Motivation Impairments of attention and memory are detectable in early psychosis, and often result in severe, longstanding functional impairments. Pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairments have been largely unsuccessful. The current study aims to explore the effects of aerobic exercise and mind-body exercise (yoga) on cognitive functioning and clinical symptoms in female patients with early psychosis. The potential neuromechanism underlying the clinical consequences was also investigated. Methods Female patients (n=120) diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, brief psychosis, psychosis NOS, or delusional disorder (according to SCID) were recruited from three hospital/clinic sites. They were randomized into integrated yoga therapy group, aerobic exercise programme group, and waiting list as the control group. Both interventions were held three times weekly. At baseline and at 12 weeks, clinical symptoms, cognitive functions, quality of life and fitness levels were assessed in all participants, and completed structural MRI data were collected in 58 patients. Repeated measures ANOVA and ANCOVA analyses of the clinical, cognitive, quality of life and fitness data were compared between baseline and at 12 weeks among the three groups. Post-hoc Bonferroni test was used for comparing between two groups. Structural MRI data was analyzed by FreeSurfer V5.1 and Qdec V1.4 to calculate the brain volume and cortical thickness. Results Completed clinical and cognitive data were collected in 85 patients, and completed MRI imaging data of good quality were collected in 39 patients. No significant differences in age, education years, and duration of the illness at baseline were observed among the three groups. Both yoga and aerobic exercise groups demonstrated significant improvements in verbal encoding (p<0.01), short-term memory (p<0.05), long-term memory (p<0.01), and working memory (p<0.01) with moderate to large effect sizes compared to control groups. The yoga group showed significantly enhanced attention and concentration (p<0.05). Both yoga and aerobic exercise significantly improved overall clinical symptoms (p<0.05) and depressive symptoms (p<0.05) after 12 weeks. Significant increases were observed in the thickness of the left superior frontal gyrus and the right inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis) in the aerobic exercise group. Significant increases were observed in the volume of the postcentral gyrus and the posterior corpus callosum in the yoga group. There was a statistically significant correlation between improvements in working memory and changes in the postcentral gyrus (r=0.54, p<0.01) after controlling for the multiple comparisons with a Bonferroni adjusted alpha level. Discussion Both types of exercise improved memory in early psychosis patients, with yoga having a superior effect on attention than aerobic exercise. Observed increments in the cortical thicknesses and volume may indicate improved neurogenesis. Significance There have been few systematic clinical trial studying exercise and psychosis, and none of them has explored the effects of exercise in female patients with early stage psychosis. The present study indicates possible interventions for cognitive impairments in the patients with early psychosis, which are non-invasive and mostly safe. The application of yoga and aerobic exercise as adjunct treatments to treat psychosis in the clinical setting should be advocated. / published_or_final_version / Psychiatry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Inadequate solid waste management is a principal cause of risk and vulnerability in informal settlements in Latin America. Failure of municipalities to provide proper waste disposal and maintenance of public spaces can lead to flooding, cause public health problems, increase crime, and produce a sense of abandonment. Accumulation of garbage is particularly hazardous for children, since they engage more intimately with their environment through play and other activities. Planners can draw on participatory activities to document children’s perspectives and activities, and in so doing, better integrate children and youth into the planning process. This paper presents the results of drawing exercises conducted with children in Los Platanitos, Dominican Republic, and discusses the implications of these methods for more participatory planning approaches in informal settlements. / text

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Tech.: Chiropractic) -Dept. of Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2002 xiii, 93 leaves / The purpose of this study was to determine the short to medium term effectiveness of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitaion (P.N.F.) stretching [using the Contract- Relax-Antagonist-Contract (C.R.A.C.) technique] as an adjunct treatment to cervical manipulation in the treatment of Mechanical Neck Pain.

