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Exercise as it relates to Disease/Adaptive physical activity intervention for overweight adults

This article is a critical analysis of the paper: "An Adaptive Physical Activity Intervention for Overweight Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial" (Mark A. Adams Et al.2013)

What is the background to this research?
Overweight and obesity are defined by the accumulation of excessive body fat that presents additional health risks to an individual. At the time of publication, the prevalence of overweight adults in America was 71.6%, 55% of which were obese. Physical activity (PA) interventions seek to improve the lives of these vulnerable populations by changing their relationships with exercise. Methods for prescribing individuals with exercise that motivate and elicit long-term behavioural change are criteria for a successful intervention. Marc A. Adams Et al. observed that PA interventions typically comprise elements that remain static, meaning exercise dosage remains the same for the legnth of a given trial. As such these types of studies are not always successful. Given advancements in emerging technology, utilising an adaptive PA interventions approach is more feasible. Adams predicted that goal setting and feedback unique to each participant would produce greater adherence to a program and higher PA levels when compared to a more traditional static intervention (SI).

Where is the research from?
Authors Adams, Sallis, Norman, Hovel and Hekler work in the health departments of University institutes across California and Arizona. Although this paper was among his earlier research, primary author Assoc. Prof. Marc Adams is very well-published. Adams has co-authored 197 articles and is often cited on platforms such as The Lancet and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Funding for the research was obtained through grants provided by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH). The NIH took no role in the design, data collection and analysis of the study.

The paper was published to the Plos ONE Journal. Maintained by the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE held a SJR (SCImago journal rank) of 1.8 at the time. All Authors declared no competing interests.

What kind of research was this?
The research is classed as a comparative study, by means of parallel intervention. The aim was to determine the effectiveness of an adaptive intervention (AI) against that of a traditional SI:
 * 1) An adaptive shaping intervention (AI) based on behavioural economics and operant principles. Dynamic, daily activity goals to suit each participant.
 * 2) A static intervention (SI). Where activity goals remain the same throughout a trial.

What did the research involve?
Men and women aged between 18 - 65 were recruited for the study. Participants had to be overweight and partake in minimal physical activity. A 10-day run-in phase was used to familiarise individuals with the pedometers used (Omron HJ-720ITC) and acquire baseline activity levels. After which, participants were randomly assigned to the SI or AI PA group. The trial period ran for a total of 6 months where participants were tasked with reaching a number of steps each day. The aim of the study to get everyone reaching 10,000 steps/day. Only 20 participants made it through to the trial phase of the study.

 * 1) SI were set the static goal of 10,000 steps per day.
 * 2) AI participants were provided with a goal that changed daily. Each day the goal was generated by an algorithm developed by the research team. The algorithm calculated parameters including: Baseline performance (10-day run-in) and a rolling window of their previous 9 days of step count submissions. This resulted in a step count that was challenging for the individual whilst being attainable. The step count would increase each consecutive day as a participant reaches their goal. Inversely, the step count would decrease each day they did not submit or reach their goal.

Both SI and AI groups received message prompts every 9 days to encourage physical activity and provide monetary incentives in the form of gift cards to various stores. The AI group would further receive daily encouragement by way of text or email if their submission met the daily step goal for example, "Well done! You're steps closer to good health".

What were the basic results?
After the 6-month parallel intervention concluded the following results indicated the AI group performed, on average, a greater number of daily steps then that of the SI group: *Figures represent Steps/Day

The AI group also met more daily goals than the SI group.

It is also worth noting that during the intervention the AI group displayed far less day-to-day step count variability, while following an accelerated trend across the trial period (as seen in the plots pictured).

However, observations in the study exceeded results found through relating meta-analyses. This could be a result of the incentive structure around the interventions. The small sample size may also inflate any findings.

What conclusions can we take from this research?
Adams Et al. sought to test the viability of an innovative adaptive PA intervention. The trial showed promising results needing further exploration with a larger sample size.

The AI works well to meet the unpredictable nature of day-to-day life. Some participants had children, worked multiple jobs or fell ill during the trial and these variables all affected their ability to meet assigned step goals. The AI allowed for low activity days, and challenged participants to get active at other times in their week. The adaptive cycle of the daily goals aids in motivating participants and ultimately producing a healthier lifestyle.

Furthermore, the AI strongly supports what is fundamental to a more active lifestyle, behavioural change. Behavioural adaptation occurs over a long period of time and the slow, gradual increase in physical activity promoted by the AI is very encouraging to participants. The repetitive and attainable format of the AI goals provides participants the opportunity to form more stable habits that align with their unique lifestyles. Conversely, SI participants faced with the large and daunting figure of 10,000 steps/day (46% greater than average baseline) were presented with a challenging task which impacted their behaviour towards physical activity. I believe participant motivation was a key factor contributing to the high intra-group daily variability of SI goals met.

Practical advice
The final results published were analysed from data submitted by 20 final participants. The small sample size could easily skew results and therefore the same intervention method needs to be applied to a larger group.

 * The required equipment, submission platforms and feedback medium were all cost effective and easy to scale to a larger population.
 * Attainable goals set to steadily increase PA over a long period of time are effective at motivating participants.
 * Ehealth interventions are still in their infancy, however they indicate the ability to produce long-term behavioural change and form healthy habits in individuals.

Information/resources
For further reading on getting more physically active and relating articles, see below:

How to add more steps in a day!

Exercise and physical activity

Heart Foundation

Text Messages for weight loss


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World Cultures/Culture in Africa/Culture of Botswana

Introduction
Besides referring to the language of the dominant people groups in Botswana, Setswana is the adjective used to describe the rich cultural traditions of the Batswana - whether construed as members of the Setswana ethnic groups or of all citizens of Botswana. the Batswana believe in the rich culture of Botho-Ubuntu, ‘‘People are not individuals, living in a  state of independence,  but part of a  community,  living in relationships and interdependence.’ Batswana believe in working together and being united. there are different categories in the Tswana tribe like the Barolong, Bakwena, Bakgatla, Baphuthing, Bataung and Batshweneng. All these tribes believe in different customs but are still guided by the tswana culture and way which makes them have similarities. The languages are still the same but differ slightly from one area to the other or by dialects but they are all regarded as Setswana. The Batswana are based in the Northwest Province of the Republic of South Africa and Botswana. The people in Botswana honour their culture more than those in the Northwest as they are mixed with other tribes and they are slowly but surely losing their culture and adapting in the western culture.

Alexander McCall Smith
Botswana forms the setting for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a series of popular mystery novels by Alexander McCall Smith. Their protagonist, Precious Ramotswe, lives in Gaborone. The first novel in the series, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, appeared in 1998 in the UK (and 2001 in the US). The light-hearted books are appreciated for their human interest and local color. A BBC Television series adaption of the same name has been shot with a pilot appearing on 23 March 2008 in the United Kingdom, and the full series starting on 15 March 2009.

Norman Rush
Norman Rush, who served as a Peace Corps director in Botswana from 1978 to 1983, uses the country as the setting of all of his published books, which generally focus on the expatriate community.

Unity Dow
Unity Dow (born 1959) is a judge, human rights activist, and writer from Botswana. She came from a rural background that tended toward traditional values of the African kind. Her mother could not read English, and in most cases decision-making was done by men. She went on to become a lawyer with much of her education being done in the West. Her Western education caused a mixture of respect and suspicion.[ci

As a lawyer she earned acclaim most for her stances on women's rights. She was the plaintiff in a case that allowed the children of women by foreign nationals to be considered Batswana. The tradition and law before this stated nationality only descended from the father. She later became Botswana's first female High Court judge.

As a novelist she has had three books. These books often concern the issues concerning the struggle between Western and traditional values. They also involve her interest in gender issues and her nation's poverty.[

Bessie Head
Bessie Head is a writer well known in Southern Africa. In 1964 she fled the apartheid regime in South Africa to live in and wrote about Botswana. She lived there from 1964 (when it was still the Bechuanaland Protectorate) until her death at the age of 49 in 1986. She lived in Serowe, and her most famous books, When Rain Clouds Gather, Maru, and A Question of Power are set there.[

Susan Williams
British author and historian Susan Williams' book, Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation, tells the story of the interracial marriage and resulting struggles of Sir Seretse Khama and Lady Ruth Williams Khama.

A collection of humorous true short stories, "Whatever You Do, Don't Run" (released in the United Kingdom and South Africa as "Don't Run, Whatever You Do"), contains many stories from Botswana written by a safari guide, Peter Allison.[]

Michael Stanley
In 2008 a mystery novel ("A Carrion Death") by Michael Stanley introduced Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. The memorable Kubu lives in Gaborone. The novel is a police procedural which also provides an excellent introduction to today's Botswana.

