A Film Aesthetic to Discover

Challenging today’s ascendant digital aesthetic, this essay retraces one powerful line of French theory which treats film as an art which “discovers” significance rather than “constructs” meaning. Champions of today’s technology find that the digital at last permits complete control over image construction and therefore over “cinema effects.” Opposed to this aesthetic which targets the audience, the French aesthetic stemming from Roger Leenhardt and André Bazin concerns itself with the world the filmmaker engages. An interplay of presence and absence, as well as of human agency in the non-human environment, characterizes the French aesthetic at each phase of the filmic process: recording, composing and projecting. This article focuses on the central phase, composing, and on the terminological shift from “image” to “shot” picked up after Bazin by the Nouvelle Vague and passed forward to our own day through Serge Daney. In short, there is a Cahiers du cinéma line of thought, applied to questions of editing, which emphasizes the filtering implied in shots and the ellipses implied in their order. Conventional editors, on the other hand, manipulate or juxtapose images (using processes known as “compositing” today). The Cahiers line of thought developed in symbiosis with neo-realism and with a spate of post-war essay films of the “caméra-stylo” sort (Resnais, Franju) wherein editing works to cut away and filter out the inessential so that a mysterious or abstract subject can be felt as beginning to appear. Rivette, Rohmer and Godard have passed this line of thought on to a later generation represented by Philippe Garrel and a still later one for which Arnaud Desplechin stands as a good example.Dans le contexte de l’avènement de la nouvelle esthétique du numérique, le présent article retourne à cet important principe de la théorie française voulant que le cinéma en tant qu’art permette de « découvrir » une signification plutôt que de « construire » du sens. Les tenants des nouvelles technologies considèrent que le numérique permet enfin une maîtrise parfaite de la construction de l’image, et conséquemment des « effets de cinéma ». À l’opposé de cette esthétique centrée sur le spectateur, l’esthétique française définie par Roger Leenhardt et André Bazin se préoccupe plutôt de l’univers dans lequel le cinéaste est engagé. Une telle esthétique se fonde d’abord et avant tout sur le jeu qui, à chacune des étapes de la production cinématographique (captation, composition et projection), s’articule entre présence et absence, entre facteur humain et environnement non humain. Le présent article insiste sur l’étape centrale, la composition, et sur le passage de la notion d’« image » à celle de « plan », selon la terminologie reprise de Bazin par les cinéastes de la Nouvelle Vague et relayée jusqu’à nos jours par Serge Daney. Il existerait ainsi, sur le montage, une ligne de pensée nettement identifiable aux Cahiers du cinéma, qui met l’accent sur le filtrage produit par la prise de vues et sur les ellipses produites par l’agencement des plans. Ce que les monteurs traditionnels manipuleraient et juxtaposeraient de leur côté, ce serait simplement des images (en utilisant des procédés comme le « compositing »). La ligne de pensée des Cahiers s’est développée en symbiose avec les productions néoréalistes et la myriade de films d’après-guerre répondant aux principes de la « caméra-stylo » (Resnais, Franju), dans lesquels le montage visait à éliminer l’accessoire, de manière à permettre l’émergence d’un sujet mystérieux ou abstrait. Rivette, Rohmer et Godard transmettront cette ligne de pensée à la génération qui a suivi avec, par exemple, un Philippe Garrel ou, plus récemment encore, un Arnaud Desplechin

Field-effect transitor differential amplifier

The feasibility of using field-effect transistors in wide-band differential amplifier applications has been investigated. An analysis of bipolar transistor differential amplifiers is included which demonstrates the problem of thermal drift and low input impedance present in all low level transistor amplifiers. An investigation of a field-effect transistor shows that such a device possesses the properties of zero thermal drift at a particular bias point, extremely high input impedance, good radiation resistance, low noise, and a high power gain. It is therefore postulated that employing FET\u27s in a differential amplifier will result in a circuit having very high input impedance and low thermal drift

Defining What to Regulate: Silica and the Problem of Regulatory Categorization

This article examines the history of human exposure to silica, the second most common element on earth, to explore the problem of categorizing substances for regulatory purposes and the role interest groups play in developing policy. The regulatory history of silica teaches three important lessons: First, the most compelling account of the cycle of action and inaction on the part of regulators is the one based on interest groups. Second, knowledge about hazards is endogenous - it arises in response to outside events, to regulations, and to interest groups. Accepting particular states of knowledge as definitive is thus a mistake, as is failing to consider the incentives for knowledge production created by regulatory measures. Third, the rise of the trial bar as an interest group means that the problems of silica exposure and similar occupational hazards cannot simply be left to the legal system to resolve through individual tort actions. We suggest that by understanding market forces, regulators can harness the energy of interest groups to create better solutions to addressing the problems of silica exposure, as well as other workplace health and safety issues

Extracellular Mechanotransduction

We highlight the force-sensing function of extracellular matrix and present a complementary mechanotransduction paradigm

Differences in hydraulic conductance (Kh) as a function of leaf area (KS Leaf) and xylem size (KS Xylem) in Encelia californica and Venegasia carpesioides

Southern California and the Santa Monica Mountains experience a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean basin. This means hot, dry summers, mild, wet winters, and large amounts of plant diversity. A major issue that can affect these regions is water availability and processing. To demonstrate this, hydraulic conductance (Kh) was measured as a function of leaf area (KS Leaf) and xylem size (KS Xylem). Two vascular plants were used for this study, Encelia californica and Venegasia carpesioides. This is because they are similar morphologically but are different genus and species. It was hypothesized that the larger plant (V. carpesioides) will have a larger hydraulic conductance (Kh), larger hydraulic conductance per leaf area (KS Leaf), as well as a larger hydraulic conductance per xylem area (KS Xylem) because of its larger need for water. Kh was found using a Sperry apparatus and the student t-test gave a P-value of 0.1517, which does not suggest a significant difference, KS Xylem (Kh/Axylem) using venier caliper and gave a P-value of 0.2867, which does not suggest a significant difference, and KLeaf (Kh/ Aleaf) using Leaf Area Index which gave a P-value of 0.0385, suggesting a significant difference in Leaf-specific hydraulic conductance (KS Leaf) between Encelia californica and Venegasia carpesioides. This shows that the hypothesis was only partially accepted

Exploring Canadian Music Therapy Graduates’ Experiences of Transitioning into Professional Practice

The transition to professional practice is a unique experience faced by every person who graduates from a pre-professional training program. While literature exists from other professions and countries on this topic, little is known about the triumphs and challenges that Canadian music therapy graduates experience as novice professionals. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative inquiry was to explore three Canadian music therapy graduates’ recent experiences of transitioning from pre-professional training environments into professional music therapist roles within Canadian employment contexts. Data were collected via individual Skype interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Three individual narratives emerged from the interview data and three global meaning units, each one containing themes, emerged through cross-case comparison. These global meaning units were: (a) navigating uncomfortable situations, (b) feeling a sense of commitment, and (c) establishing a foothold. Practical implications of the findings are presented for Canadian music therapy training programs, the music therapy profession in Canada, and future research. Through the identification of common obstacles faced by aspiring music therapists, as well as the identification of internal and external resources, the results of this research inquiry may help music therapy graduates, faculty, supervisors, and employers better understand and navigate this process of change