60-min lessons across either 6 or 12 weeks, to compare lesson density. Pretests and posttests included Base of Support, Timed Up and Go, Tandem Stance, Functional Reach, modified OPTIMAL, and questions about individual priorities and outcomes. Results included significant correlations between lessons attended and both improved Functional Reach and improved OPTIMAL score. A significantly higher proportion of the movement (vs. control) group reported positive changes at the posttest in both prioritized and newly identified activities. These results show that Feldenkrais lessons are helpful to older adults for promoting balance, mobility, and confidence

I WON'T PLAY PRIMITIVE TO YOUR MODERN:THE ART OF DAVID NEEL (KWAGIUTL), 1985-2000

I Won't Play Primitive to Your Modern: The Art of David Neel (Kwagiutl), 1985-2000 examines the production and reception of one artist's work as it crosses discursive arenas. This dissertation theorizes that, at times, Neel draws upon his schooling in photojournalism and his training as a carver to challenge Eurocentric assumptions tied to two ideals: that looking is disinterested, and that justice is blind. At other times, Neel uses the same skills to provoke an experience of viewing that yields political or spiritual transcendence. I Won't Play Primitive to Your Modern, then, investigates overlaps and gaps between different conventions and experiences of looking in a study connected to questions of epistemology, metaphysics, and phenomenology. My research examines Neel's art in conjunction with his own mobility through Mexican, African-American, Asian and Euro-American communities, as well as indigenous North America. My interpretation is predicated on evidence derived from oral histories, fieldwork, and archival research. I also apply strategies of visual analysis informed by an interdisciplinary array of theories about looking forwarded by scholars such as Barbara Stafford, Susan Sontag, Christopher Pinney, James Clifford, Roland Barthes, W.J.T. Mitchell, Robert Davidson (Haida), Nancy Mithlo (Chiricahua Apache), and Charlotte Townsend-Gault. My analysis of Neel's artistic production and reception also draws upon theories of embodiment that include Transformation, the Kinship I, and The Four Sacred Directions as well as ideals of objectivity embedded in the disciplines of art history and law. This study concludes that Neel's use of photography's reproductive capabilities, his references to the importance of copying in the aesthetic of carving, his knowledge of media outlets, and his life of migration have enabled him to slip himself and his images into multiple discursive communities that espouse distinct aesthetic sensibilities and political agendas. The import of Neel's project lies in his capacity to engage his viewers with, and thus reveal, political and aesthetic differences that provoke debate about group identity, about his own identity and about the meaning of his art

The Orthodoxy of Special Education Among Public, Private, and Islamic Secondary Schools Providing Inclusive Education

Purpose – The extent to which a special education orthodoxy influences teachers’ understanding and practicing of the idea of inclusion in teaching and learning is essential to be revealed to construct the meaning of inclusion for the Indonesian context. Design/methods/approach – Thirteen participants of three types of Schools Providing Inclusive Education (SPIE) i.e., Sekolah Harapan (public), Sekolah Mulia (Islamic), and Sekolah Wijaya (private) in the Special Province of Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta were selected purposively, and a qualitative case study was conducted using an in-depth interview to gather the data. Findings – All participants articulated inclusive education is a placement for students with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) in the general education system. All students with SEND were welcomed in Sekolah Harapan but were then labeled and pulled out to a resource room to be educated separately by a support teacher. In Sekolah Mulia, most students were visually impaired without support teacher provided to assist them. Teaching and learning were very minimal offered various strategies, media, and assessments; mirrored the special education model. Sekolah Wijaya, in contrast, implemented a more inclusive education model, no labeled was marked for students with SEND and promoted an inclusive climate through learning activities. Research limitation – The small number of participants meant that the findings cannot be generalized as the participants cannot be considered representatives of secondary schools in Yogyakarta or Indonesia. Originality/value – Teachers in three SPIE investigated are willing to promote inclusive education although the orthodoxy of special education philosophy still has been flavoring most of the teachers’ language in defining and practicing the inclusive concept

Using learning styles theory to improve on-line learning through computer assisted diagnosis

Despite the success in a number of education and training environments of a variety of Learning Styles diagnostic tools1,2 and particularly the success of Honey and Mumford3, there still appears to be a scarcity of research, development and action on the application of this work to e-learning. When we compare developments around the issues of, for example, content development and pedagogy4, authoring and packaging tools5, virtual and managed learning environments and interoperability6, or accessibility of learning products and services for disabled people7, we find comparatively little research and comparatively very little application of Learning Styles thinking to the development of e-learning products, services, environments and practices

