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Copyright of Revista Ciência & Saúde Coletiva is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Children's good behavior on playgrounds is important to their overall social development. This study aimed to investigate the roles of parents and children's prosocial behavior in the playground in the Singgalang Padang Complex. Furthermore, this study looked at the effect of training on their parents' prosocial behavior. This was a mixed-method research study in which the qualitative analysis used interviews and questionnaires on 20 parents to investigate their prosocial behavior. Following that, the parents participated in three training sessions to increase their understanding of improving their children's prosocial behavior. The influence of the instruction on the children's prosocial behavior was then assessed using a quantitative analysis based on a quasi-experimental design. The qualitative data revealed a scarcity of prosocial activities for early development in public facilities and playgrounds. However, quantitative data revealed a substantial change in children's prosocial conduct before and after parental instruction (Cohen d = 1.13). On the other hand, the conduct of today's youth has a considerable influence on the extent to which they have acquired their ability for prosocial maturity. If parents receive training to help their children develop prosocial behavior, they will be able to socialize with other children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on statistics available in Korea, trauma centers play a critical role in treatment of patients with trauma. Interventional radiologists in trauma centers perform various procedures, including embolization, which constitutes the basic treatment for control of hemorrhage, although interventions such as stent graft insertion may also be used. Although emergency interventional procedures have been used conventionally, rapid and effective hemorrhage control is important in patients with trauma. Therefore, it is important to accurately understand and implement the concept of damage control interventional radiology, which has gained attention in recent times, to reduce preventable trauma-induced mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A lack of direct experience with the natural environment puts children at higher risk for mental disorders, obesity, social disconnection, and poor critical-thinking skills. Despite the current knowledge that wellness is a multidimensional concept, traditional approaches to evaluating the performance impacts of schoolyard environments are surprisingly monodisciplinary. This study explored a sample of how wellness impacts in elementary schoolyards are currently being studied through a meta-analysis of post-2000 literature. The results suggest a recent trend of emerging diversity in approaches, yet there remains a gap in the research for multidisciplinary approaches that incorporate multivariate dimensions of wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brood & Rozen: Tijdschrift voor de Geschiedenis van Sociale Bewegingen is the property of AMSAB - Institute of Social History and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aldo van Eyck is attributed with designing more than 700 playgrounds which engendered revolutionary spatial concepts such as the 'twin phenomena' and 'in-between.' These concepts are examined in the literature through the definition of place alongside its ethnographic origins; however, a limited number of studies address place-making through quantitative measures. This research project investigates the correlation between van Eyck's playgrounds and his place-making depending on the spatial configuration. It analyses the planning of 70 playgrounds based on space syntax techniques and clusters them into six groups. It discusses the playgrounds' spatial properties through their corresponding genotypes and phenotypes. The results show that the playgrounds represent a spectrum of place-making concepts ranging from relativity to labyrinthian clarity with the twin phenomena and in-between as intermediate spatial concepts. The results augment quantitively the claims in the literature and identify each playground's dominant place-making concept and its particular intricacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Swedish study investigates how primary school children’s perspectives on a “good schoolyard” can be illuminated through envisioning workshops using modelmaking. In addition to advocating for the qualities and affordances of the standard schoolyard equipment, children also suggested and constructed new features affording playing with domestic animals, being in peace and quiet in tree houses, picking fruit, and using digital playgrounds. For the children to go beyond reproducing the features, environmental qualities, and affordances of their current schoolyards, they needed plenty of time for communication and hands-on activities, opportunities to relax, imagine, and receive input and inspiration from others’ experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Maetagused is the property of Estonian Literary Museum, Department of Folkloristics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses the production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. The director, Melissa Rain Anderson, describes the musical as a story of redemption, love, and dreams. The production incorporates local actors in the children's ensemble, adding to the magic and impact of the classic story. The article also mentions the musical's worldwide success and its diverse musical styles. For more information and tickets, readers are directed to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's website. [Extracted from the article]

