Keeping the Faith: The Transformative Autonomy of Literature and the Uniqueness of Literary Discourse.

In 1999 there appeared in The New York Review o f Books a review by Andrew Delbanco of some seven studies (all but one of them published in the period 1997-99) which included Alvin Keman’s The Death o f Literature and Robert Scholes’s The Rise and Fall o f English. On the basis of such titles Delbanco’s piece appeared under the heading, ‘The Decline and Fall of Literature’.1 While some years have elapsed since the appearance of the review, and while some of the points made have more relevance to North American than Irish universities, the arguments put forward are still worth revisiting, if only to provide a starting-point for what is, in its very nature, an ongoing debate

Critical Disinterestedness and Ideological Commitment: An Impasse?

Is critical disinterestedness possible? Or, is it, for that matter, even desirable? These are the major questions that hover above this essay - large questions which we face at the outset. For the moment we need to establish, first, what might be meant by 'disinterestedness'. For those whose major business is with the English literary tradition, the first name that will unfailingly come to mind when the term is mentioned is that of Matthew Arnold. The word 'disinterestedness' famously occurs in what remains one of the most widely read of Arnold's critical essays, 'The Function of Criticism at the Present Time'. Arnold pauses to ask, what rule ought to condition the activity of English criticism? His answer is as follows: The rule may be summed up in one word - disinterestedness. And how is criticism to show disinterestedness? By keeping aloof from what is called 'the practical view of things'; by resolutely following the law of its own nature, which is to be a free play of the mind on all subjects which it touches

Herman Melville's Pierre: How Radical is the Critque of Christianity?

In the dark and problematic Pierre, the much lesser-known novel written after Moby-Dick, Melville provides a radical critque of Christian morality. Ironically, it is the untenable ideals fostered by Christianity that lead to Pierre's disillusionment and self-destruction. But if Christianity is subjected to such a critique, can the source of such moral beliefs - Christ himself - remain exempt from a related critical scrutiny? In any case, does not Pierre push to a further extreme the deep scepticism about a providential God the Father already evident in Moby-Dick

Engineering Complex Microenvironments To Manipulate And Study Cellular Mechanobiology

Our improved understanding of cell mechano-sensing has been enabled by developments in biomaterials platforms and in vitro culture systems. These emerging systems model key aspects of the cellular niche in a controlled fashion, enabling one to ask and answer questions that could not be addressed in vivo due to the complex interactions of these multiple discrete signals. These emerging materials include key features of the native microenvironment, including complex mechanical properties, degradable domains, and native-scale feature sizes. In this thesis work, we designed a 2D methacrylated hyaluronic acid hydrogel (MeHA) system to recapitulate the multiple adhesive interactions normally present in the developing mesenchymal progenitor cell niche, including an RGD adhesive motif (from fibronectin) and the HAVDI adhesive motif (from N-Cadherin). This system allowed for the decoupled presentation of cell-ECM interactions and cell-cell interactions while simultaneously modulating other variables present in the microenvironment, such as changes in substrate stiffness. Using this system, we elucidated a new signaling pathway through which HAVDI ligation altered MSC mechanosensing of ECM stiffness, which culminated in downstream differences in cellular proliferation and differentiation. Our findings suggest that HAVDI presentation may be harnessed towards novel biomaterial design to direct cellular behavior and allow for tuning of response to substrate stiffness in regenerative medicine applications. Building from this platform, we further investigated nuclear morphology of MSCs on these 2D MeHA substrates and in native tissue, and showed that nuclear morphology and mechanotransduction were markedly different on planar substrates compared to within the native tissue niche. These findings suggested that dimensionality and the manner by which nuclear pre-stress is established in 3D regulates strain transmission to the nucleus. To better recapitulate these interactions, we cultured cells in 3D MMP-degradable HA hydrogels, and showed that these remodelable systems more accurately recapitulated the in vivo cellular response in vitro. Moving forward, work with these defined synthetic 3D niches will play a critical role in understanding of complex processes governing stem cell development and differentiation, as well as disease pathologies that arise when these processes become disrupted