Other writers

 * Caitlin Davies, born in Britain
 * Unity Dow
 * Bessie Head, born in South Africa
 * Moteane Melamu
 * Barolong Seboni, poet
 * Andrew Sesinyi

Visual arts
In the northern part of Botswana, the Wayeyi and Hambukushu women in the villages of Etsha and Gumare are noted for their skill at crafting baskets (baskets from Botswana) from Mokola Palm and local dyes.[ The baskets are generally woven into three types: large, lidded baskets used for storage, large, open baskets for carrying objects on the head or for winnowing threshed grain, and smaller plates for winnowing pounded grain. The artistry of these baskets is being steadily enhanced through color use and improved designs as they are increasingly produced for commercial use.

Other notable artistic communities include Thamaga Pottery or Botswelelo and Oodi Weavers, both located in the southeastern part of Botswana.

The oldest paintings from both Botswana and South Africa depict hunting, both animal and human figures, and were made by the Khoisan (Kung San!/Bushmen) over 20,000 years ago within the Kalahari desert.

Music
Botswana is made up of numerous ethnic groups, though the Batswana are the most numerous. Music is an omnipresent part of Botswana culture, and include popular and folk forms. Church choirs are common across the country. Music education is an integral part of the educational system. Children of all ages are taught traditional songs and dances.[

Folk music
Tswana music is mostly vocal and performed without drums; it also makes heavy use of string instruments. Tswana folk music has got instruments such as Setinkane, Segankure/Segaba and for the last few decades, a guitar has been celebrated as a versatile music instrument for Tswana music. The guitar was originally played in a manner similar to Segaba but with a better rhythm due to plucking, almost completely replacing the violin-like Segaba until such prodigies of Segaba as Ratsie Setlhako re-popularised Segaba in the 80s with the help of radio. In the absence of instruments a clapping rhythm is used in music with the typical chant and answer manner of singing. The absence of drumming is predominant and is peculiar of an African tribe.

Popular music
Like many African countries, much of the popular music there is called Jazz, though it has little resemblance to the African American genre of that name. There has been a push in recent years to focus on revitalizing the Botswana music industry instead of purchasing foreign releases. Most popular music in Botswana still comes from South Africa, United States, Europe or elsewhere in Africa. Gumba-gumba is a form of modernized Zulu and Tswana music, mixed with traditional jazz; the word gumba comes from township slang for party.

Hip hop
Botswana hip hop crews include The Wizards, a long-standing crew that fuses hip hop with ragga and R&B. The television show Strictly Hip Hop, hosted by Draztik and Slim (both of the Cashless Society Crew and co-founders of Unreleased Records), has done much for the Botswana scene. The record label Phat Boy is also very important.

Kwasa Kwasa
An African version of Rhumba popularised in Central Africa has taken a strong following in Botswana and has produced highly acclaimed musicians such as Frank Lesokwane of Franco and Afro Musica, Jeff Matheatau, Chris Manto 7 and Alfredo Mos and Les Africa sounds. It has a slower Rhythm than the original type and predictably tends to get a rapid rhythm in the middle of the song. It is still not as hectic as its parent Afro Rhumba. Unlike Rhumba, Kwasa Kwasa has a simple leg routine, focusing more on an erotic movement of hips and buttocks.

Some artists have attempted to speed it up and made it more Danceable to breakdance with great success. Artist Vee is one of them and his version is known as Kwaito Kwasa, from a combination of Kwaito music with a Kwasa Kwasa rhythm and guitar.

Rock
The development of rock as a genre in Botswana has been a slow one. The music has however started to gain some momentum, partly due to the youth's exposure to mainstream media like MTV, Channel O and the internet. Metal Orizon, the country's first heavy metal band, was formed in the early 1990s. The native Batswana have since showed appreciation for this genre. Ever since the year 2000, a lot of bands have been formed. Most these have played locally and a few have toured southern Africa. Fans keep up to date with the music through word of mouth, tape trading and social networks, and there is a 50-minute show broadcast on national radio which plays metal music. The rock culture is now evidently recognised, with bands coming together to fight AIDS under a tour titled "Rock Against AIDS".

Music institutions
The National Music Eisteddfod is held annually in Selebi-Phikwe.


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World Cultures/Culture in Africa/Culture of Namibia

Introduction
Culture in Namibia is a blend of many different people and its culture and customs have absorbed both African and European elements and fused them into a blend of the two. The Namibian majority still has a substantial number of rural inhabitants who lead largely impoverished lives. It is among these people, however, that cultural tradition survive most strongly. With just 2.1 persons per square kilometer and a population of 2.5 million, Namibia's different cultures span an impressively diverse population for what is a sparsely populated country.

From the Bantu-speaking Ovambo and Herero tribes (the latter of which are admired for their colorful Victorian dress) to the Damara minorities and nomadic San Bushmen, Namibia boasts cultural and historical flavor in spades. German colonization left its own imprint on this Southern African nation with German being a widely spoken language today and German architecture and cuisine featuring prominently. Namibia's diverse and, at times, harsh climate contributed to its colorful history with skirmishes, international and national, reflected in much of its modern history. Around 50 percent of Namibians belong to the Ovambos, most of whom live in the northern regions of the country. Although Finnish missionaries turned most of the Ovambo into practicing Christians, specifically Lutherans, many still follow traditional customs. Families still live in homesteads, groups of huts enclosed by wooden fence poles. Each hut serves a particular purpose as a bedroom, kitchen, or storage room.

The descendants of Southern African migrants also call Namibia their home. They are the Khoisan people, a mixture of the Namaqua and San cultures. The Namaqua put great importance on music, dance, and story-telling, all of which have been passed down orally from generation to generation. They are also known for their crafts such as sheepskin cloaks, clay pots, leather work, jewelry, and musical instruments, specifically reed flutes. The San, on the other hand, are the original people of Namibia. They are one of the 14 ancestral population clusters from which all modern humans are thought to have evolved. What unites the Khoisan is their language, which comprises of clicking sounds, distinct from any other African language.

Religious Culture
Religion in Namibia is dominated by various branches of Christianity, with more than 90 % of Namibian citizens identifying themselves as Christian. According to the United States DRL, in 2007 up to 75% were Protestant, including as much as 50% Lutheran. According to the Namibia Demographic and Health Surveys (2013), the proportions are:

 * 1) 65.1% Protestant (43.7% Lutheran, 4.4% Seventh-day Adventist, 17.0% Anglican or other Protestant denomination);
 * 2) 22.8% Roman Catholic;
 * 3) 10.5% a non-Christian religion (primarily African traditional religions, Sunni Islam, Buddhism);
 * 4) 1.5% unaffiliated or irreligious.

Foreign missionary groups operate in the country. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The US government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice in 2007. Islam in Namibia is subscribed to by about 9,000 people,many of them Nama. Namibia is home to a small Jewish community of about 100 people.

Ethnic Groups
Namibians are of diverse ethnic origins. The principal groups are the Ovambo, Kavango, Herero, Himba, Damara, mixed-race (Coloured and Rehoboth Baster), White Namibians (Afrikaner, German, Swedish, British, and Portuguese), Nama, Caprivian (Lozi), San, and Tswana. The Coloureds and Basters share similar genealogical origins and cultural attributes (such as home language) but nonetheless maintain distinctly separate communal identities, as do most white Namibians and black Namibians, respectively. By formal estimations, there are 11 ethnic groups in Namibia, although realistically each of these is actually a collection of smaller ethnic groups that share similar languages and customs.

The minority white population is primarily of South African, British, and German descent, with a few Portuguese. About 60% of the whites speak Afrikaans (a language derived from the 17th century Dutch), 32% speak German, and 7% speak English.The Ovambo make up about half of Namibia's people. The Ovambo, Kavango, and East Caprivian peoples, who occupy the relatively well-watered and wooded northern part of the country, are settled, farmers and herders. Historically, they have shown little interest in the central and southern parts of Namibia, where conditions do not suit their traditional way of life.

Language
During the apartheid regime in Namibia, the three languages of English, German, and Afrikaans were designated as the official languages of Namibia. However, after Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, the new government of the country allowed only the English language as the official language and mentioned the same in the constitution of the country. The language is now used in the government administration of the country and is the medium of instruction in schools and universities. However, the schools of Namibia are facing a shortage of teachers proficient in the English language, and a report reveals that 98% of the country’s teachers lack sufficient training in the language.

The most widely spoken languages used in households are Oshiwambo dialects, by 49% of the population, Khoekhoegowab by 11%, Afrikaans by 10%, RuKwangali by 9%, and Otjiherero by 9%[3]. Other native languages include the Bantu languages Setswana, Gciriku, Fwe, Kuhane, Mbukushu, Yeyi; and the Khoisan Naro, ǃXóõ, Kung-Ekoka, ǂKxʼauǁʼein and Kxoe. English, the official language, is spoken by 3% of people as their native language. Portuguese was spoken by 4–5% of the total population, i.e. 100,000 people, made up mostly of the Angolan community in 2014. The number of Angolans in Namibia declined from 2014 to 2015. The economic crisis in the neighboring country affected the numbers. Among the white population, 60% speak Afrikaans, 32% German, 7% English, and 1% Portuguese.

Greetings
Greetings are especially important to Namibians. Namibians tend to be indirect communicators. Conversations almost always begin with a hello and how are you doing. It is generally considered impolite to just rush into trying to obtain the specific information you need. Extended greetings and handshakes are very important in most Namibian cultures. When food and drink are offered, it is polite to accept. There is a general emphasis on emotional restraint in public, and public displays of affection between spouses or lovers are frowned upon, especially in rural areas.

Along with a curtsy, another traditional show of respect is for the greeter to shake with his or her right hand while at the same time touching their right elbow with their left hand. The curtsy and the elbow touch performed together are very common in the northern regions, especially the rural areas. It is considered common courtesy to greet people in. It is considered disrespectful to not greet people. When entering a room for a meeting, you should greet everyone with a handshake if possible, before sitting down. When asking someone in a public establishment for help (i.e. directions, prices, etc.), always greet first and ask how they are before proceeding to business. Often after shaking someone’s hand, Namibians will continue to hold on to each other’s hand while conversing, especially if the two people are friends with one another.

When shaking someone's hand especially when its an elder, males are required to nod their heads while females are required to bend their knees a little bit as a form of respect.

Family Structures and Marriages
In Namibian, Most households are not nuclear families but contain otherkin as well. The head of the household manages domestic finances, makes important decisions, and organizes productive activities. Parents receive substantial help with child-rearing from other family members. It is not unusual for children to live with other relatives if the parents have work obligations, the child needs to be closer to school, or a relative needs a child's help. Most boys and girls attend primary school, although sometimes they stay at home to help with the livestock or crops.

Corporate kin groups are formed by ties traced through women (matrilineal), men (patrilineal), or both (bilateral), depending on ethnicity. These kin groups provide a support network for their members and control joint property, especially livestock; in the past, they also played significant roles in political and religious affairs. There has been a general shift from matrilineal to patrilineal. For example, wives and children in matrilineal communities can now assert rights to the property of deceased husbands and fathers, which has been traditionally inherited by the man's matrilineal relatives (his siblings and sisters' children).

In a Namibian culture, the wealth of a family is measured by how much cattle it has, and families live a semi-nomadic life, following grazing and water sources for their livestock. In the rural communal areas, men and boys generally care for livestock, build and maintain homesteads, plow fields, and contribute some agricultural labor, while women and girls do most of the agricultural labor, food preparation, childcare, and household work.

Marriage
Weddings are extremely important social events in Namibia, bringing family and friends together to sing, dance, and feast. Most weddings combine old and new elements. Many Owambo couples, for example, say their vows in a church ceremony accompanied by identically-dressed bridesmaids and groomsmen, then exit to a crowd of guests shouting praises, dancing, and waving horsetail whisks.

According to the Marriage Act 25 of 1961 (SA), Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, color, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, creed, or social or economic status shall have the right to marry and to found a family. They shall be entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during the marriage, and at its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Literature
Namibian literature before independence was really more an extension of the South African or German literary scene. After independence, at least initially, there was a movement to publish “Namibian” books and create a true “Namibian literature”. That impetus has since eased off a bit. And Most literature in the indigenous languages consists of traditional tales, short stories, and novels written for schoolchildren. Published fiction, poetry, and autobiographical writings appear in both the English and Afrikaans languages.

Arts
The National Theatre of Namibia serves as a venue for both Namibian and foreign musicians and stage actors, in addition to assisting community-based drama groups. School and church groups create and stage less formal productions. Traditional dance troupes representing the various ethnic groups of Namibia perform at local and national festivals and holiday celebrations and also participate in competitions. Many craftspeople produce objects for local use and the tourist trade; wood carvings (containers, furniture, animals) from the Kavango and basketry from Owambo are the best-known examples. Some craftspeople have formed organizations to assist each other with production and marketing.

Namibia has large numbers of rock art sites scattered across the country, especially rock engraving sites. The best-known rock art areas are the Brandberg Massif in Damaraland (2697m – mainly painting sites), and Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage rock art site, also in Damaraland. Both of these sites are in the Erongo region in northwestern Namibia. Another important painting area is the Erongo Mountains southeast of the Brandberg.

One of the richest rock painting areas/sites in the subcontinent, the Brandberg has large numbers of sites scattered across its 750 sq km which are mostly the work of ancestral Bushman/San hunter-gatherers and may be up to 2,000 years old or more in some cases. Meanwhile, Twyfelfontein is one of the most important rock engraving sites in southern Africa.The most celebrated rock painting is The White Lady rock painting, located on a panel, also depicting other artwork, on a small rock overhang, deep within Brandberg Mountain. The giant granite monolith located in Damaraland and called 'The Brandberg' is Namibia's highest mountain. The painting's German name is Weiße Dame

Cuisines
In the precolonial period, indigenous cuisine was characterized by the use of a very wide range of fruits, nuts, bulbs, leaves, and other products gathered from wild plants and by the hunting of wild game. The domestication of cattle in the region about two thousand years ago by Khoisan groups enabled the use of milk products and the availability of meat. However, during the colonial period, the seizure of communal land in Namibia helped to discourage traditional agriculture and reduced the extent of land available to indigenous people.

For agriculturalists, the staple foods are millet and sorghum; for pastoralists, dairy products. Beans and greens are eaten with millet in the north, but otherwise few vegetables are grown or consumed. Hunting and gathering, more important in the past, still provides a dietary supplement for some. Meat is highly desired and eaten. Important occasions are marked by the slaughter of cattle or goats, and the consumption of meat, home-brewed beer, purchased beverages, and other foods. In some cultures, leftover meat is sent home with the guests.

Food in Namibian Cultures:

 * oshifima ( Mahangu porridge )
 * Omutete ( traditional spinach)
 * Ombidi ( traditional spinach)
 * Oshikundu ( traditional drink )
 * Omalodu ( traditional breweries that are mostly made for Occasions or Celebrating. )
 * Tripe (Afval)-This is a type of edible offal from the stomachs of ruminants (e.g. oxen, sheep, goats). This dish is usually prepared as a curry.

Clothing
Culture can also be seen in the clothing that they wear. Women in different areas of Namibia do dress differently from each other. Some women wear traditional clothing while others wear Victorian-styled clothing because of the influence of the missionaries in the area. Herero women wear traditional style clothing and dress with traditional jewelry. You can also tell that one woman is different in rank by just observing their hairstyles. A certain hairstyle can tell you the age and social status of the woman in society. What makes the Himba people unique and immediately recognizable is their appearance and especially the result of a paste that women rub on their bodies and make them look like terracotta statues.


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World Cultures/Culture in Africa/Culture of Zimbabwe

Introduction
Zimbabwe has many different cultures, which may include beliefs and ceremonies, the largest of them being Shona, as Zimbabwe's largest ethnic group is Shona. The Shona people have created many sculptures and carvings which are made with the finest materials available.

Art
Traditional arts in Zimbabwe include pottery, basketry, textiles, jewelry and carving. Among the distinctive qualities are symmetrically patterned woven baskets and stools carved out of a single piece of wood. Shona sculpture in essence has been a fusion of African folklore with European influences. Also, a recurring theme in Zimbabwean art is the metamorphosis of man into beast.

Among members of the white minority community, theatre has a large following, with numerous theatrical companies performing in Zimbabwe's urban areas.

Though the country's art is admired by those that know of its existence, several Zimbabwean artists have managed to gain a world audience, to name some world-famous Zimbabwean sculptors, we have Nicholas, Nesbert and Anderson Mukomberanwa, Tapfuma Gutsa, Henry Munyaradzi, and Locardia Ndandarika. Internationally, Zimbabwean sculptors have managed to influence a new generation of artists, particularly African Americans, through lengthy apprenticeships with master sculptors in Zimbabwe. Contemporary artists, including New York sculptor M. Scott Johnson and California sculptor Russel Albans have learned to fuse both African and Afro-diasporic aesthetics in a way that travels beyond the simplistic mimicry of African Art by some black artists of past generations in the United States.

Language
Zimbabwe has 16 official languages, Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, "Koisan" (presumably Tsoa), Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, "sign language" (Zimbabwean sign languages), Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda, and Xhosa. Much of the population speaks Bantu languages, such as Shona (chishona) (76%) and Ndebele (18%). Shona has a rich oral tradition, which was incorporated into the first Shona novel, Feso by Solomon Mutswairo, published in 1957. English is spoken primarily in the cities, but less so in rural areas. Education in Zimbabwe is taught in English, Shona and Ndebele. Many rural primary schools teach in the native language until grade three; then, school is taught in English.