In light of the growing interest in naturalizing schoolgrounds this paper explores the governance configurations that enable, produce and sustain their multiple benefits. We scrutinize the existing literature analysing the norms, actors, and processes through which green school grounds are conceptualized, designed, implemented, and sustained. We find that good schoolyard governance is exhibited by: i) the actual use that children make of the naturalized areas, and by its repercussion on their physical and mental well-being, social integration, sense of place, and socio-environmental awareness; ii) the ways outdoor environments intersect with school curriculums; iii) by the availability of public support and funding lines with flexible, anticipatory and adaptive features; and crucially iv) by the ways that architects and gardeners engage with the concepts of ecology, creative play and outdoor education in the acts of schoolyard (re)making. We also find that at times focus on program effectiveness (efficiency, goals) infringes upon justice and inclusion. The way participative processes are interpreted, and eventually inform schoolyard designs and uses is one of the challenges to consider in this respect. Greening schoolyards also requires participation processes that are accessible and inclusive for adults and children from a variety of socio-cultural, ethnic and economic contexts. In a nutshell, naturalizing schoolyards needs to go beyond the search for narrow technical solutions for climate adaptation or pedagogical innovation, being a process of school (re)making. The governance framework suggested here is apt for analysing a range of urban green interventions • Good schoolyard governance is exhibited by the actual use that children make of the naturalized areas. • Successful schoolyard greening rests on its intersection with existing curriculums. • Designers need to engage with landscape ecology, participation and creative play. • Equity and justice need to be considered in design, implementation, and use. • Flexible and adaptive public funding is key for steadfast schoolyard naturalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[9] The term "play leader" was frequently used as a job title and in reference to other adult playground supervisors, and the usage of "leader" is telling - these adults were responsible for more than safety and park maintenance, they were responsible for moral leadership. The professional play leader, police officers, and adults in other roles responded to specific perceived issues. Playground advocates thought that adult supervision in play spaces, especially by trained play leaders, could go beyond only keeping children from delinquency to promote good behaviors in children. B IN 1925, THE PLAYGROUND AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA b made a statement that might seem more at home in a controversial political manifesto than a training manual for recreation workers. [Extracted from the article]

Child-friendly cities include playgrounds that can promote healthy childhoods. Children have a right to participate in the planning, construction, evaluation and management of playgrounds intended for their use. This critical review examines 14 peer-reviewed studies published from 2004–2020 focusing on children’s participation in playground creation. After a search across several multidisciplinary databases, we evaluated the selected studies using the LEGEND protocol. Themes derived from the reviewed studies included children’s playground preferences and participatory experiences, as well as adult perceptions of youth involvement. Our analysis exposed gaps, inconsistencies and benefits associated with child participation. We offer recommendations for future engagement of children in playground development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As sett ings planned and designed with children in mind, playgrounds have a lot to off er to children’s physical, social and educational development. However, US playgrounds are often underutilized by middle-school children, as they become upstaged by electronic and computer games. This article explores the reasons for playground underutilization in the US through a historic overview of playground development and a review of literature sources that discuss the causes and consequences of playground utilization. It also draws from an empirical study of the author, who surveyed 897 middle-school children and 348 parents in twelve middle schools in Los Angeles to examine their feelings toward playgrounds and fi nd out why they do not visit playgrounds more often. The survey found that many children found the playgrounds unexciting and wished for a diff erent and more interactive sett ing. In response to this sentiment, the last part of the article examines the concepts of ‘smart park’ and ‘interactive playground’ and discusses opportunities that smart and interactive technologies present for developing twenty-fi rst century playgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we playfully and seriously bring the subversive tendencies of adventure playgrounds to the exploration of outdoor learning, nature and urban play spaces which are the focus of this issue of Built Environment. The history of adventure playgrounds shows how they have always had to navigate the tension between supporting play for its own sake and meeting current policy agendas. We suggest that ‘nature and learning’ is one such agenda and off er both a theoretical challenge to current orthodoxies of thought and also a practical suggestion. Critical cartography is a spatial, relational and creative approach to documenting playwork that can off er a diff erent articulation of the value of playwork, be the basis for playworkers’ (rather than children’s) learning, and also prompt a re-enchantment with children’s play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I provide an overview of my natural playground and sensory garden design practices and theories. I discuss how I was inspired by the landscape architect, Carl Theodor Sørensen, and the key role his work and writings played in Denmark and beyond in the development of natural playscapes and in the sett ing up in 1961 of the International Play Association. I reveal how my fi rst project, while still a student, to design a sensory garden for a special school was to infl uence my future career and thinking. My time working for the City of Copenhagen began with the design of the fi rst public sensory garden in Denmark, which I describe here. I then highlight another Danish concept: the manned playground and its manifestation in the Nature