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A Systematic Review of Flotation-Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST)
Get PDFBackground
Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy (REST) is a therapeutic technique that involves immersing an individual in an environment with minimal sensory input or stimulation. The goal of REST is to induce a state of relaxation that is deeper than what can be achieved through other forms of relaxation techniques. Research suggests that REST can help reduce anxiety, alleviate chronic pain, improve sleep, and enhance creativity and cognitive function. Flotation-REST is a popular type of REST that utilizes an enclosed tank filled with buoyant saltwater to facilitate relaxation. This study aimed to synthesize the evidence on studies that investigate the effects of flotation-REST. Methods
We used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to survey the flotation-REST literature starting from the earliest papers we could find, in 1960, until May 2024. This search was conducted on 23 May 2024 within the Google Scholar and PubMed databases. Journal and conference papers, as well as electronic preprints, that used flotation-REST in their methods, and that were written in English were included; non-original research papers (e.g., review papers, book chapters, and papers solely on types of REST other than flotation-REST (e.g., chamber-REST) were excluded. From each eligible paper, we extracted information regarding the participant sample, application of flotation-REST, experimental design, treatment delivery method, questionnaires and tools, and study results. Results
In total, we found 63 studies that included 1,838 participants. We propose that the application of flotation-REST can be divided into nine main categories: pain, athletic performance, physiology, stress, consciousness, psychology, creativity, clinical anxiety, sleep, smoking cessation, and other miscellaneous applications. In general, flotation-REST was found to bring about positive effects on pain, athletic performance, stress, mental well-being, and clinical anxiety, while having limited to no effect on sleep-related disorders and smoking cessation. Conclusion
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current research on flotation-REST, highlights ongoing limitations in the literature, and outlines potential areas for future research. While flotation-REST appears to induce various benefits for physical and mental well-being, particularly when it comes to managing states like pain and stress, more research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these effects and to identify optimal treatment protocols for different populations. A limitation of this paper is the relatively small number of studies available for review, which limits the generalizability of certain findings and highlights the need for additional research in this area
Review: \u3cem\u3eWombs of Empire: Population Discourses and Biopolitics in Modern Japan\u3c/em\u3e, by Sujin Lee Available
Get PDFA review of Wombs of Empire: Population Discourses and Biopolitics in Modern Japan by Sujin Lee
Religious Liberty, Public Accommodations, and Non-discrimination: A Rapidly Emerging Injustice
No full textThe decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., suggested to many that the scope of religious liberty was in a principled, logical way expanded to include free expression rights of corporate entities. It is concerning that many champion the decision as a basis for expanding religious exemptions to non-discrimination law as regards public accommodations, especially since the same reasoning that is being used with respect to the contemporary target of discrimination based in religious belief—American citizens who happen to be in a sexual minority—would apply by analogy, as it once did explicitly, to racial minorities. Unfortunately, given the rancor and the indefatigable ardor with which proponents insist on the rightfulness of their cause, we can lose sight of the trickiness that characterizes actual situations and the hurt experienced by individual persons who understand themselves to be uniquely positioned to be discriminated against when exercising their constitutional rights or engaged in ordinary activities in the public space, on the basis of someone else’s private religious beliefs. Looking back, I find the extension of exemptions on the basis of religious belief from neutral laws of general applicability inappropriate and to pose a threat to the equality of citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/polisci_books/1038/thumbnail.jp
A New Exit: The Impact of Historical Play Adaptations on Modern Audiences
Get PDFContemporary theatrical adaptation involves deconstructing, reimagining, and rewriting historical plays for modern audiences. Adaptation appropriates theatrical conventions, changes the lens through which the audience may view the play, and offers new entry points into thinking and practice. Adaptation asks, “why this source as theatre now?” and proposes that history provides tools for engagement with contemporary issues. By employing a Practice as Research (PaR) methodology, I will investigate the art of historical adaptation and adapt No Exit, a 1945 existentialist play by Jean-Paul Sartre, through the lenses of constructivism and performance studies. I will develop my script through collaborative workshops, stage a formal reading of the final draft, and gather praxis-based knowledge, such as audience feedback and artists’ interpretations of the text, from the final reading. My project explores the following question: how can historical plays help modern audiences respond constructively to current conflicts?
Written during the occupation of Paris in World War II, No Exit was a subversive display of anti-fascist resistance; “a statement of hope despite the terrifying circumstances in which the characters find themselves”. My adaptation, set in the present-day United States, will examine the corruption of democracy, political polarization, and the performance of identity during crisis. As changes reshape the nation’s political, social, and cultural landscape, our collective “ending” feels increasingly uncertain. Yet, Sartre’s message resonates: if you are unhappy with your situation, you must take action. Contemporary adaptations, motivated by the belief that creative production and cultural participation can fortify the best parts of our humanity, allow us to build compassionate, people-centered communities
Bank Stocks and Roosevelt’s Bank Holiday
No full textRoosevelt’s Bank Holiday in March 1933 aimed to halt bank runs and implement licensing for banks. Using a new hand-collected daily database, we examine how bank stocks and bond markets responded to this sweeping regulation. We find that New York City banks saw significant negative abnormal returns, while Chicago banks experienced positive returns, highlighting regional differences in perceptions of the policy. Corporate bond yields fell by 1.4 percentage points, lowering interest rates. Our findings show how markets reacted differently across regions and asset classes to this critical intervention
AI Is Not the New DEI: Academia’s Addiction to the Next Big Thing
No full textEvery August, as campuses come back to life across the country and the world, I notice the same rhythm: new policies announced, committees formed, webinars scheduled, and fall conferences themed around the latest \u27big thing.\u27
This fall? No surprise. The wave is artificial intelligence.
