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Building mass customised housing through innovation in the production system. Lessons from Japan
Get PDFChapter 16. Improvisation: Inclusivity and Race
No full textThis edited collection examines the potential of dance training for developing socially engaged individuals capable to forge ethical human relations for an ever-changing world and in turn frames dance as a fundamental part of human experience. The volume draws together a range of critical voices to reflect on the inclusive potential of dance. The contributions offer perspectives on contemporary dance training in Britain from dance educators, scholars, practitioners, and artists. Through examining the politics, values, and ethics of learning dance today this book argues for the need of a re-assessment of the evolving practices in dance training and techniques. Key questions address how the concept of ‘technique’ and associated systems of training in dance could be redefined to enable the collaboration of skills and application of ideas necessary to twenty-first century dance. The editors present these ideas in different modes of writing. This collection of essays, conversations and manifestos offer a way to explore, debate and grasp the shifting values of contemporary dance. Examining these values in the applied field of dance reveals a complex and contrasting range of ideas, encompassing broad themes including the relationships between individuality and collectivity, rigour and creativity, and virtuosity and inclusivity. This volume points to ethical techniques as providing a way of navigating these contrasting values in dance. It will constitute an invaluable resource for academics as well as practitioners and students
Conspiracy Theories: A Cultural Evolution Theory approach
Get PDFConspiracy theories have been part of human culture for hundreds of years, if not millennia, and have been the subject of research in academic fields such as social psychology, political science, and cultural studies. At present, there has been little research examining conspiracy theories from a cultural evolution perspective. This chapter discusses the value of cultural evolution approaches to understanding the diffusion of conspiracy theories. Focusing on the role of biases in cultural transmission, it argues that a key advantage of applying a cultural evolution approach to this phenomenon is that it provides a strong theoretical and methodological framework to bridge the individual-, inter-individual-, and population-level factors that explain the cultural success of conspiracy theories, with potential for producing insights into how to limit their negative influence
Inter-and intra-individual differences in landing impacts during badminton match-play versus a feeding drill
No full textIt is not understood the extent to which individuals experience impacts in badminton, and how this might relate to performance and injury risk. Little data are available on landing during match-play due to the limitations on collecting such data. This study aimed to capture acceleration data for badminton athletes in order to quantify individual differences. 19 athletes performed MF (multi-feed) drills and were paired to play matches. Each wore an accelerometer on their right lower tibia. Players were seen to have different patterns in the distribution of their impacts and hence “lighter” and “heavier” landers were identified. Typically, these were similar players across shot types, but not always (r2 = 0.7326 and P < 0.001). Those who won their matches encountered higher accelerations in all trial and shot types (though not all P. values were significant). Whilst both winners and losers encountered higher accelerations in match play (P < 0.001), the percentage increase was lower for winners (30%) than losers (42%). Results show that badminton players experience landings on an individual level. Better players experience higher g impacts more often, particularly in the training drill observed, which might indicate better efficiency of movement around the court or greater effort in training
A health promotion survey conducted in a university setting during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase awareness for vitamin D supplementation
No full textDuring the pandemic, there was concern that vulnerable individuals with low vitamin D status, particularly those from certain ethnic groups with co-morbidities were at increased risk of severity of COVID-19 complications(Reference Weir, Thenappan and Bhargava1). Vitamin D insufficiency had previously been recognised as a concern by SACN (2016)(2) which led to the recommendation of daily supplementation of Vitamin D (10 mcg) for the whole population during the winter months and for the whole year for vulnerable populations. This was based primarily on the evidence to maintain musculoskeletal health, however vitamin D supplementation has also been shown to prevent and improve recovery from acute respiratory infection(3). A rapid review by NICE (2020)(Reference Martineau, Jolliffe and Hooper4) re-emphasised the advice for Vitamin D supplementation, particularly because of the reduced exposure to sunlight during lockdown restrictions. The aim of this study was to raise awareness of the need of Vitamin D supplementation for the population during the COVID-19 pandemic.We launched an online health promotion survey during February - April 2021 on vitamin D supplementation targeting the diverse student and staff community at London Metropolitan University. The online survey questionnaire consisted of 30 questions which explored current knowledge, perceptions and perceived barriers to Vitamin D supplementation. This was followed with a two-minute educational animated video, using bright colours, concise language and an amicable presentation on the benefits of Vitamin D supplementation. The survey was advertised through the staff and student university website.Seventy-nine participants have completed the survey (staff n = 14, student n = 65). Sixty six percent of participants reported taking a vitamin D supplement, either because they thought they were deficient in vitamin D (56%) or were advised by a healthcare professional (44%). Of the 34% that did not supplement, the most common reasons cited were not needing a supplement or were not aware it was an option without deficiency. The uptake of supplementation and knowledge was higher in the university population than reported in the literature (around 50%)(5) and this could be related to educational level and knowledge accrued on the science and nutrition-related courses. Some participants (41%) attributed their uptake of vitamin D supplementation to a proposed link between vitamin D and COVID-19 risk. However, there was a cautious approach, one observer commenting that ‘immune health is complex’.The consequent feedback survey was completed by 30 participants and in total 24% had confirmed that they had made behavioural changes following the viewing of the educational video, which included initiating vitamin D supplementation, improving dietary intake and making lifestyle behavioural changes. These preliminary findings suggest that educational videos could potentially be a good medium for health education within the university setting
A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Preadolescent Cardiometabolic Health: Associations with Fitness, Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, Nutrition, and Sleep
Get PDFBackground: Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk often begins early in life. Healthy lifestyle behaviors can mitigate risk, but the optimal combination of behaviors has not been determined. This cross-sectional study simultaneously examined the associations between lifestyle factors (fitness, activity behaviors, and dietary patterns) and CMD risk in preadolescent children. Methods: 1480 New Zealand children aged 8–10 years were recruited. Participants included 316 preadolescents (50% female, age: 9.5 ± 1.1 years, BMI: 17.9 ± 3.3 kg/m 2). Fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness [CRF], muscular fitness), activity behaviors (physical activity, sedentary, sleep), and dietary patterns were measured. Factor analysis was used to derive a CMD risk score from 13 variables (adiposity, peripheral and central hemodynamics, glycemic control, and blood lipids). Results: Only CRF (β = −0.45, p < 0.001) and sedentary time (β = 0.12, p = 0.019) were associated with the CMD risk score in the adjusted multivariable analysis. CRF was found to be nonlinear (VO 2 max ≤ ≈42 mL/kg/min associated with higher CMD risk score), and thus a CRF polynomial term was added, which was also associated (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) with the CMD risk score. Significant associations were not found with sleep or dietary variables. Conclusion: The findings indicate that increasing CRF and decreasing sedentary behavior may be important public health targets in preadolescent children. </p
