Abstracting in the context of spontaneous learning

There is evidence that spontaneous learning leads to relational understanding and high positive affect. To study spontaneous abstracting, a model was constructed by combining the RBC model of abstraction with Krutetskii's mental activities. Using video-stimulated interviews, the model was then used to analyse the behaviour of two Year 8 students who had demonstrated spontaneous abstracting. The analysis highlighted the crucial role of synthetic and evaluative analysis, two processes that seem unlikely to occur under guided construction.

Provoked and spontaneous judgements of life satisfaction

Reports on two studies designed to assess the making of life satisfaction judgements. Findings suggested that while life satisfaction judgements are indeed made in everyday life, such judgements are based on thinking that is limited in nature. Overall, the second study also suggested that the results typically obtained in standard life satisfaction studies may, in part, be an artifact of the methodology they employ.

A randomised trial of surgical, medical and expectant management of first trimester spontaneous miscarriage

Background: Medical management and expectant care have been considered possible alternatives to surgical evacuation of the uterus for first trimester spontaneous miscarriage in recent years.

Aim: To compare the effectiveness and safety of medical and expectant management with surgical management for first trimester incomplete or inevitable miscarriage.

Methods: Forty women were recruited following diagnosis of incomplete or inevitable miscarriage, and randomised to surgical, medical or expectant care via an off-site, computerised enrolment system. The primary outcome was the effectiveness of medical (vaginal misoprostol) and expectant management relative to surgical evacuation, assessed at 10–14 days and 8 weeks post-recruitment. Infection, pain, bleeding, anxiety, depression, physical and emotional recovery were assessed also. Analysis was by intention-to-treat.

Results: Effectiveness at 8 weeks was lower for medical (80.0%) and expectant (78.6%) than for surgical management (100.0%). Two women in the medical group had confirmed infections. Bleeding lasted longer in the expectant group than in the surgical group. There were no significant differences in pain, physical recovery, anxiety or depression between the groups. 54.6%, 42.9% and 57.1% of the surgical, medical and expectant groups respectively would opt for the same treatment again.

Conclusion: Expectant care appears to be sufficiently safe and effective to be offered as an option for women. Medical management might carry a higher risk of infection than surgical or expectant care.

Beyond ‘good’ and ‘evil’: breaking down binary oppositions in holocaust representations of ‘privileged’ Jews

In 1986, Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi’s paradigmatic essay entitled ‘The Grey Zone’ highlighted the complex and sensitive issue of so-called ‘privileged’ Jews, an issue that remains at the margins of popular and academic discourse on the Holocaust. ‘Privileged’ Jews include those prisoners in the Nazi concentration camps and ghettos who held positions that gave them access to material and other benefits whilst compelling them to act in ways that have been judged both self-serving and harmful to fellow inmates. The unprecedented ethical dilemmas that confronted ‘privileged’ Jews may be viewed as exemplifying the ‘limit’ events or experiences that were characteristic of the Holocaust, situating them at the threshold of representation, understanding and judgement. Levi’s essay singles out history and film as particularly predisposed to a simplifying trend he identifies – the ‘Manichean tendency which shuns half-tints and complexities,’ and resorts to the black-and-white binary opposition(s) of ‘friend’ and ‘enemy,’‘good’ and ‘evil.’ In the case of ‘privileged’ Jews in particular, such binary oppositions would appear to be inadequate. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates the fields of history, philosophy and literature, this paper analyses representations of ‘privileged’ Jews, particularly those prisoners of the Sonderkommandos who were forced to work in the crematoria. The paper demonstrates how easily the boundary Levi maps out for moral judgement can be crossed. It is shown that while Levi suggests judgement should be suspended when confronted with the experiences of victims in extremis, moral evaluations of ‘privileged’ Jews permeate discussions and representations of the Holocaust. When confronted with such emotionally and morally freighted issues, judgement may itself be seen as a ‘limit of representation.’

e-learning through digital theatre : breaking down the tyranny of distance and limits of location

In this article, we report on a cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural digital exchange project between Australian Drama and Education students and Dutch English Language and Culture students, and examine the impact of the place-independent, technology-mediated communications and collaboration on their learning trajectories. The intensive, intercultural collaboration between the two groups of students resulted in a 50-minute group-devised, digital theatre play entitled Quarter Acre Dreaming. This play, performed through live interactive media by both Dutch and Australian students, traced the historical development of the Australian suburb, while integrating scenes of Dutch immigration into Australia. In the creative process, the students on either side of the globe interacted through Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC), and used videoconferencing and Skype for live rehearsals and discussions to advance their learning of English, their performance repertoire and cross-cultural understanding.

Breaking up prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glucose and insulin responses

OBJECTIVE--Observational studies show breaking up prolonged sitting has beneficial associations with cardiometabolic risk markers, but intervention studies are required to investigate causality. We examined the acute effects on postprandial glucose and insulin levels of uninterrupted sitting compared with sitting interrupted by brief bouts of light- or moderate-intensity walking.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Overweight/obese adults (n = 19), aged 45-65 years, were recruited for a randomized three-period, three-treatment acute crossover trial: I) uninterrupted sitting; 2) seated with 2-min bouts of light-intensity walking every 20 rain; and 3) seated with 2-min bouts of moderate-intensity walking every 20 min. A standardized test drink was provided after an initial 2-h period of uninterrupted sitting. The positive incremental area under curves (iAUC) for glucose and insulin (mean [95% CI]) for the 5 h after the test drink (75 g glucose, 50 g fat) were calculated for the respective treatments.

RESULTS--The glucose iAUC (mmol/L) x h after both activity-break conditions was reduced (light: 5.2 [4.1-6.6]; moderate: 4.9 [3.8-6.1]; both P < 0.01) compared with uninterrupted sitting (6.9 [5.5-8.7]). Insulin iAUC (pmol/L) x h was also reduced with both activity-break conditions (light: 633.6 [552.4-727.1]; moderate: 637.6 [555.5-731.9], P < 0.0001) compared with uninterrupted sitting (828.6 [722.0-950.9]).

CONCLUSIONS--Interrupting sitting time with short bouts of light- or moderate-intensity walking lowers postprandial glucose and insulin levels in overweight/obese adults. This may improve glucose metabolism and potentially be an important public health and clinical intervention strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk.