To the Edge and Back Again: Tanzania as a People and a Place

Every two years as part of the May Express program at Andrews University a small group of teachers and administrators take students to Tanzania, Africa on an educational tour. I attended this tour in both 2009 and 2011 and was able to use the knowledge provided by the course work as well as the personal experiences that I encountered in order to shape my own perceptions of Tanzania and its people, and the relationships that exist between their cultural practices and my own. To the Edge and Back Again: Tanzania as a People and a Place attempts to gather these newfound, and still developing, perceptions into a collection of creative non-fiction essays centered on Tanzania\u27s fascination language, economy, wildlife, people, and cultural practices

Dramatizing The Void: Crime Fiction\u27s Journey to Forgetting

Scholars often cite the transition from the golden age to the hardboiled tradition in the 1920s and 1930s as the most radical shift in crime fiction. By 1945, crime stories regularly exhibited destabilized language, increased interest in psychology of the mind, and a blatant rejection of conclusive endings as a means of exploring the unreliable nature of memory and eye-witness testimony. Whereas the crime fiction narratives preceding 1945 embodied a clear sense of logic and order, and established hermeneutics and signifying practices as the keys to unlocking the mysteries behind human behavior; post-45 crime fiction not only rejects these notions, but openly attacks them. Through their use of setting, their deployments of signifying practices, and their emphasis on methods of detection, pre-45 crime fiction narratives reiterate and uphold their trust in the reliability of the human mind and memory, while post-45 crime fiction uses the same generic conventions to undermine memory and hermeneutics on a larger scale. In highlighting this post-45 shift, this project not only uncovers the genre’s investment in memory, but it also clearly delineates the narrative mechanisms through which memory, and its common conceptions, are tested for reliability, accuracy, and meaning-making. In doing so, this project more broadly explores how literary representations of memory create avenues for exploring the ramifications these shifts have on cultural, legal, and cognitive theories of how we process, store, and reconstruct information regarding our pasts

If Somebody Knows About that Nose, It’s Not the Forgetful Maid: False Memory and the Environment of Recall in Tristram Shandy

In his seven-volume novel, In Search of Lost Time (1913-1927), Marcel Proust explores the depths and limitations of involuntary memory and argues that remembrance of the past is inherently altered and unreliable. Referred to by many scholars as Proustian Memory, this theory explicates both the revision that takes place in the act of remembering as well as the inherent fictionality of these recollections. Written, however, nearly two-hundred years earlier, Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy (1759-64) hints at some of the same claims regarding the reconstruction of the past through the act of remembering. Deeply concerned with how and to what extent the past can be recreated, Sterne’s novel not only illuminates how memories are altered, but it proposes that under certain environmental conditions, short-term memory is more susceptible to modification. Focusing specifically on the episodes concerning Slawkenbergius’ Tale and Susannah’s trouble recalling Tristram’s name, this paper investigates the role of working memory and personal bias in the process of recall, as well as explores how environmental factors such as emotional, informational, and influential overload contribute to the revision of past events

Call Me Caitlyn: Making and making over the 'authentic' transgender body in Anglo-American popular culture

A conception of transgender identity as an ‘authentic’ gendered core ‘trapped’ within a mismatched corporeality, and made tangible through corporeal transformations, has attained unprecedented legibility in contemporary Anglo-American media. Whilst pop-cultural articulations of this discourse have received some scholarly attention, the question of why this 'wrong body' paradigm has solidified as the normative explanation for gender transition within the popular media remains underexplored. This paper argues that this discourse has attained cultural pre-eminence through its convergence with a broader media and commercial zeitgeist, in which corporeal alteration and maintenance are perceived as means of accessing one’s ‘authentic’ self. I analyse the media representations of two transgender celebrities: Caitlyn Jenner and Nadia Almada, alongside the reality TV show TRANSform Me, exploring how these women’s gender transitions have been discursively aligned with a cultural imperative for all women, cisgender or trans, to display their authentic femininity through bodily work. This demonstrates how established tropes of authenticity-via-bodily transformation, have enabled transgender to become culturally legible through the wrong body trope. Problematically, I argue, this process has worked to demarcate ideals of ‘acceptable’ transgender subjectivity: self-sufficient, normatively feminine, and eager to embrace the possibilities for happiness and social integration provided by the commercial domain

Dual-Target Cost in Visual Search for Multiple Unfamiliar Faces.

The efficiency of visual search for one (single-target) and either of two (dual-target) unfamiliar faces was explored to understand the manifestations of capacity and guidance limitations in face search. The visual similarity of distractor faces to target faces was manipulated using morphing (Experiments 1 and 2) and multidimensional scaling (Experiment 3). A dual-target cost was found in all experiments, evidenced by slower and less accurate search in dual- than single-target conditions. The dual-target cost was unequal across the targets, with performance being maintained on one target and reduced on the other, which we label "preferred" and "non-preferred" respectively. We calculated the capacity for each target face and show reduced capacity for representing the non-preferred target face. However, results show that the capacity for the non-preferred target can be increased when the dual-target condition is conducted after participants complete the single-target conditions. Analyses of eye movements revealed evidence for weak guidance of fixations in single-target search, and when searching for the preferred target in dual-target search. Overall, the experiments show dual-target search for faces is capacity- and guidance-limited, leading to superior search for 1 face over the other in dual-target search. However, learning faces individually may improve capacity with the second face. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Alkali Oxides. Analysis of Bonding and Explanation of the Reversal of Ordering of the 2Σ and 2Π States

We analyze the bonding in alkali oxides, MO, for M = Li, Na, K, Rb, and Cs. Using ab initio correlated wave functions we find that the ground state is ²II for M = Li, Na, and K and that the ground state is ²Ʃ^+ for M = Rb and Cs. The origin of this effect is explained

Understanding the contribution of target repetition and target expectation to the emergence of the prevalence effect in visual search

Behavior in visual search tasks is influenced by the proportion of trials on which a target is presented (the target prevalence). Previous research has found that when target prevalence is low (2% prevalence), participants tend to miss targets, compared with higher prevalence levels (e.g., 50% prevalence). There is an ongoing debate regarding the relative contribution of target repetition and the expectation that a target will occur in the emergence of prevalence effects. In order to disentangle these two factors, we went beyond previous studies by directly manipulating participants’ expectations regarding how likely a target was to appear on a given trial. This we achieved without using cues or feedback. Our results indicated both target repetition and target expectation contribute to the emergence of the prevalence effect

IonMonger: a free and fast planar perovskite solar cell simulator with coupled ion vacancy and charge carrier dynamics

Details of an open-source planar perovskite solar cell simulator, that includes ion vacancy migration within the perovskite layer coupled to charge carrier transport throughout the perovskite and adjoining transport layers in one dimension, are presented. The model equations are discretised in space using a finite element scheme and temporal integration of the resulting system of differential-algebraic equations is carried out in MATLAB. The user is free to modify device parameters, as well as the incident illumination and applied voltage. Time-varying voltage and/or illumination protocols can be specified, e.g. to simulate current-voltage sweeps, or to track the open-circuit conditions as the illumination is varied. Typical simulations, e.g. current-voltage sweeps, only require computation times of seconds to minutes on a modern personal computer. An example set of hysteretic current-voltage curves is presented

The clinical and cost-effectiveness of patient education models for diabetes : a systematic review and economic evaluation