'Flood and fire and famine': Tax policy lessons from the Australian responses to natural disasters

Recent years have seen a series of natural disasters place significant social and fiscal strain on a number of economies. Determining the appropriate tax response to a natural disaster involves multiple complex decisions that often need to be made under time pressure with limited information. While natural disasters are predicted to become more frequent and costly, there has been little focus on the links between taxation and natural disasters. This paper outlines the tax responses to the 2010-2011 Queensland floods and identifies potential tax policy lessons as a useful resource for future tax policy makers, both in Australia and elsewhere. The initial conclusions drawn in the paper are based on 24 semi-structured interviews with Australian tax policy makers (from central, state and regional government, professional organisations, policy think tanks, tax practitioners, tax academics and representatives from the insurance industry) and a review of policy advice documents, Government commentary, and media reports. The paper provides insights into the intent of the tax responses and the environment in which they were made. In addition, the paper discusses whether the responses followed standard tax policy principles, and whether any divergence from these principles was linked to the strength of the country’s tax policy framework and process

TCR signaling requirements for activating T cells and for generating memory

Over the last two decades the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying T cell activation, expansion, differentiation, and memory formation have been intensively investigated. These studies revealed that the generation of memory T cells is critically impacted by a number of factors, including the magnitude of the inflammatory response and cytokine production, the type of dendritic cell [DC] that presents the pathogen derived antigen, their maturation status, and the concomitant provision of costimulation. Nevertheless, the primary stimulus leading to T cell activation is generated through the T cell receptor [TCR] following its engagement with a peptide MHC ligand [pMHC]. The purpose of this review is to highlight classical and recent findings on how antigen recognition, the degree of TCR stimulation, and intracellular signal transduction pathways impact the formation of effector and memory T cell

Some aspects of the biology of Nassarius kraussianus (Dunker)(Gastropoda : Prosobranchia : Nassariidae), in the Bushman's River estuary, with particular reference to recolonisation after floods

1. The development of estuarine research in South Africa has been reviewed, and the present state of knowledge assessed. Little is known about many abundant estuarine species, and a previously unstudied prosobranch Nassarius kraussianus (Dunker), was selected for investigation. 2. The study area, a mudflat on the Bushmans River estuary, was divided into three habitat types: supratidal, intertidal and subtidal, each with a particular substratum and pattern of vegetation cover. The distribution of N. kraussianus is associated with the nature of the substratum and the degree of Zostera capensis Setchell cover. 3. A brief review of pertinent literature indicated the necessity of relating population parameters to environmental conditions. 4. The population biology of N. . kraussianus was investigated, and the size frequencies, sex ratios, and male/female size frequencies were recorded over three distinct periods: pre-flood, post-flood and recovery. 5. The Bushmans River flooded in July and August 1979, and the results of the flood have been described. The most immediate result was a period of low salinity, but the most persistant result was the deposition of silt, which had an important effect on the substratum and the Z. capensis beds. 6. The pre-flood population was characterised by patchy distribution, and by a large number of mature adults in relation to juveniles. Females were generally larger than males, and the sex ratio was 1:1. The presence of juveniles in consistantly low numbers indicated that reproduction may have been continuous, but that intraspecific adult/juvenile competition may have kept juvenile numbers low. 7. The post-flood period was characterised by extreme physical conditions, and the survival of a few adults. Juveniles were completely annihilated, and were absent until a few were spawned by the surviving adults towards the end of 1979 . Sex ratio was biased, and females predominated. 8. The recovery period began abruptly with the arrival of a large number of juveniles in the 2, 3 and 4 mm size classes. Recolonisation coincided with habitat recovery, and reqeneration of the Z. capensis cover. Recolonising juveniles grew quickly, reaching adult size in three months. After that, juveniles were spawned on the mudflat by the new population. During this period the sex ratio did not return to the pre-flood 1:1, but remained female biased. Males and females grew at the same rate over the period measured, but females were consistantly larger, indicating that at some stage female growth may be faster. 9. The recolonising juveniles arrived in a regenerated habitat, at a time when temperatures were high, and conditions for growth probably optimal. If intraspecific competition was a feature of the pre-flood population it would have been elimianted in the recovery phase, by the absence of adults. 10. N. kraussianus is apparently omnivorous and proabably not food limited. However, carrion, a limited resource, may be essential for growth to reproductive maturity. Adults and juveniles may compete for this resource, and any juveniles deprived of access to carrion may be stimulated to leave the parental habitat. 11. N. kraussianus is ovoviviparous, and carries up to 5 egg cases within the uterus. Each triangular egg case contains 1 egg which hatches after approximately 3 weeks, as a free swimming veliger. Yeligers metamorphose, and settle after 4-7 days, assuming a benthic mode of life. Ovoviviparity protects the developing embryo from the rigours of environmental extremes, and ensures that embryos are not swept out to sea . Additionally, veligers have a high probability of settling in the parental habitat. 12. This reproductive strategy has been compared with other prosobranchs, and the evolutionary trends within the Prosobranchia, and particularly the Nassariidae, have been related to their dispersal potential. 13. Developmental strategy is intimately related to recolonisation potential. Ovoviviparity, and the lack of pelagic larvae, did not limit the recolonisation potential of N. kraussianus, and recolonisation was probably effected by post-larval juveniles, which may disperse from neighbouring estuaries and coastal pools, by floating in coastal and tidal currents. Post-larval juveniles have two important advantages over larvae. They are less vulnerable to physical extremes, and they have a sturdy crennellated shell which probably affords them protection from predators. 14. Examples of larval recolonisation in estuarine populations have been reviewed, and the most fundamental conclusion of this work is that recolonisation is an important, and probably widespread, adaptation to estuarine conditions in South Africa