Food
Like in many African countries, a majority of Zimbabweans depend on staple foods. "Mealie meal", or cornmeal as it is known in other parts of the world, is used to prepare bota, a porridge made by mixing cornmeal with water, to make a thick paste. This is usually flavored with butter or peanut butter. Bota is usually eaten for breakfast. Cornmeal is also used to make sadza, which is usually eaten for dinner, and by many for lunch too. The process of making sadza is similar to bota, however after the paste has been cooking for several minutes, more cornmeal is added to thicken the paste until it is firm. This meal is usually served with vegetables (spinach, chou moellier, or spring greens/collard greens), beans, and meat (stewed, grilled, roasted, or sundried). Sadza is also commonly eaten with boerewors (a sausage made from beef or pork), chicken, or curdled milk (sour milk), commonly known as "lacto" (mukaka wakakora or "amasi"). Rice and chicken with coleslaw salad is often served as the main meal. Graduations, weddings, and any other family gatherings will usually be celebrated with the killing of a goat, sheep, or cow, which will be braaied (or barbecued) for the gathered family.

Since Zimbabwe was a British colony, they have adopted some English habits. For example, most people will have porridge in the morning, however they will still have 10 o'clock tea (midday tea). They will have lunch, which can be leftovers from the night before, freshly cooked sadza, or sandwiches (which is more common in the cities). After lunch, there is usually 4 o'clock tea (afternoon tea), which is served before dinner. It is not uncommon for tea to be had after dinner.


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Exercise as it relates to Disease/The effects of vitamin D deficiency in athletes

What is the background to this research?
Approximately 1 billion individuals of various ethnicities and age groups worldwide have low vitamin D levels. Due to the difference in lifestyle choices, individuals are spending more time indoors, missing the opportunity to naturally absorb Vitamin D through unprotected sunlight for 10 to 15 minutes, before 10 am or after 3 pm three to four times a week. Vitamin D plays a vital role in the body, as it orchestrates normal immune function, it further regulates the absorption of phosphorus and calcium.The study assesses the levels of vitamin D inadequacy in various athletes that participate in indoor and outdoor sports over different seasonal periods. The authors further assessed if the levels of vitamin D inadequacy poses a potential risk to athletes in regard to their geographic location that have significantly higher latitudes, age, use of sunscreen melanin content in the skin, time of sun exposure during the day and the extent of the athlete shading their skin, could have an effect on their Vitamin D absorption.

Where is the research from?
The study was conducted in Istanbul, Turkey from September 2014 to February 2015 in the Department of Sports Medicine Clinic, by Canan Gönen Aydın, Yaşar Mahsut Dinçel, Yavuz Arıkan, Süleyman Kasım Taş and Serdar Deniz. All the authors have released and published multiple studies and research journals. Although the study was not conducted in Australia, Australia has a prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency affecting approximately 23% (4 million) of the population according to 2011-2012 ABS findings. The majority of the authors work in the Department of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology as well as the Bone, and Joint disease Education and Research Hospital. The lead author has conducted extensive research in the sports medicine field, as this is his second study on how vitamin D level affects athletes’ performance. The authors of the article stated that there were no potential conflicts of interest in regard to the research conducted, composition and publication of the article.

What kind of research was this?
The research conducted was a combination of a cross sectional study and a meta-analysis. The study assessed both the outcome of Vitamin D deficiency and result which measured the exposure of sunlight in the selected participants. Within the study a meta-analysis was conducted as several statistical data from various studies were curated and further analysed in the study. It is suggested that further studies be conducted to evaluate vitamin D deficiency specifically in indoor and outdoor sporting activities, as there are limited studies in the selected criteria.

What did the research involve?
The study took place at the Sports Medicine Clinic which consisted of 555 elite level athletes, comprising of 326 females and 229 males ranging from ages 5 to 52 years, analysing their serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. The study assessed the difference of Vitamin D levels in indoor sports such as dancing, gymnastics and basketball, whilst the outdoor activities evaluated were football and athletics, conducted in different months determining if the synthesis of vitamin D decreased or increased due to the environment of exercise and seasonal period. The athletes were required to abstain from exercising twenty-four hours before they provided a non-fasted intravenous blood sample the morning before blood collection.

The authors analysed vitamin D measurements from past data, acquired from the medical achieve of the Sports Medicine Clinic. The study was not carried out as accurately as the objective has detailed. The methodology was not the best approach as the study omitted the data of pre-existing medical issues such as; inflammatory joint disease, malignancy, thyroid/parathyroid dysfunction, illicit drug use, neuromuscular disease and generalised cardiovascular disorders which could be a vital contributing factor to the results found. The is also a discrepancy in findings carried out by the author, as the results have been dependent based on past studies and further analysing previous result data.

The limitations of the study were due to the shortage of original methods and findings conducted by the authors. The majority of the study depends on pre-existing research as opposed to forming and orchestrating their own study for the athletes recruited. The athletes are only required to give blood samples to be assessed whilst there are no protocols such as a control group vs indoor vs outdoor sporting activity in place to accurately assess and compare the data. The authors declared that there were limitations in the study as they compared different results from various literature originating from other demographic locations, effectively skewing the results.

What were the basic results?
According to the research conducted by the authors an increase in vitamin D levels may result in several benefits in the muscular and skeletal systems of athletes. The concentration of protein synthesis and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration in the muscle tissue increase due to increased physical performance, exercise capacity, muscular strength and jumping height and power exerted. The studies suggest that both children and adults have approximately 40 to 60 nanograms per millilitre of 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], as it is essential that is stored in their muscles and fat stores to have an adequate level for further use.

Findings suggest that the performance of the athletes working muscles gradually start to impair if the level of 25(OH)D is below 32 ng/ml. 25 (OH)D may not be readily available for the advance processing involved in the autocrine pathways, as the pathway is influence performance. With decreased levels the athletes are likely to experience hypotonia, muscle weakness, and prolonged muscle contraction. A lack of vitamin D in children can lead to bone deformities such as rickets, and in adults they are most likely to experience bone pain and muscle weakness caused by a condition called osteomalacia. The results suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent in Turkish athletes, as 19.5% of the athletes presented with vitamin D insufficiency in serum 25(OH)D between 21 to 30 ng/mL, and with vitamin D deficiency of 42.7% in (serum 25(OH)D, between 11 to 20 ng/mL, the authors concluded that there were no significant effects of vitamin d levels between males and females within the sports environment on mean vitamin D values. Furthermore, the study suggests that the serum25 (OH) D levels of indoor sports athletes were between 29.1 ± 17.8 ng/mL in autumn and 16.7 ± 10.3 ng/mL in winter.

What conclusions can we take from this research?
The study suggests that Vitamin D insufficiency is an issue that not only affects athletes, it also effects individuals of all ages and ethnicities worldwide, it further highlights the detrimental long-term health effects that will occur when inadequate levels of vitamin D are sustained for extended period of time. The authors made it evident that there was still further research and evaluation of studies that needed to be conducted to verify the findings. The authors suggested that winter had a negative impact on the levels of vitamin D, and athletes would need to ensure that they had adequate precautions in place to increase their intake to maintain optimum performance.

Practical advice
Furthermore, it would be highly suggestible that additional thorough studies be conducted on a controlled group of individuals across all sporting groups, assessing the risk factors and other parameters with a specific selection criterion to be tested under various protocols.

Further information/resources
Further resources and information of vitamin D can be found at:
 * https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/vitamin-d
 * https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
 * https://www.osteoporosis.org.au/vitamin-d


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Exercise as it relates to Disease/Physical activity intervention for people living with HIV and AIDS of low socioeconomic status

This is a review on the research article titled: ‘Development of a context-sensitive physical activity intervention for persons living with HIV and AIDS of low socioeconomic status using the behaviour change wheel’ BMC Public Health. 2019, Article number: 774.

Background to research
People living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) have been prescribed and recommended physical activity (PA) in order to cope and improve overall quality of life. This context sensitive PA intervention was developed for people living with HIV and AIDS of low socioeconomic status. The overall aim was to enhance PA within this population along with a secondary aim of behavioural theories being used to further increase PA.

Research
Designing a context-sensitive PA intervention was done by using other studies that were performed in order to assist in creating and developing the interventions.

The studies used: 1.	A systematic review for information of creation of PA interventions for people of low income. Previous successful behavioural change techniques (BCT) and theoretical frameworks were used to increase PA to control chronic disease. Results:
 * The most commonly used BCTs were ‘plan social support/social change, provide feedback on performance and goal setting.

2.	A cross sectional study with participants of low socioeconomic status (SES) who were positive in HIV. In order to determine PA levels, 978 subjects were used to find out their; body mass index (BMI), body weight, gender, height, waist-to-hip ratio, educational attainment, employment status and CD4+ cell count. Results:
 * Gender, employment status and educational attainment showed the biggest results in predicting PA. The greatest impact on PA was gender (PA in women was lower than men).