Playground in Valbyparken for whose design I was responsible, and which I present here. I go on to discuss the dangers of standardized playground equipment designed by adults with no input from children, who prefer to make their own play and benefi t from so doing. I describe my design for Murergaarden Daycare Centre and Afterschool Club playground which has no fi xed play equipment. I then emphasize further the benefi ts of ‘green’ playground design and present the example of the Skovstjernen Daycare Centre, where ‘there’s nothing but nature and loose parts’. In short, my message is that Nature is the best place for children to play and develop their creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2323BlackLuna is an experimental moving image, embodied portal, honoring meditation with/in darkness, dark space. In this project, darkness serves as creative in/sight for the practice and spiritual processing of Black girl eroticism and love through dance and movement. 2323BlackLuna inundates the goings and magic of process, centering play within concepts of corporeality, liminality, and time-traveling. Alice Walker and Audre Lorde challenge, guide, and support the portal between the spiritual and the political, shaping the meditation of "love at its deepest meaning." This work leans into Black girl imagination, contributing to Black girlhood studies, spirituality, performance, and visual arts epistemology. It is an ode to solitude; love as pleasure, a journey of the now, Black girl healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) to understand the playground programming needs and preferences of children with disabilities (CWD), their parents, and education and health care professionals (2) to produce and share well-informed recommendations for developing playground programming options that will enhance the play, educational, and clinical experiences and ultimately improve the quality of life of CWD. We conducted a two-year qualitative study employing an action research methodology to address the underutilization of accessible playgrounds and to explore ways to better serve CWD, their families, and healthcare and educational professionals. Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital is a leading institution dedicated to providing rehabilitation services to CWD. Additionally, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital houses an on-site school called the Bloorview School Authority with an accessible playground, making this the perfect research setting. We used purposeful sampling from the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to recruit 2 CWD, 2 parents/caregivers, 5 healthcare, and 5 educational professionals who have experience using the Bloorview School Authority Playground. Not applicable. Child/youth participants completed a draw-and-write activity. All participants were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews lasting 45-90 minutes. For child/youth participants, the interview was optional as they completed the draw-and-write activity sharing their experiences. CWD were more motivated to complete education and rehabilitation goals while on the playground. The playground environment offers an ideal setting for CWD to enjoy themselves while improving physical literacy skills and engaging in hands-on learning. Creative and nibble programming options are necessary to fully realize the playground's potential. Design changes, such as adding signage for SLPs, and a whiteboard for outdoor education, can better facilitate programming. Parents felt accessible playgrounds were not challenging enough and expressed a desire for more engaging design. This study highlights the significance of programming for CWD to facilitate the achievement of rehabilitation and education goals without them realizing it. Providing CWD with varied and individualized play programs that cater to their unique interests, abilities, and goals can enhance engagement, motivation, and overall well-being. Not applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandboxes in public play spaces afford a crucial opportunity for urban children to engage in naturalistic play that fosters development of cognitive, social, and motor skills. As open pits, sandboxes in New York City public playgrounds are potentially exposed to fecal inputs from various sources, including wild and domestic animals. A longitudinal study of thirteen sandboxes located in public playgrounds on the east side of Manhattan reveals ubiquity of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci and Escherichia coli through all seasons. The highest concentrations of bacteria occur in surface sand (n = 42; mean enterococci 230 MPN/g and E. coli 182 MPN/g dry weight), with significantly lower levels at depths below the surface (n = 35; mean enterococci 21 MPN/g and E. coli 12 MPN/g dry weight), a stratification consistent with fecal loading at the surface. Generalized linear mixed models indicate that sand depth (surface vs. underlayers) is the most influential variable affecting bacterial levels (P <0.001 for both enterococci and E. coli), followed by sampling season (P <0.001 for both). Bacterial concentrations do not vary significantly as a function of playground location or ZIP code within the study area. Children's exposure while playing in sandboxes likely reaches 105 enterococci and 104 E. coli in a typical play period. Microbial source tracking to identify fecal hosts reveals dog, bird, and human biomarkers in low concentrations. Open sandbox microcosms installed at ground level in the urban environment of Manhattan are fouled by enterococci and E. coli within two weeks, while adjacent closed microcosms exhibit no fecal contamination over a 33-day sampling period. Collectively, our results indicate that increasing the frequency of sand refills and covering sandboxes during times of disuse would be straightforward management strategies to mitigate fecal contamination in playground sandboxes. [Display omitted] • Fecal indicator bacteria are ubiquitous in playground sand in New York City. • Enterococci and E. coli are significantly higher in surface sand than in underlayers. • Enterococci and E. coli vary significantly by season but not by