Playing it real in a virtual context: developing sustainable connections to university

For teachers from within the early childhood education and care sector, working with children and families in the current societal context has become increasingly problematic (Gardner, 1999, 2003; Prout, 2003a, 2003b). From one standpoint, research has indicated that much of the difficulty associated with working in this field is symptomatic of the uncertainty, discontinuity and insecurity characteristic of the post-modern condition (Dahlgren & Chiriac, 2009; Hulqvist & Dahlberg, 2001; Jenks, 1996a, 1996b; Lyotard, 1984; Prout, 2003a, 2003b). As authors of this paper, whilst we agree with this particular standpoint, it can be argued that the aforementioned perspective can be seen as an over-simplification of the problems in the ECEC field. While the characteristics of the post-modern condition may be considered to be at the heart of some of these problems, the complexities of current policy reform, the demands of neo-liberal approaches to the provision of care and education (Ball, 2003; Beck, 1999; Hulqvist, 1998; Popkewitz, 2000; Rose, 1999, 2000), as well as a lack of understanding of current contexts for children and their families compound the present state of play across the sector (Moss, 2003; Prout, 2003a). Thus, new demands are evident for teachers in the ECEC field in relation to both personal and professional skill development. Therefore preparation for understanding the impact these contexts have on their identity development is critical to evaluating pre-service educator’s university experiences in contract with the reality of the rural practice context. On the grounds that learners view and interpret new information and experiences through their existing network of knowledge, experience and beliefs (Dahlgren & Chiriac, 2009; Darling-Hammond, 1997; Helm, 2006), the project’s design acknowledges and anticipates that the beginner teachers' experiences will be shaped, in part, by what they 'bring' to those experiences, including their initial choices to enter the profession, and their prior conceptions and expectations about teaching and initial teacher preparation (Helm, 2006). In this case study, juxtaposition between preconceptions and expectations of pre-service teacher education and early experiences as beginning teacher in a rural Australian context are explored and the key research questions guiding data interrogation include: o What are the connections between your initial expectations about becoming a teacher and commencing your university studies and the reality of teaching in a rural context? o How has this influenced or shaped your professional identity and learning? o How has the rural context impacted upon the manifestation of the curriculum, impacting your professional decisions and development? o How do you use the knowledge, skills and abilities developed at University in your professional context? o What have you learned about yourself as an individual as well as you as a professional? What will you do differently now as an outcome of your professional learning thus far? A model of critical reflection is used to interrogate the data from interviews and facebook postings over a 2 year period. Key themes emerged and these relate to the concept of teacher identity, the role of relationships, a sense of agency, the notion of relevance, and the central presence of emotion. In this paper these themes are presented as core features of the experience of 'becoming a teacher'

A Closer Look into American Humanitarian Intervention: How Understanding Humanity Tells Who and When We Help

I will focus on the United States and their motivation to aid humanitarian crises through three case studies. To realize how the United States is motivated to help, humanity’s predispositions must be well-defined, alongside their established geopolitical interests. It is easy to feel empathy for loved ones or family members, but how does empathy translate with someone in a foreign country? At our core, humans seek interaction and cooperation among others. Who and how they decide to cooperate with defines the intervention strategies. If we can understand how the individual selects their in-group, these tendencies will reflect at the state level leadership. The beginning of the paper outlines the transition of the individual to the formation of the state so that we can recognize why the United States selects certain states over others. This will be demonstrated through the progression from individuals, tribes, to governing bodies. Starting at the individual level, humans have the capacity for social empathy, but they are also balancing an inclination to violence. As Frans de Waal observes, we are a “bipolar” species. It becomes easier to suppress violence when individuals or groups feel included and respected by their government and families (Raine 1538). I will apply Elizabeth Segal’s definition of social empathy, which is the ability to read and understand the feelings and actions of others with the experiences of different societal groups (Segal xii). Once the individual and tribal levels are understood, I intend to show how this relates to the United States’ involvement in humanitarian crises. Finally, I will utilize this knowledge of human nature to three cases: the Berlin Blockade, a successful intervention carried out by the United States, Rwanda, a case that was largely ignored until the United States sent troops by the end of the genocide, and Syria, an ongoing humanitarian crisis in which the United States is directly involved. I unravel the complexity of the United States’ intervention behavior through the psychology of humanity

Event segmentation and biological motion perception in watching dance

We used a combination of behavioral, computational vision and fMRI methods to examine human brain activity while viewing a 386 s video of a solo Bharatanatyam dance. A computational analysis provided us with a Motion Index (MI) quantifying the silhouette motion of the dancer throughout the dance. A behavioral analysis using 30 naïve observers provided us with the time points where observers were most likely to report event boundaries where one movement segment ended and another began. These behavioral and computational data were used to interpret the brain activity of a different set of 11 naïve observers who viewed the dance video while brain activity was measured using fMRI. Results showed that the Motion Index related to brain activity in a single cluster in the right Inferior Temporal Gyrus (ITG) in the vicinity of the Extrastriate Body Area (EBA). Perception of event boundaries in the video was related to the BA44 region of right Inferior Frontal Gyrus as well as extensive clusters of bilateral activity in the Inferior Occipital Gyrus which extended in the right hemisphere towards the posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus (pSTS)