3.	A cross sectional study based on PA domains and PA intensity with 978 HIV positive participants of low SES. A secondary aim is to determine whether there is a correlation between employment status and level of education with predicting PA levels of PLWHA of low SES. Results:
 * PA mostly in a work environment, then transport related PA, and leisure related PA. Working environment PA was most common and therefore unemployment resulted in lower levels of PA.

4.	A concurrent mixed method study. 21 HIV positive females of low SES were tested using the exercise benefits/barriers scale (EBBS) Two group discussions about PA were also used to seek results in the participants thoughts about PA. Results include- Low/limited levels of PA were due to HIV symptoms including medications, lack of motivation, lack of knowledge on PA, aging, economic status, time and home environment.

Methods of Study
The design and characterisations of interventions play a significant role in results. Models and frameworks are important to use for this. This includes the Behaviour Change Wheel.

Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) This study was based on the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) which is a method used to design behaviour change interventions. The wheel utilises the COM-B model (capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour). (2)

As demonstrated in the image. it is divided into three sections. The sources of behaviour are the COM-B model of capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour. The sources are required in order for behavioural change to not just occur, but also for the person to want them to occur. The intervention part of the wheel are nine interventions consisting of; restrictions, education, etc. The policy category of the wheel includes guidelines, environmental/social planning, communication/marketing, legislation, service provision, regulation and fiscal measures.

BCW Eight Steps 1.	Understanding the behavioural problem. 2.	Choosing a target behaviour; behaviours that need to change in order to solve the behavioural problems. 3.	Specify the target behaviour 4.	Identify what needs to change to achieve the desired behaviour; the COM-B model can be utilised in this step. 5.	Select intervention functions to achieve the desired behaviour; e.g. training and restrictions. 6.	Policy categories; select them based on APEASE criteria.

APEASE Criteria Descriptions
 * Affordability: Can patients afford the intervention when it is delivered at the level it is intended to be.
 * Practicability: Procedure can be delivered as designed targeted at the certain population (PLWHA of low SES).
 * Effectiveness: Effectiveness when the objectives of the intervention are met by the patients.
 * Acceptability: How acceptable the intervention is to stakeholders.
 * Safety/side effects: The level of unintentional and unexpected results and side effects coming from the intervention.
 * Equity: Is there a reduction in patient variability after as a cause of the intervention? How much?

7.	Identify behavioural change techniques (based on APEASE criteria). 8.	Identify mode of delivery (based on APEASE criteria).

Results
The results of the intervention were based on the eight steps of the BCW.

The first step was to define the problem in behavioural terms. Women had lower PA levels than men, which is why HIV positive women of low SES were the target population. Selecting the target behaviour phase showed that PLWHA enjoyed activities such as chair exercises, light logging, aerobics, etc. Specifying target behaviours included encouraging and improving health of all HIV/AIDS positive women with a low SES. Step four; (identifying what needs to change), demonstrated that physical capability, psychological capability, physical opportunity, social opportunity and more were aspects were in need of change.

Identifying interventions: APEASE was successful with the interventions chosen. Interventions such as incentivisation, training, modelling, enablement and education were selected. APEASE criteria did not approve of interventions such as persuasion, coercion and restrictions. As for identifying policy categories; based on the APEASE criteria, service provision was the only one policy to be used for the intervention. The rest did not meet the criteria.

Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT) selected:
 * Informing the patient on the effects on health
 * Honest feedback on patient behaviour
 * Review of goal results
 * Individual self-observations of outcomes/behaviour
 * Model of the behaviour
 * Direction on behaviour
 * Goal setting behaviour
 * Analysis of behavioural goals
 * Action planning

While the BCW clearly is a strong intervention design method, there are also some negatives. Some limitations of the BCW include; low effect rates of older patients as well as limited evidence of the effectiveness of the BCTs.

Conclusions
Physical activity has a big impact on the body and builds up resilience to fight against HIV/AIDS. PA and exercise in general will strengthen immunity, increase appetite, combat fatigue, etc. It is important as PLWHA have difficulties completing any type of PA. Interventions are the best way to get optimal results for overall health of PLWHA of low SES. The BCW is an innovative method to design interventions specific for all goals. Therefore, intervention methods aiming to cause higher PA levels (and also health levels) for this population using the wheel, would be a successful option.

Practical Advice
More specific client-based studies on a patient’s experience, process, methods and results. This would demonstrate clearer results on a personal level of how the BCW works for each individual (how it varies with people). This would also make it easier for readers to understand each step of the intervention design process as well as the results themselves. Further studies on intervention designs and studies are recommended and should be done extensively in order to compare studies. This will create more accurate and clearer results in future.

Further Readings/Sources

 * Behaviour Change Theory
 * An application of the COM‐B model and behaviour‐change wheel


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User:Synoman Barris/sandbox

A new proposal
Hi, there is currently a proposal at Wikibooks:Reading room/Proposals for non-admins to be given the ability of    and. Since you’ve been an active user on Wikibooks for the last thirty day, I thought you might join in by giving feedback/opinion or amendments. Thank you so much for your time

title: User:Synoman Barris/sandbox


text:
User talk:Stanglavine

A new proposal
Hi, there is currently a proposal at Wikibooks:Reading room/Proposals for non-admins to be given the ability of    and. Since you’ve been an active user on Wikibooks for the last thirty day, I thought you might join in by giving feedback/opinion or amendments. Thank you so much for your time Synoman Barris (discuss • contribs) 12:40, 14 September 2020 (UTC)

title: User talk:Stanglavine


text:
User talk:Tacsipacsi

A new proposal
Hi, there is currently a proposal at Wikibooks:Reading room/Proposals for non-admins to be given the ability of    and. Since you’ve been an active user on Wikibooks for the last thirty day, I thought you might join in by giving feedback/opinion or amendments. Thank you so much for your time Synoman Barris (discuss • contribs) 12:59, 14 September 2020 (UTC)

title: User talk:Tacsipacsi


text:
User talk:Useight

Good morning, I'm writing here in Wikibooks because my IP range was blocked in Wikipedia. You're a bureaucrat, so maybe you could help me. My situation is complicated but my request will be simple. Let me tell you what happened. Now I'm going to speak frankly. I don't think that Ohnoitsjamie's behavior has been correct since the beginning, he's been interfering even after the page had been protected even if he had no reason to do it, and to me it looks like he's more interested in frustrating me than in the sake of the project (why on earth unprotecting a page which continues being disrupted by new and new IPs?!), even if I may be wrong. But I know he isn't the owner of Wikipedia, he's one admin among hundreds. His way to deal with this issue is "his" way, not everybody else would have acted in the same way as him, maybe somebody but not everybody. This is what I'm asking: what can I do to have a fair judgement about this story, to have my name cleared (for him I'm still the vandal who did this and this and all the other similar vandalisms just because one of the vandal's IP ranges matches with mine), to have my IP range unblocked and, possibly, that page protected? I hate the vandal who caused all this to me, so you can imagine how being accused to be him and have to undergo the same punishment as him screws me up. I'm not the vandal, would I ever ask to protect that page from all anonymous if I were the vandal who keeps switching IPs? Ohnoitsjamie is as human as us, he isn't infallible, I'm sure he's a good person but in this case he got wrong and he's persisting in his error. I'd like to be freed from his error, do you have any advice to help me succeed or there's no way this error can be reviewed and remedied? You're a bureaucrat, if a bureaucrat can't help me out of this situation I don't know who I might ask, and what I'm undergoing because of a vandal living in my country and of an admin who was mistaken is now beyond forbearance... I'm sorry for writing so much, but please give me a reply and help me in the limits of what you're able to do, User:Useight. 151.21.73.72 (discuss) 13:11, 14 September 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) There's a cross-wiki vandal, probably an LTA, has been disrupting for over almost 2 years the page "Dredg" and other similar pages, not only in the English wiki but also in others.
 * 2) The vandal has been using IP ranges starting with 151, included mine which starts with 151.21, which are Italian IP ranges, quite common in the northern regions.
 * 3) After the latest vandalism, in that case from my same IP range, the user who reverted him last week asked to protect the page.
 * 4) An admin, Ohnoitsjamie, declined the request and, instead, partially blocked that IP range used by the vandal, 151.21.0.0/16, which is mine too.
 * 5) When I noticed that there was a block on my IP range I asked for an unblock, because I'm not that vandal and because, if the goal is "preventing the vandal from disrupting that page", the better solution is "protecting the page" instead of blocking a single IP range and other single IPs, in fact the vandal has continued disrupting it from different IP ranges, but the request was rejected.
 * 6) I asked to semiprotect it in the RFPP page but this request was rejected too, so I asked for "pending changes protection" which was finally granted by an admin.
 * 7) Happy ending? No. Ohnoitsjamie unprotected the page (which was disrupted again, QED) and fully blocked my IP range (after increasing the partial block from 6 months to 2 years which had no meaning at all) so now I can neither request to protect the page nor ask for advice other admins. And nothing that You can either accept those terms, or not. If you decide not to accept them, the next step would be to petition for a global block of this range if you continue tjustifies that has been done from this IP range!

