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This study considers artworks from across the modern and contemporary period (with a focus on the 1940s onwards) where writing is presented as incomprehensible to the viewer. This can occur, for instance, where issues related to cross-cultural interaction are being addressed, or more generally where the issue of encounter with an otherness of some kind has become the content of the work. While the earlier part of the analysis will focus primarily on artists of European or North American origin, artists of non-Western birth will predominate in the discussion of more recent art. Amongst the artists discussed are Paul Klee, Jackson Pollock, Mark Tobey, Lee Krasner, Zhao Wuji, Cy Twombly, Rasheed Araeen, Xu Bing, Oscar Ho Hing-Kay, and Warren Leung Chi Wo. Egyptian hieroglyphics, the Chinese written language, and Arabic calligraphy are linguistic codes to which the article will also refer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Banister impulse-response (IR) model was designed to predict an athlete's performance ability from their past training. Despite its long history, the model's usefulness remains limited due to difficulties in obtaining precise parameter estimates and performance predictions. To help address these challenges, we developed a Bayesian implementation of the IR model, which formalises the combined use of prior knowledge and data. We report the following methodological contributions: 1) we reformulated the model to facilitate the specification of informative priors, 2) we derived the IR model in Bayesian terms, and 3) we developed a method that enabled the JAGS software to be used while enforcing parameter constraints. To demonstrate proof-of-principle, we applied the model to the data of a national-class middle-distance runner. We specified the priors from published values of IR model parameters, followed by estimating the posterior distributions from the priors and the athlete's data. The Bayesian approach led to more precise and plausible parameter estimates than nonlinear least squares. We conclude that the Bayesian implementation of the IR model shows promise in addressing a primary challenge to its usefulness for athlete monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the findings of a meta-synthesis of studies which investigated the ways in which teachers described their pedagogical practices in three different contexts: the Maldives, Australia and Nepal. Each of the studies was focused on making teachers' classroom practices visible in an effort to establish a shared language and understanding of practices relevant to context. We were interested in what teachers say about their teaching practice and the ideas they hold that underpin these acts of teaching. Our analysis, across our respective studies, revealed insights to the questions: how teachers name their practices; how teachers articulate their understanding of these practices; and, how teachers identify priorities for their practice. Insights drawn from our meta-synthesis explore the implications of naming practices and the importance of considering teacher voice in determining visions of effective teaching. What teachers believe and do needs to be taken into account if professional development and reform initiatives are to be enacted in ways that are relevant and sustainable. The findings have implications for improving the quality of education and approaches to teachers' professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article undertakes a rhetorical analysis of two European armed forces museums (the National Army Museum in London and the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden) in order to show how such institutions provide a space for the negotiation of civil–military relations in 'post-military' societies. It argues that both museums construct a world of military professionalism that shields the soldier from potential criticism in the context of contemporary armed conflicts, while encouraging the civilian visitor as democratic citizen to accept their responsibility for the deployment of the armed forces as a matter of policy. The article nevertheless highlights differences in the depiction of soldiers and of warfare in general in both museums, which in turn point to differences in the discourse of war in the UK and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedentary behaviour (SB) is associated with negative health outcomes and is prevalent post-stroke. This study explored SB after stroke from the perspective of stroke service staff. Qualitative mixed-methods study. Non-participant observations in two stroke services (England/Scotland) and semi-structured interviews with staff underpinned by the COM-B model of behaviour change. Observations were analysed thematically; interviews were analysed using the Framework approach. One hundred and thirty-two observation hours (October - December 2017), and 31 staff interviewed (January –June 2018). Four themes were identified: (1) Opportunities for staff to support stroke survivors to reduce SB; (2) Physical and psychological capability of staff to support stroke survivors to reduce SB; (3) Motivating factors influencing staff behaviour to support stroke survivors to reduce SB; (4) Staff suggestions for a future intervention to support stroke survivors to reduce SB. Staff are aware of the consequences of prolonged sitting but did not relate to SB. Explicit knowledge of SB was limited. Staff need training to support stroke survivors to reduce SB. Sedentary behaviour in the community was not reported to change markedly, highlighting the need to engage stroke survivors in movement from when capable in hospital, following through to home. Stroke survivor sedentary behaviour is influenced, directly and indirectly, by the actions and instructions of stroke service staff in the inpatient and community setting. The built and social environment, both in the inpatient and community settings, may limit opportunities for safe movement and can result in stroke survivors spending more time sedentary. Stroke service staff appreciate the benefit of encouraging stroke survivors to stand and move more, if it is safe for them to do so. Staff would be amenable to encourage stroke survivors to reduce sedentary behaviour, provided they have the knowledge and resources to equip them to support this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to super elevation and centrifugal force, close attention is needed to lateral stability of cargo when the train negotiates curves. To guarantee the security of cargo on wagons, proper blocking, bracing and lashing are essential. In this study, we implement a cargo–wagon–rail coupling model that adopts diagonal lashing to restrain cargo movement. A preliminary dynamic simulation analysis demonstrates that the selected cargo tilts when