AI task forces are meeting weekly. Universities are drafting \u27responsible AI\u27 policies. New centers and certificates are being launched. Syllabi are being rewritten. Symposia and faculty retreats promise that AI will \u27redefine the future of education.\u27
It is bold. It is ambitious. But it is also deeply familiar
Who Really Invented Servant Leadership?
No full textThat program gave me tools and vocabulary I still carry today—frameworks like transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making. But one concept stood out to me more than any other: servant leadership.
Robert Greenleaf’s idea that a great leader begins as a servant—putting others’ needs first, listening deeply, and nurturing the growth of others—felt less like something I was learning, and more like something I was remembering.
Because I had seen it before. Not in business school. Not in theory. But in faith, family, and the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Sex-Specific Effects of Early-Life Unpredictability on Hippocampal and Amygdala Responses to Novelty in Adolescents
No full textBackground
Unpredictable childhood experiences are an understudied form of early-life adversity that impact neurodevelopment. The neurobiological processes by which exposure to early-life unpredictability impact development and vulnerability to psychopathology remain poorly understood. In the current study, we investigated the sex-specific consequences of early-life unpredictability on the limbic network, focusing on the hippocampus and the amygdala. Methods
Participants included 150 youths (54% female). Early-life unpredictability was assessed using the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC). Participants engaged in 1 or more task–functional magnetic resonance imaging scans between the ages of 8 and 17 (223 total observations) measuring blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) responses to novel and familiar scenes. Results
Exposure to early-life unpredictability was associated with BOLD contrast (novel vs. familiar) in a sex-specific manner. For boys, but not girls, higher QUIC scores were associated with lower BOLD activation in response to novel versus familiar stimuli in the hippocampal head and amygdala. Secondary psychophysiological interaction analyses revealed complementary sex-specific associations between QUIC scores and condition-specific functional connectivity between the right and left amygdala, as well as between the right amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally. Conclusions
Exposure to unpredictability in early life has persistent implications for the functional operations of limbic circuits. Importantly, consistent with emerging experimental animal and human studies, the consequences of early-life unpredictability differ for boys and girls. Furthermore, impacts of early-life unpredictability were independent of other risk factors including lower household income and negative life events, indicating distinct consequences of early-life unpredictability beyond more commonly studied types of early-life adversity
Characterization of Free Oxylipins in Extracellular Vesicles from Bovine Milk
No full textBackground. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound nanostructures released by human and bovine mammary epithelial cells that carry bioactive lipids and oxidized lipid metabolites. Found in bovine milk, EVs contribute to immune modulation, gut health, and cellular signaling. However, gaps remain in understanding the full composition of milk-derived EVs and how processing alters EV content. This research aimed to characterize the free oxylipin content of EVs from bovine milk treated by pasteurization and homogenization. The hypothesis was that EVs from raw bovine milk would retain higher oxylipin levels than processed milk. Methods. Raw milk was treated by high-temperature short time (HTST), homogenized hightemperature short time (HgHTST), low temperature (LT), or homogenized low temperature (HgLT). Milk was defatted, and the aqueous fraction underwent ultracentrifugation to isolate EVs. Protein content was assessed using a Qubit 4 fluorometer, and oxylipin analysis by LC/MS. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric testing compared oxylipin levels across treatments. Results. Twelve oxylipins were detected in bovine milk and EVs. 9-HODE (!2 =0.92) and 15- HEPE (!2=0.91) were highly correlated between EVs and whole milk. 13-HODE decreased by 69% in HTST (p=0.031) compared to the reference. Levels of 17-HDHA and 17(18)-DiHETE were significantly (p \u3c 0.05) different across treatments compared to the reference. Discussion. Oxylipin content of bovine milk EVs is measurable and correlates strongly with whole milk. Processing lowered oxylipin content, emphasizing that heat and homogenization alter bioactive lipid metabolites and EV function. This knowledge may inform future infant nutrition initiatives using EVs as bioactives
From Statistical Dependence to the Space of Possible Superdeterministic Theories
No full textBell’s theorem demonstrates that any physical theory that is consistent with the predictions of quantum mechanics, and which satisfies some apparently innocuous assumptions, must violate the principle of local causality. It may therefore be possible to maintain local causality by rejecting one of these other assumptions instead. One possibility that has recently received significant attention involves rejecting the principle of statistical independence (SI). In this paper, we consider the frequency interpretation of SI, which states that ρ(λ) ≈ ρ(λ|Z), where ρ(λ) is the relative frequency of an element of an ensemble being in the state λ, and Z is a label that separates the ensemble into apparently randomly selected sub-ensembles. SI is violated when the sub-ensemble frequency ρ(λ|Z) fails to be representative of the ensemble frequency ρ(λ). We argue that physical theories that systematically violate SI should all be understood as superdeterministic. This perspective on SI sheds light on a number of issues that are being debated in the superdeterminism literature, especially concerning its scope and philosophical consequences. Regarding scope, we argue that superdeterministic theories fall into three categories, deterministic theories with fine-tuned initial conditions, fluke theories, and nomic exclusion theories. We also argue that retrocausal and invariant set theories need not violate SI, which is contrary to how they are normally presented. Regarding philosophical implications, we argue that superdeterminism is incompatible with free will according to some prominent compatibilist accounts. We also argue that although superdeterminism is conspiratorial, it is not unscientific, but pre-scientific