Mindfulness Meditation and Flow State Experiences: Unlocking Human Potential

Mindfulness meditation (MM) and flow state experiences (FSE) share psychophysiological and behavioral parallels. Rarely presented are evidentiary resources on MM and FSE that explore the similarities and differences through research to fulfill gaps in knowledge. One study proposed that MM and FSE are inherently incompatible with each other and could not exist in concert. Coupled with the similarities found in the behavioral, psychological, and social aspects of MM and FSE was the need for immersion of participants in research that would test the relationship. The research conducted an interactive experiment where participants participated in a computer-driven reflex game. The participants meditated and replayed the game. Afterward, the participants completed a qualitative self-report survey based on their experience. The experiment conducted by this author filled gaps in the knowledge of MM and FSE, providing proof that these processes can be manifested by individuals and groups

Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden

An edible forest garden is a low-maintenance system that uses edible native and regionally-adapted plants arranged in beneficial relationships to meet human, wildlife and ecosystem needs. The forest garden in Roger Williams Park will transform underutilized urban land into a highly productive parcel producing market-viable fruits, nuts, vegetables, medicine and fiber. Forest gardens mimic natural forest systems in architecture and complexity. The design follows ecological principles to create a system that promotes biodiversity and enhances the surrounding ecosystem. This project also demonstrates the potential to grow food and create land-based livelihoods in the city. Located on the edge of a USDA-designated food desert in Providence\u27s lower south side, the Edible Forest Garden will supplement produce grown in the adjacent Roger Williams Park Community Garden. This increases the volume of fresh, locally produced food available to city-dwellers living in food insecure areas. The Edible Forest Garden will also serve as a living laboratory for environmental education opportunities. Through a partnership with URI Master Gardeners and community gardeners, residents will have the opportunity to actively participate in harvests and garden maintenance through a mentor program. The Edible Forest Garden design will draw upon sustainable land use practices rooted in generations of indigenous culture, coupled with the latest scientific data concerning agriculture, forestry and ecology. This union of time-tested methods and peer-reviewed inquiry is the foundation for the planning, design and implementation of the Roger Williams Park Edible Forest Garden. Simply put, an edible forest garden is our best attempt at designing an ecosystem based on the complexities and layers found in natural systems, only we choose the course of ecological succession

Drug policies in Argentina (2003-2015): Reflections on the struggle between the inherited and the reformulated

En el presente artículo proponemos analizar la forma en la que se han estructurado las políticas públicas destinadas a usuarios y consumidores de sustancias consideradas "drogas" en la larga década comprendida entre los años 2003 y 2015.Para ello, realizaremos un recorrido por los principales hitos que permiten hablar del "problema droga", revisaremos documentos públicos, legislación vigente, artículos periodísticos y bibliografía especializada, a fin de reflexionar en torno a las tensiones, contradicciones y heterogeneidades que se plantean en la legislación nacional argentina para abordar el consumo de sustancias catalogadas como ilegales. Caracterizaremos la vigencia de dos normativas tan disímiles como la Ley de Drogas N° 23.737 y la Ley de Salud Mental N° 26.657 como fruto de una larga pugna entre lo heredado y lo reformulado, aún no resuelta.In this article we propose to analyze the way in which public policies for people on situacion of drug use and adiction have been structured in the long decade between the years 2003 and 2015. We will make a tour of the main milestones which allow us to talk about the “drug problema”. We will review public documents, current legislation, journalistic articles and specialized bibliography, in order to reflect on the tensions, contradictions and heterogeneities that arise in argentine national legislation to address the consumption of ilegal substances. We will characterize the validity of two regulations as dissimilar as the Drug Law N° 23.737 and the Law of Mental Health N° 26.657 as the result of a long struggle between the inherited and the reformulated, not yet resolved.Fil: Llovera, Maria Soledad. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidades y Artes. Centro Núcleo de Estudios del Trabajo y la Conflictividad Social; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Scialla, Marina. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Humanidades y Artes. Escuela de Antropología; Argentin

Pedagogical practices of a guru teaching an Indian music ensemble in the United States

The purpose of this study was to examine pedagogical practices of an Indian music professor, or guru, who teaches an Indian music ensemble in a United States institution of higher learning. The role of the world music professor has been refined and redefined over the last decade. The guru-shishya paramparā system of teaching has reached a crossroad; new conditions challenge this approach. The focus of this study was to investigate, through the lens of the guru, tensions that exist between Indian pedagogy and Western pedagogy. The research design was a single-case ethnographic study that utilized participant observation in an Indian music ensemble class. I expanded Schippers’s (2009) Twelve Continuum Transmission Framework by adding aesthetics to the continuum of the framework. I used this framework as a tool to examine Indian music transmission, through a distinct pedagogical viewpoint of a guru leading a non-Western music ensemble. In this study I noted factors that influence world music transmission in Indian music education at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at The New School. Information regarding attitudes and the reasons for certain pedagogical practices in Indian music education can provide insight to ensemble instructors and to administrators interested in building Indian music programs. This research has implications outside of Indian music education and for music department directors interested in expanding music programs

The interplay between diversity and noise in an excitable cell network model

We study the interplay between diversity and noise in a 3D network of FitzHugh-Nagumo elements, with topology and dimensions chosen to model a pancreatic beta-cell cluster, as an example of an excitable cell network. Our results show that diversity and noise are not equivalent sources of disorder but have different effects on network dynamics. Their synchronization mechanisms may act independently of one another or synergistically, depending on the mean value of the diversity distribution compared to the intrinsic oscillatory range of the network elements.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

A Study of Ferruccio Busoni\u27s Transcriptions of Six Organ Chorale Preludes by Johannes Brahms.