the wagon negotiates curves. The quasi-static analysis reveals the cargo force condition and the key role of lashing stiffness. Coupling models are endowed with various lashing stiffness values. The curving performance of each model is evaluated considering different running conditions. The results indicate that increasing lashing stiffness reduces lateral cargo vibration and increases lashing tension force until the stable state. The cargo movement in this study is proved to have no significant effect on the wheel–rail interaction. Based on simulation results, this paper determines the diagonal lashing. It is demonstrated that the use of dynamic simulation to calculate the diagonal lashing force will improve cargo stability and avoid unnecessary expenditure on load restraint assemblies. Finally, it is proved that the promotion of pre-tension force is not necessary for diagonal lashings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this introduction to a special issue of Environmental Education Research on New Materialisms and Environmental Education, we begin with a brief overview to this publishing project and to scholarship on new materialisms and environmental education. Against this backdrop, we then discuss various themes of significance arising from the broader tumult of thought that occurs in the 17 papers that bring these areas into conversation. In brief, papers gathered in this collection illustrate a series of engagements with: (1) new empiricism and post-qualitative inquiry; (2) the meeting of politics, ethics, and decolonial theory with new materialisms; (3) conceptions of nature, environment, sustainability and the human subject; and (4) new materialisms as environmental pedagogy. We recognise that readers will imagine, detect and respond in diverse ways to the papers and the thematics on their own terms too, noting that other inclusions in the collection would likely have generated different patterns and affordances for insight, challenge and debate. Thus, we argue that in some senses, the collection must remain open rather than closed, while we also invite further contributions on the topics, that engage with what the collection does and does not offer, and to rework it. In other words, we trust our introduction underscores the immanent performativity expected of many of the new materialisms, and highlights their potential to forge axiological pathways away from dominant onto-epistemologies of environmental education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this editorial, we introduce the 17 papers that make up this special issue of Environmental Education Research on new materialisms and environmental education, and discuss themes of significance arising from this collection. The papers are grouped in the special issue under the following headings: (1) pedagogical/research orientations; (2) critiques; (3) dark endings?; and (4) concepts mattering; but as we show here and in our introduction to the collection, they can also be connected in multiple ways to any other and a range of other relevant topics. As with our Introduction to the collection, we trust this commentary provokes and inspires, if not energises and materialises the furthering of axiological pathways away from dominant onto-epistemologies of environmental education research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a keystone species the concept 'nature' plays a vital role in shaping our world. In this article, we think with the material turn about the concept nature due to its significant performativity in its role within environmental education and research. How nature is conceived is played out on a massive scale as matter itself is morphed through conceptual processes. Therefore, we focus on the matter(ing) of conceptual abstraction, the physical effects – and affects – of thinking a thing into existence. We initiate a pluralistic thought experiment that purposefully diffracts nature into eight performances, to see what it does. The concept nature performs ecologically and enacts trophic cascades. This exploration highlights feats of racism, classism, androcentrism, colonialism, homogenization, and mass extinction. What we are proposing is an environmental literacy that attends to what a concept is capable of, what a concept can do, and perhaps even what a concept can prevent, post-nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-management approaches are increasingly recommended after stroke with the aim of supporting longer-term adaptation, adjustment and condition management. Stroke survivors with aphasia (SSWA) have particularly poor longer-term outcomes; however, the suitability of self-management for SSWA is unclear. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) play a key role in the provision of care for this group of stroke survivors; however, UK SLTs views of self-management have not been explored. Aims: To explore UK SLTs views of "self-management" as an approach in stroke rehabilitation including its application in practice with SSWA. Methods & Procedures: In depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with SLTs from five NHS speech and language therapy services. Interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. Outcomes & Results: Eighteen SLTs participated in interviews. Many SLTs were not familiar with the term "self-management". However, SLTs were positive about the connotations of this term which aligned closely with the values they held about their role and the desired outcomes of rehabilitation. SLTs described multiple aspects of their existing practice which they associated with enabling "self-management" (e.g., self-directed practice of therapy tasks, encouraging SSWA to take responsibility for their own rehabilitation, involving family members in therapy). However, some SLTs identified difficulties involving SSWA as active participants in the rehabilitation process and in facilitating "readiness" to take responsibility for managing in the longer-term. Other barriers to enabling self-management were identified including limited session time for speech and language therapy in the community setting, difficulties involving family members in rehabilitation and a lack of access to other services to support self-management (including specialist psychological support). Conclusions: Making the transition to longer-term adaptation, adjustment and condition management is a complex and challenging task which is likely to require tailored support for many SSWA and their families. Supported self-management may help to facilitate this process; however, SLTs require a structured and clearly defined approach and training to assist implementation in practice. Organisational "buy-in" and support for self-management as a therapeutic approach within speech and language rehabilitation will also be required for successful implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To validate and compare a novel model based on the critical power (CP) concept that describes the entire domain of maximal mean power (MMP) data from cyclists. Methods: An omni-domain power-duration (OmPD) model was derived whereby the rate of Wʹ expenditure is bound by maximum sprint power and the power at prolonged durations declines from CP log-linearly. The three-parameter CP (3CP) and exponential (Exp) models were likewise extended with the log-linear decay function (Om3CP and OmExp). Each model bounds Wʹ using a different nonconstant function, Wʹeff (effective Wʹ). Models were fit to MMP data from nine cyclists who also completed four time-trials (TTs). Results: The OmPD and Om3CP residuals (4 ± 1%) were smaller than the OmExp residuals (6 ± 2%; P < 0.001). Wʹeff predicted by the OmPD model was stable between 120–1,800 s, whereas it varied for the Om3CP and OmExp models. TT prediction errors were not different between models (7 ± 5%, 8 ± 5%, 7 ± 6%; P = 0.914). Conclusion: The OmPD offers similar or superior goodness-of-fit and better theoretical properties compared to the other models, such that it best extends the CP concept to short-sprint and prolonged-endurance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of loaded freight wagon dynamics in curve alignments. We investigate the effects of the combined centre of gravity (CCOG) on the running safety of freight wagons and examine proper position of the CCOG. A simple wagon-rail model is implemented using the multibody dynamics software ADAMS/Rail. The simulation model is operated on curve tracks with various radii and velocities and the curving performances are evaluated. The results indicate that the CCOG can be located within a flexible and accurate range. The longitudinal offset is good for the curving performance and the permissible lateral offset should be assessed based on the curve radius and cant deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of mental illness information is a crucial element of mental health promotion initiatives. We assessed the receipt and perceived helpfulness of such information in Australia. Data from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing indicated that, during the year prior to the survey, 33.7% of Australians received mental illness information; of these, 51.2% found it helpful. Among people with a mental disorder, 46.1% received information; of these, 67.4% found it helpful. Non-English speakers and the socially disadvantaged were less likely to receive mental illness information. Older and less educated respondents were less likely to both receive mental illness information and find it helpful. Mental health service users were more likely to receive mental illness information perceived as helpful than those who had not accessed such services. Better targeted information interventions are required to ensure those most likely to benefit receive mental illness-related information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The impact of medical student psychological distress on academic performance has not been systematically examined. This study provided an opportunity to closely examine the potential impacts of workplace and study related stress factors on student's psychological distress and their academic performance during their first clinical year. Methods: This one-year prospective cohort study was performed at a tertiary hospital based medical school in Melbourne, Australia. Students completed a questionnaire at three time points during the year. The questionnaire included the validated Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) and the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), as well as items about sources of workplace stress. Academic outcome scores were aggregated and correlated with questionnaire results. Results: One hundred and twenty six students participated; 126 (94.7%), 102 (76.7%), and 99 (74.4%) at time points one, two, and three, respectively. 33.1% reported psychological distress at time point one, increasing to 47.4% at time point three. There was no correlation between the K10 scores and academic performance. There was weak negative correlation between the GHQ-28 at time point three and academic performance. Keeping up to date with knowledge, need to do well and fear of negative feedback were the most common workplace stress factors. Conclusions: Poor correlation was noted between psychological distress and academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Demoralisation Scale II (DS-II) and adapt it for use with women in the postnatal period. Background: Demoralisation is a psychological state characterised by a sense of incompetence and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness in response to a stressful situation. The postnatal period is a life stage of many disruptions. Women may lose their confidence and become demoralised if feeling unprepared for the tasks of motherhood. The DS-II is a 16-item scale developed among cancer patients, but with content that is also relevant postnatally, including items on sense of failure, helplessness, hopelessness, isolation, entrapment and loss of purpose. Methods: Rasch analysis was used to investigate the psychometric properties of the DS-II and refine the scale for postnatal use. Results: Participants were 209 women admitted with their babies to a residential early parenting programme. A 14-item revised scale was derived, the Postnatal DS-II, showing good psychometric properties, discriminant validity and sensitivity to change, and being well targeted to the sample. Conclusion: The Postnatal DS-II could have utility as an assessment tool, helping clinicians to understand better women’s postnatal experiences, assess the effectiveness of interventions and communicate with women in a meaningful and non-stigmatising way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To systematically review self-management interventions to determine their efficacy for people with stroke in relation to any health outcome and to establish whether stroke survivors with aphasia were included.Method: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, and IBSS and undertook gray literature searches. Randomized controlled trials were eligible if they included stroke survivors aged 18 + in a “self-management” intervention. Data were extracted by two independent researchers and included an assessment of methodological quality.Results: 24 studies were identified. 