Designing for Ballet Classes: Identifying and Mitigating Communication Challenges Between Dancers and Teachers

Dancer-teacher communication in a ballet class can be challenging: ballet is one of the most complex forms of movements, and learning happens through multi-faceted interactions with studio tools (mirror, barre, and floor) and the teacher. We conducted an interview-based qualitative study with seven ballet teachers and six dancers followed by an open-coded analysis to explore the communication challenges that arise while teaching and learning in the ballet studio. We identified key communication issues, including adapting to multi-level dancer expertise, transmitting and realigning development goals, providing personalized corrections and feedback, maintaining the state of flow, and communicating how to properly use tools in the environment. We discuss design implications for crafting technological interventions aimed at mitigating these communication challenges

Faecal Steroids and n-Alkanes in Lake Sediments

Lake sediments are used as archives for climate and environmental reconstructions. This study investigated if biomarker analyses in lake sediments can be used to reconstruct anthropogenic landscape modifications during Holocene. In contrast to the mineral matrix of sediments and e.g. pollen, plant macro remains and charcoal particles, biomarkers can be more easily translocated within soil profiles before erosion and deposition. Furthermore, a translocation can also occur in lake sediments. Therefore, we tested if biomarker concentrations and patterns correlated with pollen patterns and further paleo environmental proxies in sediments of two maar lakes in the Eifel region. Five core sections of Lake Holzmaar and two core sections of Lake Ulmener Maar were sampled. The analysed core sections contain ca. 10 000 years and a number of data existed from previous analyses (ELSA project). As example for biomarkers for the reconstruction of vegetation changes, n-alkanes were analysed. Steroids incl. bile acids were used as proxies for the deposition of faeces of animals (animal husbandry). Patterns of n-alkanes correlated with pollen data. Parts of the core that show characteristics of dense forest in the catchment area had relatively low amounts of faecal steroids and the steroid patterns indicated the presence of several different animals. In parts of the core that show characteristics for grassland and agricultural fields, faecal steroids showed the presence of animal husbandry. The correlation of biomarker concentrations with pollen data and other data showed that it possible to detect changes in vegetation and land use with biomarker analyses within the catchment area of the two maar lakes

Влияние горнодобывающей промышленности на регионы России

В данной статье рассмотрено влияние горнодобывающей промышленности на экологическую ситуацию регионов России, к ним относится: Кузнецкий, Иркутский, КанскоАчинский, Южно-Якутский и Донецкий каменноугольные бассейны. Проанализированы последствия горной добычи. Выявлены методы борьбы с загрязнением окружающей среды. Установлено, что существующих методов недостаточно, важен человеческий фактор. This article discusses the impact of the mining industry on the environmental situation ofthe regions of Russia, these include: Kuznetsk, Irkutsk, Kansk-Achinsk, South Yakutia and Donetsk coal basin.Analyzed the effects of mining. Identified methods of dealing with environmental pollution. It was foundthat existing methods is not enough, the human factor is important

Impact of inactivity and exercise on the vasculature in humans : the role of blood flow and shear stress on arterial adaptations in healthy males