Ferruccio Busoni\u27s piano arrangements of six of Brahms\u27s Eleven Chorale Preludes, Op. 122, are among the least known of his transcriptions. Published in 1897, they have remained overshadowed by his more popular transcriptions of the organ works of Bach. Maurice Hinson stated that Busoni arranged some of the most pianistic of the set ; continuing, Hinson observed that problems encountered in the originals, such as bringing out inner voices and achieving a satisfactory legato, are more easily solved on the piano.\sp1. Referring to Busoni\u27s own writings on transcribing as found in the appendices to his edition of Bach\u27s Well-Tempered Clavier, this monograph examines Busoni\u27s transcriptions of six organ chorale preludes by Brahms, focusing on: (1) the adaptation of a work written for two manuals and pedals to the single keyboard of the piano, considering: (a) organ pedals; (b) doubling; (c) dynamics; (2) the pianistic treatment of organ registration, concerning: (a) texture; (b) voicing; (c) use of piano pedals. The study of these arrangements reveals that there are certain devices which Busoni consistently applies to achieve the organ effect while attempting to remedy the problems encountered in the transcription process. The six chorale preludes which Busoni chose to arrange can be divided into two types: Three of the settings have a contrapuntal texture and a constantly moving accompaniment--these are discussed in Chapter Two, following a brief introductory chapter; the remaining three are homophonic in texture and are discussed in Chapter Three. Chapter Four will summarize the observations made in Chapters Two and Three and includes information derived from Busoni\u27s writings about the process of transcribing organ works for the piano. ftn\sp1Maurice Hinson, The Pianist\u27s Guide to Transcriptions, Arrangements, and Paraphrases, (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990), 29

A Study of Bela Bartok\u27s Cello Concerto.

The Viola Concerto of Bela Bartok is a well known work, and appears frequently in the concert repertoire. However, its twin version for cello and orchestra is not often heard. The work was commissioned in 1945 by William Primrose, but Bartok died shortly before completing it. It has been the purpose of this study to examine the background of this work in both the viola and cello versions, and to analyze its compositional structure. To accomplish this purpose, the author has chosen to examine the work from various aspects. For example, the circumstance which engendered his composition is investigated. Also, a movement by movement formal analysis of the concerto in cello version is discussed--namely: form, harmony, melody and rhythm

The impact of childhood cancer on parents' socio-economic situation-A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Taking care of children diagnosed with cancer may have considerable consequences on parents' socio-economic situation. Our systematic review aimed to evaluate and synthesise the evidence on the impact of childhood cancer on parents' socio-economic situation. METHODS: Systematic literature searches for articles published between January 2000 and January 2019 were performed in PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO. Findings of eligible articles were narratively synthesised and quality appraised. RESULTS: Our systematic review included 35 eligible articles. Childhood cancer had a substantial impact on parents' socio-economic situation across all studies. This impact varied largely by geographical region. We observed a high prevalence of disruptions in parental employment such as job quitting or job loss, particularly among mothers. The associated income losses further contributed to families' perceived financial burden in addition to increased cancer-related expenses. Adverse socio-economic consequences were most pronounced shortly after diagnosis, however, persisted into early survivorship for certain groups of parents. We identified families of children diagnosed with haematological cancers, younger age at diagnosis, and lower parental socio-economic position to be at particular risk for adverse socio-economic consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Following the child's cancer diagnosis, parents experience a broad range of adverse socio-economic consequences. Further effort is needed to systematically implement an assessment of financial hardship in paediatric oncology together with appropriate support services along the cancer trajectory

Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia in 57-year-old Woman with Borderline Serous Tumor of the Ovary: Real-Time Management of Common Pathways of Hemostatic Failure

We present a case of a 57-year-old woman who underwent surgery for the removal of an ovarian mass but subsequently experienced microangioathic hemolytic anemia post-operatively, associated with fevers, renal insufficiency, hypertension, and hemolysis. While her clinical situations was initially suspicious for thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), further sorting of clinical information led to other explanations of these findings, including a systemic inflammatory response. Multiple triggers of the coagulation system which can lead to a common pathway of hemostatic failure were considered, and specific criteria seen in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), TTP, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), catastrophic antiphospholipid anitbody syndrom (APS), all of which can seem to overlap when a physician is faced with distinguishing the diagnosis clinically. We propose a chronologic and strategic approach for the clinician to consider when approaching this diagnostic dilemma