Self-tracking in Parkinson’s: The lived efforts of self-management

People living with Parkinson's disease engage in self-tracking as part of their health self-management. Whilst health technologies designed for this group have primarily focused on improving the clinical assessments of the disease, less attention has been given to how people with Parkinson's use technology to track and manage their disease in their everyday experience. We report on a qualitative study in which we systematically analysed posts from an online health community (OHC) comprising people with Parkinson's (PwP). Our findings show that PwP track a diversity of information and use a wide range of digital and non-digital tools, informed by temporal and structured practices. Using an existing framework of sensemaking for chronic disease self-management, we also identify new ways in which PwP engage in sensemaking, alongside a set of new challenges that are particular to the character of this chronic disease. We relate our findings to technologies for self-tracking offering design implications

Benthic Nematode assemblages response to seagrass beds spatial heterogeneity in natural recovery process of Zostera Noltii after major colapse

After a seagrass beds (Zostera noltii) colapse in 2008 of the Mira estuary (SW coast of Portugal) symptoms of early recovery were observed. The principal goal of this study is to assess the evolution and resilience of the benthic nematodes assemblages during the natural recovery of the seagrass beds through analysis of the spatial and temporal differences in structural and functional characteristics of the communities. The horizontal macroscale (km) and small scale (m) variability was evaluate. We hypothesize that the new environmental conditions of the early recovery, with sparsely distributed and small-sized seagrass patches, will increase the spatial heterogeneity of nematode communities and significantly affect community diversity, both taxonomic and functional. The sampling design was follows: Samples were collected in five “occasions”, (February, June, September, December 2010 and February 2011), at randomly “stations” located over a distance 50 m, at two “sites”, 2km distance. To test the hypothesis that the composition of nematodes assemblages changes spatially and seasonally a two–way PERMANOVA analysis was performed. Mean nematode densities varied between 1416 ± 107 ind. 10 cm-2 (Site A) and 2611 ± 230 ind. 10 cm-2 (Site B) , and a total of 89 species were identified. The PCO ordination based on abundance and composition of nematode genera do not shown the discrimination of the two sampling sites. However densities and trophic groups showed significant differences across macroscale (sites A and B), the increase of spatial heterogeneity was clear identified in small scale. No significant differences was observed between the temporal variation. The response of the nematode assemblages after the collapse, both in terms of density and diversity, showed a substantial potential of resilience and recovery

Sample acidification effects on carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of macrofauna from a Zostera noltii bed

Acidification treatment has been used in most stable isotope studies to eliminate inorganic non-dietary carbon, allowing d13C measurement of organic carbon needed for trophic studies. Because only limited information about the acidification effects on isotopic ratios exists in the literature, we provide an assessment of such effects for a wide range of benthic macroinvertebrates from estuarine intertidal sediments with sparse Zostera noltii Hornem. vegetation. Our results revealed only few significant d13C shifts for macrobenthos; however, d13C decrease after acidification was substantial for several species. We conclude that acidification is not necessary for removing calcium carbonate in a majority of macrobenthos, but we also suggest preliminary testing before deciding it can be omitted. The magnitude of the d15N shifts was substantial for some species and variability in d15N values of replicate acidified samples exceeded that of nonacidified samples. Therefore, sample acidification should be avoided for d15N determination. Moreover, acidification effects vary considerably among species belonging to a single class, rendering generalisations from single-species information potentially spurious

Η παιδαγωγική αξιοποίηση του Θεάτρου Forum στο σχολικό πλαίσιο της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης

ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗ Η παρούσα εργασία εξετάζει την δυνατότητα παιδαγωγικής αξιοποίησης της τεχνικής του Θεάτρου Forum στο σχολικό πλαίσιο της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. H έρευνα εστιάζει στη βαθμίδα του δημοτικού, έχοντας ως θεωρητική βάση αφ’ ενός το μετασχηματιστικό παιδαγωγικό μοντέλο του Paulo Freire και το Θέατρο του Καταπιεσμένου του Augousto Boal και αφ’ ετέρου την Τυπική και Άτυπη Εκπαίδευση. Η Τυπική συνίσταται στο το Διαθεματικό Ενιαίο Πλαίσιο Προγραμμάτων Σπουδών, τα Αναλυτικά Προγράμματα Σπουδών Υποχρεωτικής Εκπαίδευσης, ενώ η Άτυπη σε ευρύτερες δεξιότητες που εκπαιδευτές και εκπαιδευόμενοι φέρουν από την καθημερινή ζωή. Ταυτόχρονα, στην Άτυπη εκπαίδευση εμφανίζεται και το Κρυφό Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα που αναπτύσσεται κατά τη μαθησιακή διαδικασία. Εξετάζεται, ο συσχετισμός των θεωριών με την σχολική πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση, καθώς και το αν η τεχνική του Θεάτρου Forum μπορεί να αποτελέσει δημιουργική και αποτελεσματική διδακτική μέθοδο για την εφαρμογή παιδαγωγικών σκοπών και στόχων όπως αυτοί προβλέπονται μέσα από την τυπική και άτυπη εκπαίδευση του δημοτικού. Αυτό επιτυγχάνεται από την παράθεση των στόχων ανά διδακτικό αντικείμενο και με τη σύγκλισή τους με τους αντίστοιχους προσανατολισμούς που προκύπτουν από την εφαρμογή του Θεάτρου Forum. Για να γίνει πιο σαφής η παραπάνω σύγκλιση, παραθέτονται ανά διδακτικό αντικείμενο επιλεκτικές ενδεικτικές εφαρμογές με γνώμονα τα Αναλυτικά Προγράμματα και τα σχολικά εγχειρίδια του δημοτικού. Τέλος, επισημαίνεται ο τρόπος κατά τον οποίο λειτουργεί το Θέατρο Forum στην Άτυπη Εκπαίδευση και συγκεκριμένα στο Κρυφό Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα της διδασκαλίας. Αναδεικνύεται η συμβολή του ως μέσο πολιτισμικού μετασχηματισμού της διδασκαλίας από αυστηρά γνωσιοκεντρική σε καλλιτεχνική και ανθρωπιστική.ABSTRACT This study examines the pedagogical application of Augousto Boal’s Forum Theater technique in the present primary school context. The research focuses on the level of the primary school, having as a theoretical basis on one hand the transformative pedagogical model of Paulo Freire as well as the Theater of the Opressed of Augousto Boal and on the other the Formal and Informal Education. Formal education is concerned as the Cross-Curricular Unified Framework, the modern Curricula and Informal as the general skills that trainers and trainees bring from everyday life. Also, Informal Education includes the Hidden Cirricula developed during the learning process. The study examines the interrelation of theories with primary school education, as well as whether the technique of the Forum Theater can be a creative and effective teaching method for the implementation of pedagogical goals and objectives as they are provided through formal and informal primary education. This is achieved by presenting the objectives per subject and by converging these objectives with the corresponding objectives resulting from the implementation of the Forum Theater. In order to make the above convergence clearer, selected indicative applications are presented per subject through the Curricula and the textbooks of the primary school. Finally, the way in which the Forum Theater operates and the dimensions that it can take as a pedagogical tool within the framework of the Hidden Curriculum of teaching are pointed out. The contribution of Forum Theater is highlighted as a means of cultural transformation of teaching from a strictly knowledge-based to both artistic and humanitarian

Resource utilization and trophic position of nematodes and harpacticoid copepods in and adjacent to Zostera noltii beds

This study examines the resource use and trophic position of nematodes and harpacticoid copepods at the genus/species level in an estuarine food web in Zostera noltii beds and in adjacent bare sediments using the natural abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Microphytobenthos and/or epiphytes are among the main resources of most taxa, but seagrass detritus and sediment particulate organic matter contribute as well to meiobenthos nutrition, which are also available in deeper sediment layers and in unvegetated patches close to seagrass beds. A predominant dependence on chemoautotrophic bacteria was demonstrated for the nematode genus Terschellingia and the copepod family Cletodidae. A predatory feeding mode is illustrated for Paracomesoma and other Comesomatidae, which were previously considered first-level consumers (deposit feeders) according to their buccal morphology. The considerable variation found in both resource use and trophic level among nematode genera from the same feeding type, and even among congeneric nematode species, shows that the interpretation of nematode feeding ecology based purely on mouth morphology should be avoided

Recovery of benthic nematode assemblages after a major collapse of Zostera noltii seagrass beds.

During 2008, Zostera noltii seagrass beds of the Mira estuary (SW coast of Portugal) suffered a total collapse, though during 2009 slight symptoms of their recovery were already observed. This association of events, in a short period of time, creates a rare opportunity for obtaining new knowledge concerning natural recovery of ecosystems and habitats. The principal goal is to analyse nematode community responses to the collapse of seagrass beds. Through a comparison of pre- and post-impact data, nematode assemblage recovery and resilience will be assessed. Additionally, the carbon resources utilized by nematodes will be examined, in order to better understand the importance of seagrass detritus as a potential resource for meiobenthic organisms. Significant differences were observed in the community patterns and trophic composition of nematode assemblages before and after the Zostera collapse. The dominant genera of the precollapse community were Terschellingia, Odontophora and Linhomoeus, generally considered microbivorous and/or deposit-feeding nematodes. Immediately after the collapse, they were replaced by Ptycholaimus, Paracomesoma and Metachromodora, all of which are herbivores feeding on diatoms and other microalgae