location. • Open sand microcosms are fouled rapidly; closed microcosms remain uncontaminated. • Canine and avian biomarkers are present in sand, despite prohibition of dogs in playgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cadernos de Pesquisa is the property of Fundacao Carlos Chagas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing access to quality outdoor space in low-income communities may lead to a host of child, community, and environmental benefits. The Space to Grow initiative transforms barren schoolyards in low-income communities across Chicago into vibrant green spaces for children and community members to play and learn among natural elements. This paper presents the Space to Grow health and wellness evaluation protocol designed to assess the five dimensions of the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance; King et al, 2010), which assesses the comprehensive public health impact of green schoolyards on children and their communities and the transferability of the various elements of the initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple Swift programming is the behind-the-scenes technology powering millions of iOS and Mac OS X apps that we use every day. Our business school is offering Swift programming as an elective course for all business major students. At the beginning of this initiative, we had no expertise in Apple Mac platform and Swift programming. This paper documents our journey to overcome the challenges of unfamiliar technology as well as the knowledge learned along the way. In the process of preparing for teaching Swift programming, we found that the most efficient way to acquire Swift programming skills is through hands-on practice and exploration. In our exploration, we discovered many unique features of Swift. This study also reports our actual teaching experience and the classroom observations. We share the tips and insights gained from preparing and teaching Swift. This paper potentially makes some practical contributions to the area of teaching Swift programming. CIS faculties interested in teaching Swift programming may benefit from this study by making use of the practical guide, lessons learned, and workarounds. It is our objective to assist CIS faculties to make their preparation and teaching of Swift programming more efficient and smoother. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to reveal the opinions of primary school teachers and school managers about the evaluation of primary school gardens for children. This study was conducted with phenomenological method is one of qualitative research designs. The data of study was collected through semi-structured interviews; study group consisted of 30 teachers and 12 school managers. Photographs of school gardens and students' drawings are other data collection tools of the research. The data were analyzed by content analysis method. The findings obtained that playgrounds are thought to be important in terms of supporting development of child, providing socialization, supporting learning and having fun. The majority of participants think that their school gardens are not enough. The lack of playgrounds in school gardens, the lack of green area and use of garden as a car park are examples of these inadequacies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and technological changes demand constant updating, this implies that schools must be prepared to face these changes. As a result, they need to have the capacity to innovate as part of their organizational culture. Although it is true, that not all schools are examples of innovative organizations, it is possible to identify some that have a more innovative organizational culture than others. In the generation of that capacity, the principal's leadership plays an essential role, they are ones called to face the challenge of developing competences and skills to lead the change. Existing research confirms the importance of the school's leadership in the development of educational centers, OECD reports already ratified this, stating how vital it is to have good principals to lead schools (2009). In this study, schools have been chosen that have certain characteristics that are considered stand out for the Chilean educational system. By applying a questionnaire, the innovative potential of the centers being studied and their organizational culture to favor this are analyzed, the latter from the point of view of the principal's actions. The results allow confirming the innovative potential the studied centers have, the most substantial practices of the principal's actions that favor innovation are identified, as well as the key role the principal's leadership plays within these centers. At the same time, questions arise that limit the development of certain innovative actions, such as, the search and pressure for results originated essentially from standardized testing, like SIMCE, which is applied in Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the political letters deemed worthy to be cited and copied by Pope Pius II (olim Enea Silvio Piccolomini) in his Commentaries was the message allegedly sent by Vlad III the Impaler (Dracula), voivode of Wallachia, to Sultan Mehmed II on 7 November 1462. The missive was the textual embryo of Book XI, chapter 12 (Iohannis Dragule immanis atque nefanda crudelitas, eiusque in regem Hungarie deprehensa perfidia, et tandem captivitas), covering over a fifth of the chapter. The Dragula chapter was placed between the depiction (in chapter 11) of the Viennese conspiracy against Albert VI of Habsburg, the rival brother of Emperor Frederick III of Habsburg (April 1462), and the emphatic presentation (in chapter 13) of the royal anti-Ottoman request sent by Stephen Tomašević, the new king of Bosnia, to Pius II (roughly a year earlier, in the late summer of 1461, a date the pope nevertheless failed to mention, though he extensively quoted both the oration of Tomašević's envoys and the subsequent papal response). The case of John Dragula explicitly linked chapters 11 and 13. Frequently overlooked, the chapters that frame the account of the infamous deeds of the voivode of Wallachia outline its logical political context, founded on Matthias