Narrative and Argumentation in a Case of Alleged Child Abuse

The relationship between argument and narrative has been the subject of much debate, particularly in the area of law, where a number of theorists have argued for the priority of one over the other in the decision-making process, the premise being that argumentation and narrative are two distinct text forms. Through the rhetorical analysis of a series of expert reports in a case of alleged child abuse, we seek to explore the dynamics between argumentation and narrative. In so doing, we argue that while certain actions may undermine the robustness of an argument, it is these very actions that make possible the telling of a persuasive story. We conclude with a plea for the development of rhetorical skills among social workers so as to be better able to discern future directions for the benefit of service user

Triangulating evidence on the role of perceived versus objective experiences of childhood adversity in psychopathology

Childhood adversities, such as maltreatment, bullying, and socioeconomic deprivation, are well-established risk factors for psychopathology. Recent evidence suggests that it is the perceived, rather than objective (i.e., actual) experience of childhood adversity which is associated with psychopathology (Danese & Widom, 2020). However, it is unclear whether perceptions of childhood adversity cause psychopathology, as this cannot be tested ethically or feasibly with randomised controlled trials. Triangulation can instead be used to improve causal inference in observational research, by integrating evidence across multiple approaches with different sources of bias

Exploring the Rhizomal Self

Theories of the Self abound both across and within disciplines. Following a discussion of two frameworks for understanding the Self—the essentialist and the dialogic—we explore the nature of what we call the rhizomal Self. Through autobiographical material we present a rhizomal narrative as a means of understanding the Self as narrative performance. We conclude with a brief discussion of some of the advantages of this way of conceptualizing and representing the Self

An Invitation for Engagement: Assigning and Assessing Field Notes to Promote Deeper Levels of Observation

This paper explores current practices for teaching the discipline of keeping field notes within academic natural history courses. We investigate how journal projects can be structured to promote engagement with the natural world while emphasizing the importance of recording accurate and honest observations. Particular attention is paid herein to the assignment of field notes, and to the process of assessing the results of these assignments. Our discussion includes results from an informal survey of best practices among colleagues representing numerous natural history disciplines

Mueller matrix imaging for skin cancer detection

Over one million Americans are afflicted with skin cancer each year. Even though skin cancer has a 95% cure rate, approximately 10,000 people die in the United States each year of this disease. The current ABCDE(F) detection method is not sensitive enough to detect skin cancer in its early stages and requires a biopsy for any suspicious lesions. A lot of unnecessary biopsies, which are painful and costly to the patient, are taken. Therefore, a noninvasive technique is needed that can accurately detect the presence of skin cancer. In this thesis, an optical approach will be presented that has potential to be a noninvasive skin cancer detection technique. Several morphological and biochemical changes occur as tissue becomes cancerous, and therefore the optical properties of the tissue can be used to detect skin cancer. A Mueller matrix imaging system has been developed by our group that measures the 16 or 36-element Mueller matrix, which completely describes the optical properties of the tissue sample. The system is automated and can collect the Mueller matrix in less than one minute. This system will be used to image Sinclair swine, and data analysis techniques will be employed to determine if the system can distinguish between cancerous and noncancerous tissue. System software improvements will also be made, and a new calibration technique will be presented