"State-sponsored sex" by Claire Noble, "About the weather" by Kathleen G. White, "A day in the life of a conversationalist" by Ken Cormier, and "Arrowhead Lake" by Heidi Darchuck, and recorded by Katie McMurran

PodcastClaire Noble, Kathleen G. White, Ken Cormier, Heidi Darchuk, and Katie McMurran are The Missouri Review's 2011 Audio Contest runners-up in the prose category. This podcast features readings by all four authors and the work of sound artist Katie McMurran

Sunshine, Sea, and Season of Birth: MS Incidence in Wales

Maternal sun exposure in gestation and throughout the lifetime is necessary for vitamin D synthesis, and living near the sea is a population level index of seafood consumption. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Wales and examine its association with sun exposure, coastal living, and latitude. The study used a database of MS hospital visits and admissions in Wales between 2002 and 2013. For the 1,909 lower layer super output areas (LSOAs) in Wales, coastal status, population, longitude/latitude, and average sunshine hours per day were obtained. Age-specific and age-standardised MS incidence were calculated and modelled using Poisson regression. The distribution of births by month was compared between MS cases and the combined England and Wales population. There were 3,557 new MS cases between 2002 and 2013, with an average annual incidence of 8.14 (95% CI: 7.69-8.59) among males and 12.97 (95% CI: 12.44-13.50) among females per 100,000 population. The female-to-male ratio was 1.86:1. For both sexes combined, the average annual incidence rate was 9.10 (95% CI: 8.80-9.40). All figures are age-standardized to the 1976 European standard population. Compared to the combined England and Wales population, more people with MS were born in April, observed-to-expected ratio: 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08-1.36). MS incidence varied directly with latitude and inversely with sunshine hours. Proximity to the coast was associated with lower MS incidence only in easterly areas. This study shows that MS incidence rate in Wales is comparable to the rate in Scotland and is associated with environmental factors that probably represent levels of vitamin D

Dynamic chromatin organization and regulatory interactions in human endothelial cell differentiation

Vascular endothelial cells are a mesoderm-derived lineage with many essential functions, including angiogenesis and coagulation. The gene-regulatory mechanisms underpinning endothelial specialization are largely unknown, as are the roles of chromatin organization in regulating endothelial cell transcription. To investigate the relationships between chromatin organization and gene expression, we induced endothelial cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells and performed Hi-C and RNA-sequencing assays at specific time points. Long-range intrachromosomal contacts increase over the course of differentiation, accompanied by widespread heteroeuchromatic compartment transitions that are tightly associated with transcription. Dynamic topologically associating domain boundaries strengthen and converge on an endothelial cell state, and function to regulate gene expression. Chromatin pairwise point interactions (DNA loops) increase in frequency during differentiation and are linked to the expression of genes essential to vascular biology. Chromatin dynamics guide transcription in endothelial cell development and promote the divergence of endothelial cells from cardiomyocytes

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) viral load, liver and renal function in adults treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) vs. untreated:a retrospective longitudinal UK cohort study

Abstract Background Current clinical guidelines recommend treating chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in a minority of cases, but there are relatively scarce data on evolution or progression of liver inflammation and fibrosis in cases of chronic HBV (CHB) that do not meet treatment criteria. We aimed to assess the impact of TDF on liver disease, and the risk of renal impairment in treated CHB patients in comparison to untreated patients. Methods We studied a longitudinal ethnically diverse CHB cohort in the UK attending out-patient clinics between 2005 and 2018. We examined TDF treatment (vs. untreated) as the main exposure, with HBV DNA viral load (VL), ALT, elastography scores and eGFR as the main outcomes, using paired tests and mixed effects model for longitudinal measurements. Additionally, decline of eGFR during follow-up was quantified within individuals by thresholds based on clinical guidelines. Baseline was defined as treatment initiation for TDF group and the beginning of clinical follow-up for untreated group respectively. Results We included 206 adults (60 on TDF, 146 untreated), with a median ± IQR follow-up duration of 3.3 ± 2.8 years. The TDF group was significantly older (median age 39 vs. 35 years, p = 0.004) and more likely to be male (63% vs. 47%, p = 0.04) compared to the untreated group. Baseline difference between TDF and untreated groups reflected treatment eligibility criteria. As expected, VL and ALT declined significantly over time in TDF-treated patients. Elastography scores normalised during treatment in the TDF group reflecting regression of inflammation and/or fibrosis. However, 6/81 (7.4%) of untreated patients had a progression of fibrosis stage from F0-F1 to F2 or F3. There was no evidence of difference in rates or incidence of renal impairment during follow-up in the TDF vs. untreated group. Conclusions Risk of liver inflammation and fibrosis may be raised in untreated patients compared to those receiving TDF, and TDF may benefit a larger percentage of the CHB population