Ecotoxicology of Glyphosate and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides — Toxicity to Wildlife and Humans

The use of agrochemicals, especially herbicides, is necessary to control pests in order to produce adequate food for the global population (estimated at 7 billion). Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides have been used extensively for this purpose but recent studies have reported these chemical substances to be found in aquatic ecosystems, wildlife and humans in various quantities. In this chapter, we reviewed the impacts of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides on wildlife and humans using measured endpoint effects caused by genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and reproductive toxicity. We used findings from different current investigations to demonstrate adverse effects, or otherwise, of glyphosate exposure to wildlife and humans. Our review reveals that glyphosate and its formulations may not only be considered as having genotoxic, cytotoxic or endocrine disrupting properties but they may also be causative agents of reproduction abnormalities in both wildlife and humans. Furthermore, the extensive use of glyphosate-based herbicides in genetically modified glyphosate-resistant plants grown for food and feed should be of grave concern since they can be sources of genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity in wildlife and humans

Differences in Carbon Sequestration and Water Use Between a Semi-Arid Native Grassland and Encroaching \u3ci\u3eVachellia karroo\u3c/i\u3e Woodland

Tree and shrub encroachment and proliferation in global grasslands and savannas is widely considered to imply a trade-off between ecosystem C and H2O regulating functions, based on the premise that increased C sequestration associated with higher woody biomass ostensibly drive declines in water production through concomitant increases in evapotranspiration (ET), but evidence for this across climatic and environmental gradients is equivocal. To evaluate these claims, we ran a paired eddy covariance experiment in a native semi-arid C4 grassland and adjacent encroaching Vachellia karroo woodland on the eastern seaboard of South Africa and compared ecosystem C and H2O budgets over nearly a full year. Near complete failure of spring/early summer rains resulted in reduced ecosystem physiological activity and C uptake in the early growing season in 2019, but systems recovered following above average rainfall over mid-summer/early autumn in 2020, with both the grassland and woodland achieving net negative C balances. The woodland was more productive than the grassland over the majority of the year, but these marginal C gains were offset by consistently higher respiration effluxes, resulting in the grassland sequestering significantly more C (197. 6 g C m-1) than the woodland (114.5 g C m-1). Differences in water use between the two systems were insignificant, and is likely explained by shallow soils and the absence of subsurface water at the site, which largely negated the competitive advantage in terms of access to water conferred by deeper rooting systems of V. karroo. Ecosystem water use efficiencies (WUEE) were essentially identical across the year, but the grassland was more efficient at the peak of the growing season. Our data suggest that encroachment by V. karroo in semi-arid grasslands may result in significant declines in C sequestration despite higher rates of productivity, but is unlikely to lead to substantial increases in water use where trees do not have access to water in deeper soil horizons on the other. These results support growing arguments to preserve semi-arid grassland ecosystems even when C sequestration is the primary objective of land management interventions