I've noticed your messages on Ohnoitsjamie's talk page. Let me clarify a few poits and then, if you don't want or aren't able to help me, I won't disturb you again. That's all I wanted you to know about this case. If you can give me any advice about how to get my IP range unblocked (starting from the full range block but also about the absurd 2-years partial block in order to at least change it back to 6-month) I'll be grateful, but if you can't or don't want to help me in any way I won't insist in asking for your help. In this last case, I'll greet you and hope you well. 151.21.77.245 (discuss) 12:34, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * 1) I'm not the vandal who used IP 151.21.102.195 in 2020, IP 151.21.129.163 in 2019, IP 151.21.72.169 in 2018 to disrupt the page "Dredg", I swear on my life, he's another person, not me, and I don't even know who he is, may I die if I'm lying.
 * 2) The IP range 151.21.0.0/16 belongs to one of the major Italian telecommunications operators and covers at least 2 Italian regions (almost 30000 km2 and over 10 million persons), affirming that a user from this IP range who asks for the unblock of this range and for the protection of a page "is" the same user who's been disrupting that page for so long just because both use the same range isn't just false itself, it's also fool or in bad faith.
 * 3) It was said that the vandal is an LTA, it's what I thought since the beginning when I said that, looking at the history of the pages he disrupted and at the IP adresses he used, he's been doing that since 2 years ago and not only in the English wiki but also in others, but again it's not me, again I swear.
 * 4) I've been asking since the beginning to "protect" that page, so that the IP switching vandal would be prevented from disrupting it and I wouldn't have undergone a partial block which wasn't caused by me, in fact you can see yourself in the history of the page that the real vandal has continued disrupting the page by changing IP ranges.
 * 5) The consequence of the fact that I dared to ask to protect the page first, and to ask for advice other admins then, was that the 6-months partial block was changed to 2-years partial block (absolutely absurd) first, and that it was changed to a 1-month full block then (on the edge of abuse).
 * 6) I've read the advice "request an account so that you can edit Wikipedia", but this isn't what I want, because I might as well not find anything to edit during these months, I just wanted my IP range to be "cleared" because I'm not the vandal and because blocking this IP range turned out to be ineffective, I think it's quite obvious that I'm just bothered by this block and I don't have absolutely any evil intent against the page "Dredg" nor against Wikipedia, or I wouldn't have cared so much for the sake of that page and asked twice to protect it so as to prevent the vandal from disrupting it further regardless of how many IPs he may switch (and absolutely no anonymous users but him have edited that page during the last 2 years).
 * Hey, did you try creating an account, as suggested? en:Wikipedia:wp:Request an account.Deepfriedokra (discuss • contribs) 13:07, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * If you are not the vandal, then 'this partial block does not affect you.' The range block is quite effective, since it's obvious that's the range used by the vandal at home where it's most convenient, and it's targeted to a single page. Your other arguments about "clearing" your range are absurd. You do not own this range. It's shared by a few thousand others in Milan. You know how you get stop seeing the partial block message? Create an account. One of the IP ranges I regularly use is indefinitely blocked, but I don't notice that unless I accidentally logged out. Alternatively, I'll be happy to remove the full block from this range if you agree to drop the forum shopping regarding protection and partial blocking. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 13:12, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Ok, we may have found an agreement. I won't make any more edits in the English wiki that you may consider "forum shopping" if you remove the full block. And please, if you really don't want to remove the partial block, at least change it back to 6 months. You might find more effective a series of partial blocks than the protection of a page (but then I wonder why, for example, the page "1988 Gilgit massacre" was protected by another admin instead of partially blocking the only single IP who disrupted it for just half an hour, in this case even "I" would have found more effective a partial block), but there was no reason to extend to 2 years the partial block if no further vandalisms could come from that IP range on that page, in fact the vandal found new IPs to use. If you restore your first block of my range I won't have anything else to say about this matter and none of us will have to deal again with this issue. I'm just afraid that the vandal may continue switching IPs to disrupt the page, but as long as he doesn't use mine I won't consider it my business any more and I won't ask again to protect the page, it's a promise. Do you agree with this solution, Ohnoitsjamie? 151.21.86.72 (discuss) 15:05, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * (edit conflict) 151.21.77.245, thank you for providing more information. I reached out to Ohnoitsjamie for further clarification because the absolute last thing I'm going to do is jump into a situation without all the facts, especially if it involves admin actions.  Anyway, taking what you're saying as truth, then I feel for you.  I was blocked by mistake once, many years ago, and it was distressing to say the least.  Since one of your concerns is about "clearing your name", which is a valid concern, I must tell you that even if the block is removed/altered (and Ohnoitsjamie has offered an olive branch in that regard), the block will still forever be listed as having happened.  Once a block log has been created, it never gets "un-created."  If you're really concerned about your reputation not being soiled by that of a vandal, then you'd have to create an account, like has been suggested, which will give you a clean block log.  If you really aren't the vandal, nobody is going to hold it against you that someone vandalized from the same geographic location as you.
 * As for the concern about not wanting to create an account because you might not want to edit during the interim, it's not a problem. I once went five years without editing, and my account was still there, waiting for me to return.  And even if you forgot the credentials to the account, you can abandon that account and create a new one, per the Clean Start policy.
 * I hope this helps. Useight (discuss • contribs) 15:10, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thank you for this reply, Useight, it's the most polite I've received so far! I can see that you went through a block too... Well, if Ohnoitsjamie removes the block and shortens the partial block I may register an account as everybody is suggesting, even if probably I won't use it. If I do I'll use an old nickname of mine that I used in online games, "Edescroc", so you'll know it's me when you see it. I didn't know that the block logs remain when the block expires or is removed, but from the sound if it I can't do anything for that. I hope that now the people who thought that I was that old vandal have understood I'm not him. Now I have only to wait for Ohnoitsjamie's answer, sorry for using your talk page for this. 151.21.86.72 (discuss) 15:34, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Glad that I could help provide some information, and no need to apologize - I'm only here to help. Now, like you said, just need to wait for Ohnoitsjamie's response and then go from there.  Useight (discuss • contribs) 16:35, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * I'm fine with removing the full block, on the condition that you stop forum-shopping about the partial block and protection. There's no reason to shorten the partial block, as that range has been disrupting Dredg since at least 2018. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 17:07, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * I promise that I'll stop doing that "forum shopping". I don't understand this: the shortest time you partially blocked IPs or IP ranges for "Dredg" is 6 months, so which was the reason for increasing those blocks to 2 years? Those IP ranges were already blocked, the vandal was already prevented from editing the page. You increased them after I tried requiring the protection of that page... At that time you were sure I was the vandal himself, now you seem to have understood I'm not. I won't protest any more for 6 month of partial block, it's ok if you prefer this partial range block rather than an equally long semiprotection, but there's no more reason to keep it extended, I'm not the vandal. He switched many others IPs, and in the past used others IP ranges starting with 151. I'm caring just about mine. Please, Ohnoitsjamie, change back the partial block of my IP range to 6 months, the vandal won't be able to edit the page anyway and there's no need to keep the time quadruple now that you know I won't ask to protect it again and I'm not that vandal. Grant me at least this, please. I'm not tricking you, I don't want to disrupt that page, I have no evil intent. Trust me, Ohnoitsjamie. 151.21.73.15 (discuss) 19:41, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * There's no rationale reason for you to be concerned about the length of a partial block that doesn't prevent you from doing anything, and I'm not changing them. This saves us the trouble from renewing them every six months. We have IPs and ranges that are fully blocked for 2 years, it's certainly not controversial to apply a very limited partial block to one for that duration, especially given how long the abuse has been going on. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 19:53, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * There's no rationale reason for you to have extended the block after I asked to protect the page. A 2-years block for a /16 IP range which isn't a proxy or so is something serious, during the last week no other blocks of the same type have been done except yours. About your partial blocks for Dredg, some IP ranges have been blocked for 2 years, some for 6 months, some others haven't been blocked at all. I don't understand this perspective of yours unless you still think I'm the vandal who wants to disrupt that page. I also don't understand why you didn't want to protect the page to the point of removing even a light protection given by another admin, but this isn't my business. I'm appealing to your humanity: don't pick on me, I'm innocent, it's not me who disrupted the page during the last 2 years from those IP ranges starting with 151. Grant me at least this, the shortest period of time you blocked the IP ranges that disrupted the page, 6 months. If you really care for the sake of Wikipedia, of that page, you should "protect it" for 2 years instead of "blocking my IP range" for 2 years. I could make you a list of pages protected for much less disruption and indefinitely, pages much more important than "Dredg" but that no anonymous will be able to edit. Again, now I don't care any more about the protection of that page, I'm just trying making you understand that your block is excessive. I'm not asking you to unblock it completely, and I'm making an effort not to ask it, just to shorten it back. A 2-years block for a full /16 IP range is too much, even if for one page (which has been disrupted by a number of different IP ranges). 151.21.73.15 (discuss) 20:44, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * The time on the partial block is not going to be reduced, period. If you continue to forum-shop about it, the next step will be to apply a global range block, which as you can see here is not unprecedented. I'm pretty sure you don't want that. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss •
 * You aren't going to reduce the block nor to explain me why you increased it, I got it. Don't worry, I'm not going to do what you call "forum shopping". My first impression about you was right, alas. I think you aren't even going to remove the full block unlike you said, I won't be surprised if you don't. I'd like to know User:Useight's personal opinion about this issue and our exchange of words, if he likes telling me. 151.21.73.15 (discuss) 21:16, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * No, I did explain that; disruption from that range goes back to 2018 (2 years); now no one has to be bothered by disruption on Dredg from that range for 2 years; everyone (except the vandal) wins. Sure, they could hit it from another range, but if I see more than one IP from a new range, I'll partial-block the new range for 2 years as well (let the vandal know that if you run into him on the streets of Milan).  Partial-range blocks are very targeted and minimize collateral damage (inconvenience) to other users, since, in this case, it applies to a single article.  If someone from one of those blocked ranges would like to contribute constructively, they can make an edit request on the talk page, or better yet, create an account. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 21:32, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * The full block has been removed; what remains are partial blocks on any of the Milan ranges that the vandal has used. Further attempts to forum-shop or make spurious RFPP requests will result in an immediate reblocking, with possible global blocking. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 21:44, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

Wikipedia is full of pages more important than Dredg that anonymous can't edit because they're protected indefinitely and nobody thinks that preventing every anonymous from editing them is a victory of the vandal who caused the protection. Going on blocking every new IP range used by a vandal who disrupts a single page is by far the most intelligent solution to keep that page safe, chapeau. I live nowhere near Milan, the chief town of Lombardy, one of the regions covered by my IP range, one of the most extended, one of the most populated, at least I could teach you something. I won't make the things you told me not to do and I'm sure the vandal has no reason to ask to protect the page he's been haunting. These are the last things I wanted to point out, that is correcting your inaccuracies and your logical fallacies. I wish you a good sleep despite the stodgy and undesirable milestone of your 100th unblock in the face of (just) (only) 10718 blocks. 151.21.73.15 (discuss) 22:10, 15 September 2020 (UTC)
 * 151.21.73.151, my personal opinion on the issue? If it were me, I would've also declined to protect the page.  I would reserve that for pages that were being (temporarily) vandalized by a number of different accounts and/or IP addresses, such as what commonly happens after a celebrity dies, for example.  So, I, too, would've gone the blocking route.  However, it seems I have a more lax approach than Ohnoitsjamie, as I wouldn't've considered the duration over which the previous vandalism occurred, but rather the frequency.  The vandal appears to edit the page relatively often, so I would've used a three month block and then I would watchlist the page.  My reasoning would be that that would be a long enough time, probably, for the vandal to come back and attempt to edit the page, only to find that (s)he couldn't.  The vandal, at this point, would either: 1) realize (s)he's been caught, give up, and move on from vandalizing Wikipedia; 2) go vandalize something else; 3) wait out the block in order to vandalize the page again; or 4) become a constructive editor of Wikipedia.  In the event of number one or number four (not a likely scenario, admittedly), there would be nothing more to do.  In the event of number two, I would increase the block from partial to full.  In the event of number three, I would then reissue a partial block, but this time of six months.  Should number three repeat after six months, I would then do a year.  I, personally, wouldn't go beyond a year at a time.
 * If you wanted my personal opinion on what you should do and/or should've done, I would've used Wikipedia's Unblock Request to explain the situation to a neutral, third-party to review the block. If the block stayed, and I was told to create an account, I would do so, if I wished to continue editing Wikipedia.  If I didn't, then it wouldn't've been a high enough priority in my life for me to worry about.  If there wasn't a solution as simple as "create an account", then I would, as last resort, make a post on the Administrators Noticeboard to explain the situation and ask for a neutral, third-party review.  Failing that, I would've given up and chalked it up to Wikipedia's loss, since they'd be missing out on my contributions.
 * I you wanted my personal opinion on your conversation with Ohnoitsjamie, then I have no comment. As a rule, I don't get involved in stuff like that, which is why I have no interest in being on the Arbitration Committee and instead authored the Wikipedia essay called Let It Go.  Useight (discuss • contribs) 15:34, 16 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Again, thank your for your help, User:Useight. I've read your reply just today... Your thought is similar to mine, I'd have made the same considerations about the length of the block and the frequency of the vandalisms. A third-party review was what I was looking for when I decided to ask for a bureaucrat's help. I've just a fear, not so senseless: that if I try asking for an unblock, or if I write in the admins' noticeboard, it's possible that Ohnoitsjamie will change my range block again in order to prevent me to made further requests like these using as an excuse the "forum-shopping" or "spurious requests" thing, he even threatened a global block... I haven't followed your advice yet only because of this fear, even if I'm not sure that he's allowed by the rules to block my range or make somebody block it globally just because I try having it reviewed by neutral admins, however he's actually able to do it. I'm quite sure that some other admins would decrease the block if they read the circumstances under the which it was created and increased, I have to decide to do it or not. 151.21.79.193 (discuss) 09:33, 19 September 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I'd never heard of Dredg before I came across this LTA; they are actually pretty good. I'm looking forward to the next album if they ever release it. Ohnoitsjamie (discuss • contribs) 22:34, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

Good evening Useight, I have a question to ask you, I hope that you can help me. Do you know if a list of sysops who deal with the UTRS exist? Or maybe a template in their user page showing that they do? It's for this old case of mine, unfortunately it seems that no UTRS sysop, so far, has read with any attention what I wrote in my appeals, unlike you did, but they just used predefined replies to decline without grasping my point... So, if I can speak directly with one of them, maybe I'll be able to find one that can review my block seriously. Please let me know, and thank you again for your pieces of advice back to last year! 151.21.84.234 (discuss) 21:50, 23 March 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:Useight


text:
User:Synoman Barris/to-do

Africa

 * Namibia ✅
 * Botswana ✅
 * Zimbabwe covers Malawi and Zambia✅
 * Kenya ✅ covers Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi
 * Egypt ✅ covers northern Sudan
 * Algeria ✅
 * Nigeria ✅
 * Liberia ✅
 * Lesotho ❌
 * South Africa
 * Morocco
 * Madagascar

When through will be ✅ with Africa at the moment and next:North America

North America
US

title: User:Synoman Barris/to-do


text:
User:LGreg/sandbox/Approaches to Knowledge (LG seminar 2020/21)

This is the sandbox page for Lara's seminar groups for 2020/21. Please click through to your relevant group.

 * Seminar 9 (Thursdays 9am)
 * Seminar 12 (Thursdays 11am)
 * Seminar 18 (Fridays 11am)


text:
User talk:Madisonmz

--Synoman Barris (discuss • contribs) 16:18, 14 September 2020 (UTC)

title: User talk:Madisonmz


text:
World Cultures/Culture in Africa/Culture of Liberia

Introduction
The culture of Liberia reflects this nation's diverse ethnicities and long history. Liberia is located in West Africa on the Atlantic Coast.

Languages
The official language of Liberia is English. There are also more than 16 indigenous languages. Among the most widely studied Liberian languages in schools and universities are Kpelle and Bassa languages and to a lesser extent, Vai. Loma and Mende also have their own unique alphabets but are studied less.

Both languages are noted for their unique alphabets and phonetics that are not based on the Latin alphabet, or any European language but emerged from visions of each language's inventor. Bassa alphabet was popularized by Dr. Thomas Narvin Lewis in the early 20th century, after attending studies in the U.S at Syracuse University. He modeled it after he came into contact with former slaves of Bassa origin in Brazil and the West Indies who were still using the alphabet. Vai is another well known ancient script from Liberia, but distinct from the Bassa alphabet.

Among the listed alphabets, Bassa Vah is compared to include Armenian, Coptic (used by Egyptian Coptic and Coptic Church), Avestan used in Ancient Persia to write sacred hymns of Zoroastrianism, Georgian language in Republic of Georgia, Mongolian, Meroitic alphabet of ancient Sudan and parts of Nile Valley, and many other ancient scripts, Greek-based and Cyrillic alphabets. Some Vah letters resemble certain letters from the Ge'ez alphabet of Ethiopia and Eritrea, N'ko alphabet in Guinea, and Armenian alphabet.