11 out of 24 reported statistically significant benefits in favor of self-management. However, there were significant limitations in terms of methodological quality, and meta-analyses (n= 8 studies) showed no statistically significant benefit of self-management upon global disability and stroke-specific quality of life at 3 months or ADL at 3 or 6 months follow-up. A review of inclusion and exclusion criteria showed 11 out of 24 (46%) studies reported total or partial exclusion of stroke survivors with aphasia. Four out of 24 (17%) reported the number of stroke survivors with aphasia included. In nine studies (38%) it was unclear whether stroke survivors with aphasia were included or excluded.Conclusions: Robust conclusions regarding the effectiveness of poststroke self-management approaches could not be drawn. Further trials are needed, these should clearly report the population included. Implications for rehabilitation There is a lack of evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of self-management approaches for stroke survivors.It is unclear whether self-management approaches are suitable for stroke survivors with aphasia, particularly those with moderate or severe aphasia.Further research is needed to understand the optimal timing for self-management in the stroke pathway and the format in which self-management support should be offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The causes of false confessions are an important issue in legal studies and forensics. Recent advances in DNA testing have increased the number of proven false confessions; however, there are probably many cases without scientific evidence to refute the guilty verdict. The current research provides a novel approach to understand the structure and process of police interrogation techniques, in the United States behaviour sequence analysis. This method allows complex interactions in interrogations to be broken down and the progression of techniques analysed clearly. A case study is provided of an individual who confessed to a series of very serious crimes. The results show that several psychological techniques, such as leading statements, pressure, empathy, and inducements, are used, in increasing frequency, which resulted in the suspect's confession. This research provides support for behaviour sequence analysis as a new method to understand the structure of police interrogations and how psychological techniques may be used to gain false confessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of a range of cross-linked chitosan composites with potential antimicrobial applications. They were formed by cross-linking chitosan and siloxane networks and by introducing silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs). The aim was to investigate whether adding the metal NPs to the chitosan-siloxane composite would lead to a material with enhanced antimicrobial ability as compared to chitosan itself. The composites were synthesised in hydrogel form with the metal NPs embedded in the cross-linked chitosan network. Spectroscopic and microscopic techniques were employed to investigate the structural properties of the composite and the tensile strength of the structures was measured. It was found that the addition of metal NPs did not influence the mechanical strength of the composite. A crystal violet attachment assay results displayed a significant reduction in the attachment of E. coli to the cross-linked chitosan surfaces. Release profile tests suggest that the metal NPs do not contribute to the overall antimicrobial activity under neutral conditions. The contribution to the mechanical and antimicrobial properties from cross-linking with siloxane is significant, giving rise to a versatile, durable, antimicrobial material suitable for thin film formation, wound dressings or the coating of various surfaces where robustness and antimicrobial control are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological research into perceptions of sexual attacks, rape myths, and scripts usually involves questionnaires or qualitative reports. A new method for investigating the perceived dynamic sequence of behaviours between victim and attacker could help to outline common perceptions. The current study uses a Behaviour Sequence Analysis approach to investigate females’ perceptions of the interaction between a female victim and unknown, male attacker. A sample of females was asked to report their perceptions of the interaction between a female and stranger at night, leading up to a rape attack. The results indicated that females did not perceive weapons or excessive force to be likely behaviours. Also, females responded that most attackers would begin by first attempting to engage a female in conversation. An important contribution of the current research is to show temporal associations between behaviours. In addition, the current research highlights the strength of sequence analysis for understanding perceptions of dynamic patterns of violent behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While positively connoted tangible cultural heritage is widely recognized as an asset to states in their exercise of soft power, the value of sites of ‘dark heritage’ in the context of soft power strategies has not yet been fully explored. This article offers a theoretical framework for the analysis of the multiple soft power potentialities inherent in the management and presentation of sites of past violence and atrocity, demonstrating how the value of these sites can be developed in terms of place branding, cultural diplomacy and state-level diplomacy. The relationship between dark heritage, soft power and the search for ‘ontological security’ is also explored, highlighting how difficult pasts can be mobilized in order to frame positive contemporary roles for states in the international system. Drawing on this theoretical framework, the article offers an analysis of the case of the Soča valley in Slovenia and the presentation of the site of the First World War battle of Kobarid in a dedicated museum. Through this case study, the article underlines the particular role of dark heritage for the national self-projection of a new and small state in the context of European integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite difficulties in interpretation, nonverbal communication is especially important in forensic settings, such as police investigations. Three distinct clusters of personality disorders have been outlined as being associated with criminal behaviour. Understanding the similarities and differences between these personality clusters and nonverbal communication could help investigators look for key signs of psychological distress or deception. The current research proposes a novel approach to nonverbal communication: behaviour sequence analysis (BSA). An application of this approach is outlined to investigate whether criminals with different personality types are better at concealing emotions and nonverbal communication when being interrogated. The results indicate that while sequences are generally similar across clusters, individuals from different personality clusters exhibit unique patterns. This research provides an initial step towards a new area of nonverbal communication research and application, which could be used in future research to highlight increased possibility of deception or concealment of emotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on several street protests staged in Hong Kong since its handover to China in 1997, including a rally held by students against a government attempt to introduce national education into the school curriculum and the Umbrella Movement which began on September 28, 2014.