Description of the proposed service This systematic review examines the clinical and cost-effectiveness of patient education models for adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. Epidemiology and background Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is characterised by a state of chronic hyperglycaemia (raised blood sugar). There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition involving a process of destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, leading to severe insulin deficiency. About one-fifth of patients with diabetes in England and Wales have Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency and is linked to being overweight or obese, and to physical inactivity. Type 2 diabetes primarily affects people aged over 40 years. The basic target in the treatment of diabetes is the normalisation of blood glucose levels. Poor control of diabetes can in the short term result in diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and potentially fatal condition, and in the long term can increase the risk of complications such as diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. However, studies have shown that good diabetic control is associated with a reduced risk of these complications. Diabetic control is affected by both lifestyle factors such as diet, and by pharmacological treatments, and the management of diabetes is largely the responsibility of patients. A key component in empowering patients to manage their own diabetes is education. Education of patients with diabetes is considered a fundamental aspect of diabetes care and aims to empower patients by improving knowledge and skills. Structured educational programmes for diabetes self-management are often multifaceted interventions providing patients with information not only about diabetes but also management issues such as diet, exercise, self-monitoring of blood glucose and medication use. Methods A systematic review of the literature and an economic evaluation were undertaken. Data sources Electronic databases were searched, including the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Science Citation Index, Web of Science Proceedings, DARE and HTA databases, PsychINFO, CINAHL, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and EconLit. References of all retrieved articles were checked for relevant studies, and experts were contacted for advice and peer review and to identify additional published and unpublished references. Sponsor submissions to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence were reviewed. Study selection Studies were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: Interventions: educational interventions compared with usual care or another educational intervention. Participants: adults with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Outcomes: must report glycated haemoglobin, hypoglycaemic episodes, diabetic complications or quality of life. Other reported outcomes from included studies were discussed. Evaluation of outcomes >12 months from inception of intervention. Design: randomised clinical trials (RCTs), and controlled clinical trial (CCTs) with a concurrent control were included. Reporting: studies were only included if they reported sufficient detail of the intervention to be reproducible (e.g. topics covered, who provided the education, how many sessions were available). Studies in non-English language or available only as abstracts were excluded. Titles and abstracts were checked by two reviewers. Full texts of selected studies were assessed for inclusion by one reviewer and checked by a second. Differences in opinion were resolved through discussion. Data extraction and quality assessment Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second, with any disagreement resolved through discussion involving a third reviewer if necessary. The quality of included studies was assessed in accordance with Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Report 4. Data synthesis Data on clinical effectiveness were synthesised through a narrative review with tabulation of results from included studies. Studies were too diverse to be combined in a meta-analysis. Cost-effectiveness analyses were reported in a narrative review. Number and quality of studies Searches identified 24 studies comparing education with either a control group or with another educational intervention. These were 18 RCTs and six CCTs. Four studies included adults with Type 1 diabetes, 16 studies included adults with Type 2 diabetes and four studies included adults with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The quality of reporting and methodology of the studies was generally poor by today’s standards with only two RCTs reporting adequate randomisation procedures and none demonstrating adequate allocation concealment. Economic evaluations Literature searches identified only two studies reporting cost-effectiveness results: one cost-utility analysis and one cost-effectiveness analysis using intermediate outcomes only. Summary of benefits Studies of education in Type 1 diabetes suggest that education programmes offered as a part of intensified treatment interventions can result in significant and long-lasting improvements in metabolic control and reductions in complications. These are studies in which education is part of a package of care also including treatment changes (for example diet and insulin) and therefore it is not possible to draw conclusions about potential effects of education per se in Type 1 diabetes. Diverse educational programmes in Type 2 diabetes did not yield consistent results. Although some trials reported significant improvements in metabolic control and/or quality of life or other psychological outcomes, many others did not report significant effects of educational interventions. No clear characterisation is possible as to what features of education may be beneficial in this patient group. Studies that included patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes also produced mixed results with only poorer quality studies reporting significant effects. Costs Literature searches identified a small number of studies offering cost data in relation to patient education models. These were all studies undertaken outside the UK and they covered a variety of methodologies. We are not able to generalise from these studies as to the cost-effectiveness of patient education models. Patient education models will predominantly consist of direct costs for resource inputs to particular education packages, for example staff time (diabetes specialist nurse, dietitian and/or consultant) and education materials. The Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) intervention is estimated to cost approximately £545 per person attending. Costs per life year gained Owing to the absence of accurate data on health outcomes, we are not able to provide cost-effectiveness summary statistics. The evidence base does indicate that improved glycaemic control is likely to have a positive impact on the incidence of long-term diabetic complications. Therefore, where the costs associated with patient education are assumed to be in the region of £500–600 per patient, the benefits over time would have to be very modest to offer an attractive cost-effectiveness profile for the intervention. The submission from the DAFNE study group predicts a scenario in which the DAFNE intervention results in cost savings and added health benefits over time, when compared with usual practice. Implications The main implication for the NHS would be staff time, particularly of diabetes specialist nurses, but also dietitians. Provision of increased education may be hindered by a shortage of trained specialist nurses, which will take some years to resolve. Future research needs The paucity of high-quality trials that have tested education per se in diabetes reveals a need for more research. Such research should focus on RCTs with clear designs based on explicit hypotheses and with a range of outcomes evaluated after long follow-up intervals. In order to draw conclusions about the effects of education alone, such trials should manipulate only education rather than confounding education with other factors

An approximate method for solving rarefied and transitional flows using TDEFM with isotropic mesh adaptation

DSMC [1] can become increasingly expensive when extended to the near-continuum regime. Because of the statistical nature of the results, long run times are required to build up samples of simulator particles large enough to reduce the statistical scatter to acceptable levels. Here we adapt a kinetic theory based flux method to produce a quick approximate solver for transition and near-continuum flows. The results have no statistical scatter. The CPU times are similar to those of traditional continuum (Navier-Stokes or Euler) solvers. The True Direction Equilibrium Flux Method (TDEFM) [2, 3] is a generalisation of Pullin's kinetic theory based EFM [4]. TDEFM can transfer fluxes of mass, momentum and energy in physically realistic directions from any source cell to any destination cell, even if the cells do not share an interface. TDEFM, as an Euler solver, has been shown to provide good results on a Cartesian grid for flows where standard continuum methods produce unphysical asymmetries apparently because the continuum fluxes are constrained (in one time step) to flow in the grid coordinate directions rather than the correct physical direction. [2, 3] The new method for rarefied flow does not try to produce the correct velocity distribution function, but does ensure that mass, momentum and energy are transported within the flow over the physically correct distances between “pseudo-collisions.” To ensure this, (1) the time step is restricted so that mass, momentum and energy are exchanged between contiguous cells only in one time step, and (2) the cells sizes are adapted, as steady state is approached, to be approximately equal to the local mean free path. The results for Mach 5 flow over a flat plate for varying Knudsen numbers show an average difference (compared to DSMC) in the X-velocity profile near the surface of the plate of less than 6 percent. TDEFM, employing adaptive mesh refinement, required less than 9 percent of the computational time required by DSMC for the same flow. Thus the approximate method could be useful for quick “first-estimate” solutions of otherwise time consuming design problems. ©2009 American Institute of Physic