Corvinus. The son of John Hunyadi, who had executed John Dragula's father, Vlad II Dracul (just Dragula, according to the pope), was (as recorded also by Pius II): (1) the overlord (i.e. suzerain) of John Dragula, (2) the archrival of Frederick III, and (3) the challenged suzerain of Stephen Tomašević. Prior to the Dragula issue of 1462, Pius II had loyally served Frederick as his secretary and envoy (from late 1442 until he was elected pope in August 1458) and had sent a crown for Stephen Tomašević's royal coronation on Christmas Day 1461 (against the opposition of Matthias, whose Bosnian rights Pius II nevertheless claimed, in his Commentaries, to have defended). Based on the case of John Dragula, the most famous Wallachian in Enea's/Pius' writings, the study focuses on the actual case at hand: that of the humanist/pope and his designs for a continent and a faith in turmoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Environmental Education is the property of Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article describes a semester-long study that used replicable, aggregable, data-supported (RAD) research methods to investigate embedded tutoring efficacy. The research occurred in three sections of an engineering course, one of which had a course-embedded writing tutor. Over the course of a semester, the researcher investigated changes in students' mindsets, namely their beliefs about the malleability of writing skills. Results suggested students who worked with the embedded tutor improved their mindsets significantly more than did nontutored students. Students in the course-embedded section became more growth-minded, seeing themselves as capable of improving. The researcher also blindly rated samples of students' writing and found tutored students improved their literature-review drafts more significantly than did nontutored students. Tutored students' revised literature reviews were significantly better in terms of organization, style, and mechanics. These findings suggest an embedded tutor can not only improve students' writing performance but also influence their mindsets, demonstrating the important role writing centers can play in promoting the growth mindset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Discourse: Journal of Childhood & Adolescense Research / Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the current study was to examine what caregivers with children who have disabilities desire regarding inclusive recreational facilities and playgrounds for their children, the constraints that affect their recreational opportunities for the family as a whole, and the dream recreational facilities and playgrounds that would support families in overcoming social participation constraints. This study involved 491 caregivers. Results showed that caregivers (a) take their families to recreational facilities and visit them often, (b) indicated that their child with a disability could not fully participate in the facility's offerings, (c) felt that recreational facilities and playgrounds were not appropriate for their child with a disability, and (d) dreamed of a recreational facility and playground that met the needs of all family members. Results and implications are discussed by disability category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A tool was created that supports and evaluates the design of green schoolyards. • A two-round Delphi study resulted in a 20-item green schoolyard evaluation tool (GSET). • GSET centers aspects helpful for child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. • A pilot test on 19 green schoolyards showed good to excellent interrater reliability. • GSET can be used in both research and practice to evaluate and guide green schoolyard design. Gradually, schools are greening their schoolyard because it is believed that green schoolyards can support child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. However, the extent to which current green schoolyards support aforementioned benefits differs considerably. This study aimed to create a green schoolyard evaluation tool (GSET) that supports the design and evaluation of green schoolyards. A first draft of the GSET was developed based on existing assessment tools and literature. GSET was further developed through a two-round Delphi study. Dutch academic, practice, and policy experts were invited to participate in online surveys. In Round 1, 40 experts participated (response rate 37 %). The panel considered 82 % of the proposed GSET items relevant, but there was little consensus about the clarity, comprehensibility, and applicability. Based on panelists' comments, changes were made to the formulation of the items and measurement scales of the GSET. In Round 2, 32 experts participated (response rate 63 %). The panel was satisfied with 79 % of the proposed items. Items for which there was no consensus were modified or removed based on panelists' comments. The 20-item GSET was then pilot-tested at 19 schoolyards to evaluate its interrater reliability and usability. Findings showed good to excellent interrater reliability (ICC = 0.82, 95 % CI = 0.80 – 0.97). The GSET can support schools, designers, and others in designing green schoolyards that promote child development, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The GSET can also be used by researchers to assess the design of green schoolyards, which may improve the generalizability of future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The VoIP and instant messaging platform Discord has seen immense user growth over the past few years, including among fans involved with transformative works. Analyzing Discord from a framework of polymedia and play provides new insights into what Discord affords these fans and how they navigate the platform as part of their fan practices. It shows how the platform has been adopted and adapted in ways that facilitate fan play and allow for play moods to be created, strengthened, or maintained. Discord provides a suitable playground for fans, because it allows fans to negotiate closed online spaces where they can play freely, without outside disruption. These spaces can be organized in ways that distinguish between play and nonplay and maintain fannish principles of warning and consent. In addition, Discord provides an extra dimension to the experience of taking part in fan fiction exchanges, creating a compelling, collective mood in servers that people can continually come back to. Positioning this within a broader network of platforms and affordances that fans navigate shows how Discord fulfills particular needs and niches, especially with regard to Not Safe For Work material. More generally, this study provides a framework for understanding the reciprocal and dynamic relationships between users, affordances, rules, and structures in contemporary platform society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study documents the discovery of the first European population of Colpodidium caudatum (Ciliophora, Colpodidiidae) in a water drain in a school playground in Manzanares (Ciudad Real, Spain). This species has been documented on every continent except Antarctica and Europe, until now. The ciliate was isolated from wet run-off soil collected from the water drain and was grown in semi-permanent cultures in the laboratory. The infraciliature of the ciliate was revealed using silver carbonate impregnation and cell measurements were taken from living and silver-impregnated specimens. A comparative analysis of published data from various populations of C. caudatum across the globe showed high intraspecific morphological variability in this species. To differentiate between species within the Colpodidium genus, a dichotomous key is presented. This investigation shows that C. caudatum is a ciliate that is found all over the world and is particularly associated with terrestrial habitats that are periodically flooded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the incidental learning of mechanical principles that occurs on playgrounds. Many children experience principles of mechanics long before their first formal exposure in a science class. On the playground, they experience translatory and rotary motion, forces such as gravity, and attempts to overcome gravity with muscular effort. These efforts result in work and the expenditure of energy. Playing on swings, merry-go-rounds, slides, and teeter-totters helps children understand concepts illustrated by Newton's laws of motion. Unknowingly, they learn about inertia, acceleration, ground reaction forces, and leverage.

The starting point of this paper is the Scottish School Grounds Survey of 2005, which provided nationwide insight into the extent to which school grounds were being used as learning environments for children in nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland. Reflecting specifically on provision for play and the way in which play facilitates formal and informal education, and considering developments in Scotland's school estate over the last decade, this paper argues that Scotland's school grounds are not yet play-full and playful learning environments. The paper concludes by reflecting on ways in which Scotland's school grounds could and should be positioned more centrally in school education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction, heavy traffic loads, industrial facilities and other anthropogenic activities may result in significant environmental problems, such as soil and air pollution in urban spaces. Such pollution sources then exert serious health risks on children playing in playgrounds constructed nearby. In the present study, surface dust and soil samples were used as indicators of pollution, and heavy metal pollution in playgrounds was assessed. A total of 93 surface dust and 93 soil samples were collected from 31 different playgrounds with different traffic and urban development levels to determine Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cr and Cd concentrations. Surface dust heavy metal concentrations varied between 22.84 and 121.30 mg kg-1 for Cu, between 9.41 and 1017 mg kg-1 for Zn, between 1.18 and 31.08 mg kg-1 for Ni, between 0.39 and 5.58 mg kg-1 for Cd and between 3.32 and 305.80 mg kg-1 for Pb. Soil heavy metal concentrations varied between 17.1 8 and 92. 70 mg kg-1 for Cu, between 53.35 and 566.90 mg kg-1 for Zn, between 8.61 and 39.10 mg kg-1 for Ni, between 0.1 8 and 7.21 mg kg-1 for Cd and between 2.74 and 72.44 mg kg-1 for Pb. The present findings revealed the traffic, industry and other anthropogenic activities as the most significant fac tors exerting a heavy metal pollution on playgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1946 Ealing film Hue and Cry is famous for its extensive shots of children playing among bombsites filmed on location in London. Following the film's release a number of people, led by Lady Allen of Hurtwood, advocated turning city bombsites into adventure playgrounds. Yet the relationship between how the film and adventure playground literature imagined the reconstruction of London has not been properly explored. This article uses close reading of Hue and Cry to investigate the meanings that play and the bombsite have within the film. It frames this analysis by use of adventure playground archives, printed pamphlets and books. In doing so it demonstrates that the film sits within a set of responses to bombsite play that reimagined the role of the child in rebuilding London. It argues that Hue and Cry was unique in representing children's play in bombsites as enabling them to reshape space and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseball as a sport contributes much to represent American culture and life. The playground of baseball provides the basis where Americans can dream and fulfill their aim. Gradually, the baseball becomes an integral part of American literature. Earnest Hemingway, the noted American novelist uses the playground of baseball in context of Cuban fisherman Santiago's struggle to catch the big marlin. Thus baseball becomes the vitality of culture represented by literature. This paper aims to examine the influences of baseball on the novel The Old Man and the Sea, both thematically and structurally. The paper also tries to show how Hemingway's true baseball hero Dimaggio becomes the only inspiration for Santiago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]