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

This dissertation is intended to fulfill a need for intermediate study material for the double bass. Studies that have been written, using twentieth century compositional techniques, are for the most part out of reach of the intermediate student. The extant contemporary studies extend the range of the instrument beyond the usual orchestral gamut and, combined with rapidly changing meters, rhythmic complexities, and new notation systems, tend to be studies for the more mature student of the double bass.The goals for the studies as instructional aids were (1) to select, arrange and create contemporary studies and pieces for the intermediate double bass player; and (2) to limit these studies to the lower gamut of the instrument and prepare the intermediate student for the technical and musical complexities that are a part of the extant studies for the more advanced student of double bass.Musical styles used are: jazz rhythms and harmonies, folk songs and dances, liturgical melody, classical suite and serial set.As an aid to understanding these studies and pieces, a tape recording of each study is an integral part of the dissertation. Included are two keyboard accompaniments and suggestions for the use of other instrumental combinations. It is hoped that some studies may be found appropriate for concert or recital performance.Study One is concerned with the performance problems of unbarred recitative and color usage. Ponticello, glissando, pizzicato, ricochet, tremolo and col legno are added to achieve color contrast in this study.Study Two consists of four traditional Greek songs. They are written in uneven meters of five and seven and combinations of two and three. Indication for rubato style, Bartok or "snap" pizzicato, portamento,and slurred pizzicato add to the performance problems of this study.Study Three is based on the entire melodic material of "Dies Irae". It is arranged in three settings: (1) improvised, (2) in tempo with guitar accompaniment,and (3) improvised with the use of natural harmonics. Other techniques employed are micro-tones and double stops.Study Four focuses on the problem of spiccato bowing. It is written in the tenor clef to advance reading ability. The piece may be played unaccompanied or with keyboard accompaniment.Study Five is a study in phrasing. It is an atonal work with piano accompaniment. and is based on a four-note set. The solo line, by transposition, eventually employs all of the tones of the chromatic scale.Study Six is designed as a study in pizzicato,. Pizzicato techniques are: slurred, drummed, left-hand, thumb, Bartok, arpeggiando and L. H. pizzicato semmre. The pitches are a combination of pressed tones and natural harmonics.Preceding each piece is a description or discussion of the technical problems peculiar to that study.

Contemporary Etudes for Harp consists of twelve etudes dealing with two major areas. The primary area of concern is to expose the harpist to many of the compositional techniques used in twentieth-century harp music. A second concern deals with the way sounds can be produced on the harp as well as the involvement of the performer in producing sounds. Problems involved in the notation of these special effects are also addressed in these twelve etudes.Etudes I, II, III, IV, VII, IX, and X deal more specifically with compositional techniques that are frequently found in twentieth century harp music. Modality, polytonality, the use of synthetic scales, quartal harmony, non-traditional use of traditional harmony and scales, and mixed and changing meters are included in these chapters.Less-commonly used techniques are found in Etudes V, VI, VIII, XI, and XII. These deal with the use of sounds and silences and their durations, graphic notation, and a simple introduction into aleatoric music. Emphasis is also placed on pitch selection and organization through the use of a pitch class set and serialism.The level of the etudes ranges from medium to difficult and presupposes that the harpist would be capable of achieving an undergraduate degree in harp performance. The length of the etudes ranges from 2 1/2 minutes to 4 minutes. Some of the problems which contribute which contribute to the difficulty to these etudes are the use of rapid pedal changes, three-note pedal glissandos, using a tuning fork to change pitches on a given string, interpreting graphic notation, maintaining a musical sense of direction within a given time frame, and dealing with rapidly changing time signatures. The harpist must also make choices in the order in which events are to occur in the aleatoric piece. In the final etude using graphic notation, singing is required by the harpist.Because new compositional techniques and special effects are continually being introduced, this study is not intended to be all encompassing. It is instead intended to be used for score study and to provide musical studies which clearly demonstrate the specific techniques included in each other.

Discussion in this document is divided into three main areas. Chapter One is an introduction, describing the scope, purpose, and procedures of the document. Chapter Two discusses the evolution of the viola and violin to 1800, emphasizing viola design, luthiers, theoretical writings, and literature for the viola. Further discussion of writing for the viola during the first half of the nineteenth century is provided in Chapter Five.Chapter Four provides a brief analysis of the famous violin etudes of this period, placing emphasis on their tranferability to the viola. The analysis is prefaced by a discussion of the value of etudes and the technical differences between violin and viola. The writer concludes that, although the violin etudes do not speak directly to all the peculiar technical problems of the viola, their thoroughness and progressiveness make them useful study material for violists.The main emphasis of this document is on Chapters Three and Five. Chapter Three discusses the early viola methods written between 1780 and 1800. Included are methods by Corrette, Cupis, Woldemar, Gebauer, and an anonymous English tutor. As the modern application of these methods to technical study was found to be impractical, emphasis was placed more on their historical importance.Chapter Five provides an analysis of the viola etudes and methods written during the first half of the nineteenth century. Included are works by Martinn, Kayser, Praeger, Bruni, Hoffmeister, Cavalini, Rolla, Blumenthal, Campagnoli, Casimir-Ney, Garaude, and Giorgetti. Each of these works was compared to the violin etudes on the same technical level.The writer did not find the same technical progression and thoroughness in the viola etudes that was found in the violin studies. However, several of the etudes were deemed useful technical studies for the violist. These viola etudes often placed more emphasis on tone development and unusual fingerings and positions. Of particular note were the etudes of Cavalini, Rolla, Blumenthal, Giorgetti, Campagnoli, and Casimir-Ney. The writer has included an appendix of selected viola etudes, chosen for their usefulness and variety.