Objective: Distinguished from the traditional perspectives in crash analyses, which examined the effects of geometric design features, traffic factors, and other relevant attributes on the crash frequencies of roadway entities, our study focuses on exploring the effects of highway safety laws, as well as sociocultural characteristics, on fatal crashes across states.Methods: Law and regulation related data were collected from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, State Highway Safety Offices, and Governors Highway Safety Association. A variety of sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, cultural factors and other attributes from a variety of resources are considered and incorporated in the modeling process. These data and fatal crash counts were collected for the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and were analyzed using zero-truncated negative binomial (ZTNB) regression models.Results: The results show that, in law and regulation-related factors, the use of speed cameras, no handheld cell phone ban, limited handheld cell phone ban, and no text messaging ban are found to have significant effects on fatal crashes. Regarding sociocultural characteristics, married couples with both husband and wife in the labor force are found to be associated with lower crash frequencies, the ratios of workers traveling to work by carpool, those driving alone, workers working outside the county of residence, language other than English and limited English fluency, and the number of licensed drivers are found to be associated with higher crash frequencies.Conclusions: Through reviewing and modeling existing state highway safety laws and sociocultural characteristics, the results reveal new insights that could influence policy making. In addition, the results would benefit amending existing laws and regulations and provide testimony about highway safety issues before lawmakers consider new legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore what thinking with a philosophy of ‘becoming’ might produce in terms of conceptualisingLearning for Sustainability (LfS), a recent development in Scottish educational policy. The paper posits that animism and the immanent materiality of a philosophy of becoming have important ramifications for contemporary approaches to sustainability education. ‘Becoming’ is described and its relationship to prevailing ‘systemic’ approaches to sustainability education explained.LfSis then described and conceptualised with a philosophy of becoming by examining its implications for Education for Global Citizenship and Outdoor Learning. The concepts of communication as expression; the subject undone (as haecceity); the distinction of ‘nature’ as ‘other’; and the centrality of a storied world are discussed as important elements ofLfSbecoming. Lastly, teaching materials and interviews with two initial teacher educators help create a rhizomatic assemblage of teacher education practice andLfSas becoming. This assemblage creates lines of flight for considering practice, including making explicit the expressivity of communication in course descriptor/teaching/learning relationships; highlighting the place/becoming assemblages of ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor’ learning environments; and storying the world with learners through haecceity description/experimentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural diplomacy continues to attract significant interest as a potential means for states to exercise ‘soft power’. However, policy-makers and academics who assert the efficacy of cultural diplomacy in terms of influencing foreign publics and states rarely consider how cultural products are actually received abroad. This article proposes that this process of reception can be better understood with reference to the theoretical approaches of Cultural Studies, which encourage us to recognise the extent to which audiences are implicated in processes of meaning-making, processes which are closely associated with the articulation of identity. By applying these approaches to cultural diplomacy, policy-makers and researchers could shift their focus to an exploration of realities of the reception cultural products abroad, which would better inform their assumptions about how to achieve successful cultural diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since the early 1990s, life skills education has benefitted substantially from international agency advocacy and support, linked to its implementation in several countries as a key component of the education sector response to sexual health and HIV. The concept of life skills was first promoted by the World Health Organization through its programme on mental health as a means of promoting psychosocial competence. Since then, it has been extended to address a wider range of issues. Life skills-based HIV and sex education has proved to be a durable concept in education sector policy discourse on HIV and AIDS, despite a growing literature on the shortcomings in terms of its effectiveness in implementation in schools and delivering intended learning outcomes. Using a literature review, this paper aims to re-examine the adequacy of the life skills-based HIV education approach including empirical evidence for its effectiveness in educating about and preventing HIV infection among young people. Findings suggest that bureaucratic acceptance and advocacy for life skills-based HIV education has outstripped the theoretical adequacy and empirical evidence base for its effectiveness. Its current position among core indicators for the education sector response to HIV can be considered indicative of frozen thinking or inter-agency group-think. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article considers practice for environmental education from the perspective of the material turn by taking the reader along on an outdoor learning session in a park. We present a fictional walk where we encounter plants, trees, wasp-orchids, stones, walking sticks, plastic bags, people, weather, and kites, each of which has a story to tell that demonstrates ontological immanence and the material process of being alive. These stories help suggest some practical ways in which environmental education can be reoriented from an essentialist paradigm to one of becoming, tackling prevailing conceptions of the human mind as disembodied from the world. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: Nurses represent the largest professional group working with stroke-survivors, but there is limited evidence regarding nurses’ involvement in post-stroke rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to identify and explore the perspectives of nurses and other multidisciplinary stroke team members on nurses’ practice in stroke rehabilitation. Method: Q-methodological study with 63 multidisciplinary stroke unit team members and semi-structured interviews with 27 stroke unit team members.Results: Irrespective of their professional backgrounds, participants shared the view that nurses can make an active contribution to stroke rehabilitation and integrate rehabilitation principles in routine practice. Training in stroke rehabilitation skills was viewed as fundamental to effective stroke care, but nurses do not routinely receive such training. The view that integrating rehabilitation techniques can only occur when nursing staffing levels were high was rejected. There was also little support for the view that nurses are uniquely placed to co-ordinate care, or that nurses have an independent rehabilitation role.Conclusions: The contribution that nurses with stroke rehabilitation skills can make to effective stroke care was understood. However, realising the potential of nurses as full partners in stroke rehabilitation is unlikely to occur without introduction of structured competency-based multidisciplinary training in rehabilitation skills.Implications for RehabilitationMultidisciplinary rehabilitation in stroke units is a cornerstone of effective stroke care.Views of stroke unit team members on nurses’ involvement in rehabilitation have not been reported previously.Nurses can routinely incorporate rehabilitation principles in their care.Specialist competency-based stroke rehabilitation training needs to be provided for nurses as well as for allied health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how a class of Grade 7 students employed linguistic resources to explain density differences. Drawing from the same data-set as a previous study by, we take a language perspective to investigate the challenges students face in learning the concept of density. Our study thus complements previous research on learning about density which has mostly focussed on the conceptual challenges. The data consist of transcripts of lessons on density and students’ written assignments. Using selected analytical categories from the Systemic Functional Linguistics framework, we first examined students’ use of linguistic resources in their written reports of a practical activity. We then compared the language employed by the students with the instructional language, identifying possible links. Our analysis identified specific aspects of language that the students need to appropriate in order to express an understanding of density that aligns with a scientific perspective. The findings from this study illuminate ways by which teachers could assist students in overcoming the linguistic challenges in explaining density differences, which complement those made by existing studies that focus on conceptual challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Outdoor environmental education has long postulated a link between experiences outdoors in ‘natural’ environments and environmental concern. This paper suggests a straightforward relationship is problematic due to its implicit assumption of a nature/culture divide. Critical outdoor education has sought to overcome this dualism by describing a relational understanding of the world emphasizing ecological systems and highlighting humanity’s ‘connection’ to the environment. This relational approach aims to tackle the ‘crisis of perception’, argued to be the root cause of anthropogenic planetary degradation. We draw from the philosophical work of Deleuze and Guattari to suggest that relational ontologies, as currently conceived, may reinforce a static conception of the world by emphasizing ‘points of being’ (subject and object). Deleuze and Guattari proffer immanent materiality, where points of being are dispelled by movement and ‘becoming’. We then describe ‘animism’ as a mode of living where the world is understood to be immanent and constantly becoming. The consequences of animism are explored with regards to conceptions of ‘nature’, ‘place’ and ‘outdoor’ learning for sustainability. Creative practices to tackle the ‘crisis of perception’ are suggested as approaches that circumvent static conceptions of the world implied by points in relations and prevailing conceptions of nature as ‘other’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article assesses the potential for memory of communism to become part of the EU's memory culture by comparing three contrasting case studies: the Baltic states, Hungary, and Germany. It argues that, rather than the emergence of a western European memory culture that is challenged by a uniform eastern memory culture within the EU, as some commentators have claimed, the different positions of EU member states tend to be conditioned by a range of domestic and international factors. In terms of the promotion of the memory of communism within the EU, these factors can vary significantly from state to state, demonstrating the continued dominance of the national frame in the mobilization of historical memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study of a science lesson, on the topic thermal expansion, examines the language demands on students from an integrated science and language perspective. The data were generated during a sequence of 9 lessons on the topic of ‘States of Matter’ in a Grade 7 classroom (12–13 years old students). We identify the language demands by comparing students' writings with the scientific account of expansion that the teacher intended the students to learn. The comparison involved both content analysis and lexicogrammatical (LG) analysis. The framework of Systemic Functional Linguistics was adopted for the LG analysis. Our analysis reveals differences in the meaning and the way LG resources were employed between the students' writings and the scientific account. From these differences, we found the notion of condition-of-use for LG resources to be a significant aspect of the language that students need to appropriate in order to employ the language of school science appropriately. This notion potentially provides a means by which teachers could concurrently address the conceptual and representational demands of science learning. Finally, we reflect on how the complementary use of content analysis and LG analysis provides a way for integrating the science and language perspectives in order to understand the demands of learning science through language. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The contemporary interest in researching student agency in science education reflects concerns about the relevance of schooling and a shift in science education towards understanding learning in science as a complex social activity. The purpose of this article is to identify problems confronting the science education community in the development of this new research agenda and to argue that there is a need for research in science education that attends to agency as a social practice. Despite increasing interest in student agency in educational research, the term ‘agency’ has lacked explicit operationalisation and, across the varied approaches, such as critical ethnography, ethnographies of communication, discourse analysis and symbolic interactionism, there has been a lack of coherence in its research usage. There has also been argument concerning the validity of the use of the term ‘agency’ in science education research. This article attempts to structure the variety of definitions of ‘student agency’ in science education research, identifies problems in the research related to assigning intentionality to research participants and argues that agency is a kind of discursive practice. The article also draws attention to the need for researchers to be explicit in the assumptions they rely upon in their interpretations of social worlds. Drawing upon the discursive turn in the social sciences, a definition of agency is provided, that accommodates the discursive practices of both individuals and the various functional social groups from whose activities classroom practice is constituted. The article contributes to building a focused research agenda concerned with understanding and promoting student agency in science. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If the notion of resistant materials in music has a Western modernist subtext, an alternative perspective is offered by Hindustani classical music. The latter's principal means of cultural transmission, the master–disciple tradition (guru–śiṣya paramparā), would ostensibly find resistance a foreign concept. Yet this precolonial tradition paradoxically played a part in the rise of Indian modernity, bound up as this was with resistance to British colonialist hegemony. Recording technology also played a role in this process, and, in its evolving forms, has been a (modernising) determinant on how Hindustani classical practitioners shape their materials in improvised performance. Analysis of a recordedrāgarendition can reveal just how extensively the formation of materials involves various forms of immanent resistance. Thus, allied to both conservation and emancipation, resistance can ultimately be seen to play a role no less formative on Indian than on Western music, albeit differently so. The text is supported by sound examples which appear as supplementary material accessible online via the article's Supplementary tab on the Taylor & Francis website (http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gcmr). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the evolution of the compensation legislation for victims of human rights abuses in the former German Democratic Republic, and considers the reasons for the continuing dissatisfaction among victims' organisations following the most recent significant revision of the relevant laws in 2007. It charts political debates about adequate compensation for the victims and compares these discourses with the positions of the victims' organisations, demonstrating the ways in which party politics both influenced victims' perception of their own situation and raised expectations of a ‘recognition’ (Axel Honneth) of the victims in German society which has yet to be achieved. The article argues that, despite apparent agreement, the agendas of politicians and victims' organisations were ultimately incompatible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The toxic effects of mercury are known to be complex with specific enzyme inhibitions and subsequent oxidative stress adding to the damaging effects. There are likely other factors involved, such as the development of impaired metal ion homeostasis and depletion of thiol- and selenium-based metabolites such as cysteine and selenium. Much of the toxicity of mercury occurs at the intracellular level via binding of Hg2+ to thiol groups in specific proteins. Therefore, amelioration of mercury toxicity by the use of chelation would likely be enhanced by the use of a chelator that could cross the cell membrane and the blood brain barrier. It would be most favorable if this compound was of low toxicity, had appropriate pharmacokinetics, bound and rendered mercury cation non-toxic and had antioxidant properties. Herein we report on such a chelator, N,N′-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)isophthalamide (NBMI), and, using an animal model, show that it prevented the toxic effects associated with acute exposure induced by injected mercury chloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies dealing with media coverage of climate change have increased steadily over the last decade or so, alongside the media coverage of climate change itself. This article aims to contribute to this growing literature on two levels: to deepen understanding of distinctive patterns of language use across nations speaking a common language and to demonstrate the usefulness of a new approach for finding such patterns. Articles in The (London) Times and the New York Times, published between 2000 and 2009, were analyzed using methods related to computational linguistics. Results show that the US seemingly still constructs climate change as a problem, whereas the UK focuses on finding solutions for the (established) problem of climate change. This linguistic and conceptual gap may hamper mutual understanding and the crafting of global climate change mitigation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ray Blanchard presented a theory of male-to-female (MtF) transsexualism based on a typology, classifying MtF transsexuals as autogynephilic or homosexual. This theory has produced much debate, and many transsexuals have disagreed with it. In this research, comments about Blanchard's theory were collected through an anonymous questionnaire from a convenience sample of 170 mostly White/European Internet-using MtF transsexuals. Positive responses to the theory were given by 15.9% of participants, 31.9% gave neutral responses, and 52.2% gave negative responses. The most common theme of the responses was that the theory was too narrow and restrictive. Other common themes were that the theory was simply wrong, did not apply to the participant's experience, was not acceptable, was not important, only applied to cross-dressers, and suggested underlying motives of the researcher. Some participants reported that they had experienced autogynephilia, and some reported changes of their sexual orientation. Given the anonymity of the participants, transsexual participants were unlikely to consciously distort their responses. Although there were sampling limitations, this study lends insight into the proportion of MtF transsexuals who are supportive of/opposed to Blanchard's typology and the reasons why some are opposed to it. The findings are of interest as transsexuals' reactions to the theory can be and have been used to theorize about the nature of autogynephilia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High rates of depression have been reported in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between structural MRI findings and the development of novel cases of post-injury depression in this population Methods: The study has a cross-sectional design. Assessments were conducted on average 2.2 years post-injury. Participants were 54 individuals (76%% male, mean age 35 years, median PTA duration 16 days) who had sustained a TBI. Depression was assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-IV). Structural MRI scans were performed with a 1.5 Tesla machine. Results: The presence of lesions in the frontal, temporal, parietal and the sublobar regions was not related to depression. However, an imbalance of left vs right frontal and parietal viable brain volumes was related to the development of depression. Discussion: These findings are in support of Heller's model of emotion processing, but should be replicated using larger samples. Potential clinical implications are discussed in the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug efflux by the membrane transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) plays a key role in multidrug resistance (MDR). In order to bypass P-gp, thus overcoming MDR, a hybrid peptide comprising a cell penetrating peptide (Tat) and a drug binding motif (DBM) has been developed to noncovalently bind and deliver doxorubicin (Dox) into MDR cells. The uptake of Dox into the leukemia cell line K562 and its P-gp overexpressing subline KD30 increased in the presence of DBM-Tat peptide. Confocal microscopy indicated that DBM-Tat associated Dox was directed to a perinuclear area of KD30 cells, while this was not observed in parent K562 cells. When KD30 cells were pretreated with the endosomotropic agent chloroquine (CLQ), peptide associated Dox redistributed into the cytosol, indicating that endocytosis was the predominant uptake route. Altered drug uptake kinetics observed by cellular accumulation assay also supported an endocytic uptake. In the presence of CLQ, DBM-Tat was able to enhance the cytotoxicity of Dox by 68.4% at 5 µM peptide concentration in KD30 cells but there were only minor effects on Dox cytotoxicity in K562 cells even in the presence of CLQ. Thus, combining Dox with DBM-Tat reduces P-gp mediated drug efflux, without a requirement for drug modification or inhibiting P-gp function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the verbal strategies used by offenders during rape, examining the sequential, temporal and interactional aspects of sexual assaults. Forty-five statements taken from victims of rape were analysed in order to examine the interactive impact of the verbal strategies of offenders. There were three main aims: (i) to illustrate the impact these strategies have on victims' behaviours during assaults; (ii) to discuss how these verbal strategies vary across assaults; and (iii) to examine the precursors of and impact of victim resistance during the offence. Further, following recent examinations of the influence of location on the nature of rape and sexual assaults, assaults were compared between three locations: the victim's bedroom, elsewhere in the victim's home, and outside the victim's home. In each location, both compound (elaborate and repeated assaults) and direct assaults were examined. Findings across these styles and locations are discussed in order to understand the nature and use of offenders' verbal strategies during rape across locations, and the role of these utterances within offender-victim interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative interdisciplinary working is central to contemporary health policy. The specialized and co-ordinated multidisciplinary care provided in stroke units is considered to contribute to improved patient outcomes in such units. However, how stroke unit teams co-ordinate their work is not clearly understood. This paper reports on a grounded theory study which explains how health professionals in two stroke units in northern England achieved teamwork. Data were generated through 220 hours of participant observation and 34 semi-structured interviews. Interviews were undertaken during and following participant observations. A basic social process common to teamworking in both units was identified; this was termed “opportunistic dialogue”. The division of labour in respect of rehabilitation activities was negotiated through this interactional process. Co-location of most team members led to repeated engagement in sharing patient information and in exploring different perspectives. Opportunistic dialoguing contributed to mutual learning and explained the shift in thinking and team culture as team members moved from concern with discrete disciplinary actions to dialogue and negotiations focused on meeting patients' needs. The findings indicate that routinely incorporating periods of joint working in which team members articulate the reasoning for their decisions and interventions, contributes to achieving interdisciplinary teamworking in rehabilitation settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cell's decision to growth arrest, apoptose, or differentiate in response to transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily ligands depends on the ligand concentration. How cells sense the concentration of extracellular bioavailable TGF-β remains poorly understood. We therefore undertook a systematic quantitative analysis of how TGF-β ligand concentration is transduced into downstream phospho-Smad2 kinetics, and we found that the rate of TGF-β ligand depletion is the principal determinant of Smad signal duration. TGF-β depletion is caused by two mechanisms: (i) cellular uptake of TGF-β by a TGF-β type II receptor-dependent mechanism and (ii) reversible binding of TGF-β to the cell surface. Our results indicate that cells sense TGF-β dose by depleting TGF-β via constitutive TGF-β type II receptor trafficking processes. Our results also have implications for the role of the TGF-β type II receptor in disease, as tumor cells harboring TGF-β type II receptor mutations exhibit impaired TGF-β depletion, which may contribute to the overproduction of TGF-β and a consequently poor prognosis in cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]