Exercise training is known to increase endothelial function and provoke arterial remodelling both locally and systemically. This thesis was designed to further examine these relationships by investigating the acute response to different exercise intensities, with and without shear rate modification. Shear rate modification was also used to examine the impact of systemic exercise training on brachial haemodynamics. Finally, the effect of inactivity on vascular function and arterial remodelling were studied using novel models of inactivity. The aim of Study 1 was to examine the effect of shear stress on upper limb brachial artery dilation during acute cycle exercise of different intensities. The impact of three randomised bouts of 30 mins leg cycling (50, 70 and 85% HRmax) on brachial artery blood flow, shear rate (SR) and brachial diameter, was measured bilaterally and simultaneously. SR was further manipulated in one arm via forearm heating (40?1?C) in a water bath (+0C) throughout the exercise bouts. Exercise induced stepwise increases in SR in the unheated arm (~0C) (P0.05 vs. baseline), 7% (70%HRmax; PO.05) across the 8 week intervention period. These data suggest that lower limb cycle training induces a transient increase in upper limb vascular function in healthy young humans which is, at least partly, mediated via shear stress. Exercise training is associated with rapid changes in endothelial function, which occur within days of starting training. Whilst long-term physical inactivity has a strong effect on vascular structure, little is known about the immediate impact of inactivity on vascular function. Therefore, Study 4 measured changes in vascular function before, during (day 4) and after 8 days of unilateral forearm inactivity induced by wearing a sling on the non-dominant arm. Maximal handgrip strength of the inactive forearm decreased after 8 days, confirming physical deconditioning. There were no significant changes in brachial artery baseline diameter, FMD, iEX or GTN across the 8 days in either arm (P>0.05). A significant decrease in peak blood flow was found in the intervention arm (2-way interaction: P=0.03) that is suggestive of remodelling of forearm resistance vessels. However, measures of (largely and partly) NO-mediated endothelial conduit artery function were not altered across an 8 day period of inactivity. Whilst increases in mean arterial shear stress are known to induce improvements in arterial function and remodelling in humans, animal data have demonstrated that retrograde shear is associated with pro-atherogenic effects. However, relatively little is known regarding the effect of retrograde shear rate on vascular function in humans in vivo. In order to provoke retrograde shear, subjects wore a compression sleeve on one forearm for 8 clays. Measurements were taken before and during acute (lhr) exposure to a compression sleeve on baseline day O. Measurements were taken after 4 and 8 days exposure to the compression sleeve. There were no significant changes in mean or antegrade shear rate during exposure to the compression sleeve. However, the compression sleeve resulted in an immediate increase in retrograde shear rate in 6 subjects (PO.05, control-group)i.e. subjects in whom the compression sleeve did not increase retrograde shear were the control group. The intervention group demonstrated a significant decrease in FMD after 1 h compression sleeve (PO.05). After 8-days using the compression sleeve, no significant changes in FMD, iEX, or GTN-response in the intervention and control group (all P>O.05) were observed. In conclusion, short-term increases in retrograde shear rate decrease FMD, but not chronically. Data in this thesis provide evidence for the role of blood flow and shear stress, as a result of exercise and inactivity, and its immediate effects upon the vasculature

Shear-Flow Driven Current Filamentation: Two-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations

The process of current filamentation in permanently externally driven, initially globally ideal plasmas is investigated by means of two-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-simulations. This situation is typical for astrophysical systems like jets, the interstellar and intergalactic medium where the dynamics is dominated by external forces. Two different cases are studied. In one case, the system is ideal permanently and dissipative processes are excluded. In the second case, a system with a current density dependent resistivity is considered. This resistivity is switched on self-consistently in current filaments and allows for local dissipation due to magnetic reconnection. Thus one finds tearing of current filaments and, besides, merging of filaments due to coalescence instabilities. Energy input and dissipation finally balance each other and the system reaches a state of constant magnetic energy in time.Comment: 32 Pages, 13 Figures. accepted, to appear in Physics of Plasmas (049012

Magnetic ground state and magnon-phonon interaction in multiferroic h-YMnO3_3

Inelastic neutron scattering has been used to study the magneto-elastic excitations in the multiferroic manganite hexagonal YMnO$_3$. An avoided crossing is found between magnon and phonon modes close to the Brillouin zone boundary in the $(a,b)$-plane. Neutron polarization analysis reveals that this mode has mixed magnon-phonon character. An external magnetic field along the $c$-axis is observed to cause a linear field-induced splitting of one of the spin wave branches. A theoretical description is performed, using a Heisenberg model of localized spins, acoustic phonon modes and a magneto-elastic coupling via the single-ion magnetostriction. The model quantitatively reproduces the dispersion and intensities of all modes in the full Brillouin zone, describes the observed magnon-phonon hybridized modes, and quantifies the magneto-elastic coupling. The combined information, including the field-induced magnon splitting, allows us to exclude several of the earlier proposed models and point to the correct magnetic ground state symmetry, and provides an effective dynamic model relevant for the multiferroic hexagonal manganites.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure