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Contemporary education is awakening from a crisis that has held the development of its potential and its relevance at bay for well over a century. Revolutions in science and spirituality are emerging a new relational intelligence that demands commensurate educational paradigms for its blossoming into daily engagements with life and the world around us. At the same time as people are leading increasingly interconnected lives, aware of and often participating in the narratives of people and ecosystems in other parts of the planet, information and communications technologies are increasingly integrating with and serving to mediate the human experience. This article explores the power of this confluence at the current nexus of civilizational demands in the context of increased planetary stresses and destabilizations. The case is made for a thrivable education praxis that draws on these emergent aspects of our developmental potential and emphasizes the importance of functional conviviality as an operational principle of learning for life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for trees for industrial application is growing steadily and not expected to plateau for at least two decades; consequently, the supply of wood must increase to meet this need. One method for increasing yield without compromising land requirements is to modify wood density. The current study uses a transcriptomic approach to identify the genes associated with wood density that are likely to be of value in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) breeding programmes. Following extensive wood density analysis from a Sitka field grown clonal trial, three detailed microarray studies were conducted to compare the transcriptome of cambium and xylem tissue from contrasting density clonal lines. Twenty-five genes exhibited differential expression, with up to 50-fold differences in expression observed, in at least two of the three microarray experiments, and this was verified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Identified genes included those involved in cell wall synthesis, transcriptional regulation and plant pathogen defence functional categories. A wide range of processes influence wood density, but this study has identified potential regulators in these pathways. Future studies can now use this information to understand natural variation in wood density, and manipulate the expression of these genes to improve timber quality and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In certain classes of services, the client's role in the service delivery process often extends beyond the face-to-face exchange. With compliance dependent services (CDS), the client is expected to continue to perform for him or herself once away from the service provider in order to ensure positive outcomes and customer satisfaction (Dellande and Gilly, 1998). This study examined the effectiveness of written provider communication in influencing client motivation and role clarity in CDS. Two exploratory investigations examining written provider communication were conducted. In study 1, written material of three different types of health care related CDS (dialysis, prenatal care and weight loss) were examined; in study 2, dialysis written material was further examined. The findings suggest that, in the majority of the materials examined, written provider communication does not seem to clearly communicate the consequences of noncompliance (a source of customer motivation). However, the materials examined were effective in clarifying the client's external service roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the guest editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including the use of social media and technology in fashion design, recreation of the recycled garment into new fashion dresses without affecting the environment, and supply chain management.

Examines the occurrence of memory-influenced biases in gymnastic judging. Factors influencing memory biases in gymnastic judging; Dissociations of memory performance; Changes in the levels of processing research.