The syllabary of Vai also been compared to Hiragana and Katakana scripts also syllabary for Japanese language. However many linguists hold that Bassa and Vai alphabets are unique in their own right for being African languages with alphabets alongside Ge'ez, N'ko, and Tifinagh (used to write Berber languages) that are neither influenced by Latin or Western writing system.

Religion
According to the 2008 National Census, 85.5% of Liberia's population practices Christianity. Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population, largely coming from the Mandingo and Vai ethnic groups.

Belief in traditional supernatural world
Regardless of public statements of identification with Christianity, a "vast majority" of Liberians believe a supernatural world of ancestral and bush spirits that impact daily life. Ethnic groups in all regions of Liberia participate in the traditional religious practices of the Poro and Sande secret societies, with the exception of the Krahn ethnic group, who have their own secret society.

"Liberian religious culture is characterised by a predisposition towards secrecy (encapsulated in the concept of ifa mo - "do not speak it") and an ingrained belief in the intervention of mysterious forces in human affairs". "Both elite and non-elite Liberians usually attribute events to the activities of secret powers and forces".

"Beliefs include the conviction that there are deep and hidden things about an individual that only diviners, priests, and other qualified persons can unravel. This presupposes that whatever exists or happens in the physical realm has foundations in the spirit world".

Secret societies
While still belonging to Christian or Muslim denominations, ethnic groups in all regions participate in religious secret societies associated with the spirit world, including the Poro and Sande gender-based secret societies. The Sande society champions women's social and political interests and promotes their solidarity vis-a-vis the Poro society, a complementary secret society for men. The Poro society is found among the Bassa, Gola, Kissi, Kpelle, Loma, People and Vai of Liberia.

Polygamy
One third of married Liberian women between the ages of 15-49 are in polygamous marriages. Customary law allows men to have up to 4 wives.

Media culture
Numerous newspapers, radio stations and TV programs are broadcast and can be heard in the capital Monrovia, coastal cities and towns and countryside. Radio, newspapers and online news articles are the main form of mass communication in Liberia in recent years, surpassing TV stations as the most accessible forms of media to Liberians. Many popular FM radio stations have their headquarters in Monrovia along with several major national newspapers.

Many radio stations are community based operated by joint United Nations and community councils, activists, youth groups, universities and neighborhood programs. The major radio stations in Liberia are UNMIL Radio, Radio ELWA, Truth Radio, ELBC Radio, and STAR radio. All have programs available to listen to online. There are currently no AM radio stations (which existed before the war) but there are a few shortwave stations. Radio also serves to promote peace, reconciliation and connect the country both rural and urban Liberians through community based apprenticeship programs for youths and young adults.

A famous news blackboard in Monrovia is The Daily Talk. The Daily Talk is accessible for free. According to The New York Times, the blackboard is "the most widely read report" in Monrovia, as many Monrovians lack the money or the electricity necessary for access to the conventional mass media.

The most widely read newspapers include the Liberia Herald, The Analyst, Liberian Observer, The News, The Heritage, and The Inquirer, among others. Several Liberian journalists have been awarded national and international awards and acclaim around the world for their commitment to press freedom and promotion of Democracy in post war countries and regions.

Music
Liberia has its own ancient music and instruments. While Liberian music is part of wider West African music heritage, it is also distinct from its neighbors. There are several different types of drums used in traditional music. Drums are one of the most widely used instruments in many ceremonies both official and nonofficial, weddings, christenings, naming ceremonies, holidays, graduations, etc. Next to drums, beaded gourd rattles called Saasaa are also used in mainstream music by many Liberian singers, musicians, and ensembles across the country.

Songs are sung in both English and all indigenous languages. Other instruments similar to the xylophone include Yomo Gor. Music is a main highlight of Liberian culture not only used as entertainment but to educate society on issues ranging from culture, politics, history to human rights.

Religious music is also popular. Christian music is heavily influenced by its counterpart in United States regardless of region. Islamic nasheeds popular in many countries with Muslim communities are almost unheard of in Liberia. Instead, music for Liberian Muslims are based on Quranic citations, adhan and music related to everyday life called suku. Aside from religious and traditional music, rap and HiLife are widely popular especially with younger Liberians and American music aficionados. Both can be heard in discothèques, parties, clubs and on radios throughout the country. Jazz, funk, soul, rap and a new music style or Liberian rap called Hipco combining rap, R&B, traditional rhymes, and joint Liberian and American influences are part of the wider Music of Liberia.

Crafts
Liberia is renowned for its detailed decorative and ornate masks, large and miniature wood carvings of realistic human faces, famous people, scenes of everyday life and accessories particularly combs, spoons and forks which are often enlarged sculptures. Sculptures are produced in both the countryside and cities. Liberian wood curved sculptures are heavily influenced by ancient history predating modern Liberia, folklore, proverbs, spirituality, rural life and show the artist's strong observations for grand detail and their connections to the people and objects sculpted. Liberian artists both in the country and diaspora have also gained recognition for various styles of paintings in abstract, perspective and graphic art.

Due to its strong relationship with the United States, Liberia has also produced its own American-influenced quilts. The free and former US slaves who emigrated to Liberia brought with them their sewing and quilting skills and was originally done by Americo-Liberians beginning in the 19th century. Queen Victoria invited Martha Ann Ricks, on behalf of Liberian Ambassador Edward Wilmot Blyden, to Windsor Castle on 16 July 1892.

Ricks, a former slave from Tennessee, had saved for more than fifty years, to afford the voyage from Liberia to England to personally thank the Queen for the British navy's actions against the slave trade. Ricks shook hands with the Queen and presented her with a Coffee Tree quilt, which Victoria later sent to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition for display. A mystery remains as to where the quilt is today.

The census of 1843 indicated a variety of occupations, including hatter, milliner, seamstress and tailor. Liberia hosted National Fairs in 1857 and 1858 in which prizes were awarded for various needle arts. However today, Liberians from all ethnic groups make quilts though it is not a popular as it once was when the country was adapting American customs, culture and lifestyle in mid 19th century. In modern times, Liberian presidents would present quilts as official government gifts, and when current Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf moved into the Executive Mansion, she reportedly had a Liberian-made quilt installed in her presidential office.

Literature
A literary tradition has existed in Liberia for over a century. Liberia had no written tradition until the 19th century. Numerous Liberian authors throughout the years have contributed to the writings of various genres. They have written on folk art, ancient proverbs, everyday life in countryside, city life, religion and observation of their own lives. Culture, tradition, identity, society, taboo subjects, human rights, equality and diversity within Liberia, multiculturalism, Pan-Africanism, colonialism and its reverberating consequences today, post colonial African countries and future of the country have been featured in novels, books, magazines and novelettes since the 19th century.

Poetry is a prominent canon of Liberian literature. Many authors have presented their pose in all poetic styles. Often adding their own unique perspectives, writing styles and observation of the material and spiritual worlds into their books. Liberia's prominent writers also share a variety of genres that cross several decades. In the 19th century, Edward Wilmot Blyden was the most renowned Liberian author. A diplomat, educator, statesman and writer, Blyden was considered one of the early fathers of Pan Africanism along with W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvy. His writings revolved around the need for Africans to develop their own identity, be culturally, spiritually and politically aware of their own potential and preside over their own self-rule and to disprove the European view of Africans as culture-less. These writings inspired many Liberian authors in later years and still does today. In the end, he is known in world history and on African continent as the genius behind the phrase, "Africa for Africans!" and later inspired Marcus Garvey's Back to Africa Movement. Blyden is a national hero in Liberia.

During the 20th century and currently in first decade of the 21st century, other authors have taken a less political but prominent role in Liberian literature. Several authors are renowned for their starling, detailed and deep observation of Liberian life both in the country and abroad in Diaspora in Europe or United States. Authors Bai T. Moore, E.G. Bailey, Roland T. Dempster, Wilton G. S. Sankawulo, have all reflected on culture, tradition, modernization and pain of exile, loneliness, lost and remembrance in fiction, and non fiction works.

Bai T. Moore's novelette Murder in the Cassava Patch, is often required reading for many Liberian high school students. Published in 1968, the novelette is based on true story of a murder that discusses the most taboo subjects in mid-20th century Liberia as the story reveals the lives of the main characters and their hometown. E.G. Bailey is a spoken word artist, theatre and radio producer.

Politician and author Wilton G. S. Sankawulo published many collections of poems and stories which later became praised anthologies on Liberian folklore and wider African literary tradition entitled, More Modern African stories. His most celebrated book is Sundown at Dawn: A Liberian Odyssey. According to the book's publisher, Dusty Spark Publishing, it is regarded as "one of the literary achievements of postwar Liberia and contemporary Africa."

Cuisine
Liberian cuisine has rice as its staple. Other ingredients include cassava, fish, bananas, citrus fruit, plantains, coconut, okra and sweet potatoes. Heavy stews spiced with habanero and scotch bonnet chillies are popular and eaten with fufu.


text: User talk:41.114.194.225

title: User talk:41.114.194.225