"It Is Requir'd You Do Awake Your Faith" Reader-Response and the Gospel of St Mark

Wholly lacking in the kind of experience and expertise which the specialist theologian would possess, it is with some trepidation that a student of English enters into unknown territiry and embarks on a literary-critical approach to the gospel of St Mark. One may, however, take courage - and one's cue - from Frank Kermode's statement in the "Preface" to The Genesis of Secrecy, where he suggests that "the gospels need to be talked about by critics of a quite unecclesiastical formation". He later claims that literacy critics, although secular, are nonetheless "the heirs of the exegetical and hermeneutic traditions" and, as such, they "should be allowed their secular say on the cardinal texts" (Kermode 15-16). In what follows, I shall in fact be making significant use of this fine study by Kermode, although I hope to strike out in a different direction

Improving Simulated Soil Moisture Fields Through Assimilation of AMSR-E Soil Moisture Retrievals with an Ensemble Kalman Filter and a Mass Conservation Constraint

Model simulated soil moisture fields are often biased due to errors in input parameters and deficiencies in model physics. Satellite derived soil moisture estimates, if retrieved appropriately, represent the spatial mean of soil moisture in a footprint area, and can be used to reduce model bias (at locations near the surface) through data assimilation techniques. While assimilating the retrievals can reduce model bias, it can also destroy the mass balance enforced by the model governing equation because water is removed from or added to the soil by the assimilation algorithm. In addition, studies have shown that assimilation of surface observations can adversely impact soil moisture estimates in the lower soil layers due to imperfect model physics, even though the bias near the surface is decreased. In this study, an ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) with a mass conservation updating scheme was developed to assimilate the actual value of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) soil moisture retrievals to improve the mean of simulated soil moisture fields by the Noah land surface model. Assimilation results using the conventional and the mass conservation updating scheme in the Little Washita watershed of Oklahoma showed that, while both updating schemes reduced the bias in the shallow root zone, the mass conservation scheme provided better estimates in the deeper profile. The mass conservation scheme also yielded physically consistent estimates of fluxes and maintained the water budget. Impacts of model physics on the assimilation results are discussed

Accelerated return to sport after osteochondral autograft plug transfer

Background:Previous studies have reported varying return-to-sport protocols after knee cartilage restoration procedures.Purpose:To (1) evaluate the time for return to sport in athletes with an isolated chondral injury who underwent an accelerated return-to-sport protocol after osteochondral autograft plug transfer (OAT) and (2) evaluate clinical outcomes to assess for any consequences from the accelerated return to sport.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:An institutional cohort of 152 OAT procedures was reviewed, of which 20 competitive athletes met inclusion and exclusion criteria. All patients underwent a physician-directed accelerated rehabilitation program after their procedure. Return to sport was determined for all athletes. Clinical outcomes were assessed using International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) and Tegner scores as well as assessment of level of participation on return to sport.Results:Return-to-sport data were available for all 20 athletes; 13 of 20 athletes (65%) were available for clinical evaluation at a mean 4.4-year follow-up. The mean time for return to sport for all 20 athletes was 82.9 ± 25 days (range, 38-134 days). All athletes were able to return to sport at their previous level and reported that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their surgical outcome and ability to return to sport. The mean postoperative IKDC score was 84.5 ± 9.5. The mean Tegner score prior to injury was 8.9 ± 1.7; it was 7.7 ± 1.9 at final follow-up.Conclusion:Competitive athletes with traumatic chondral defects treated with OAT managed using this protocol had reduced time to preinjury activity levels compared with what is currently reported, with excellent clinical outcomes and no serious long-term sequelae.</jats:sec

Left ventricular function after valve repair for chronic mitral regurgitation: Predictive value of preoperative assessment of contractile reserve by exercise echocardiography

Objectives.We evaluated the value of preoperative assessment of left ventricular contractile reserve in predicting ventricular function after valve repair for minimally symptomatic mitral regurgitation.Background.The optimal timing for operation in minimally symptomatic patients with significant mitral regurgitation is controversial. Accurate preoperative assessment of left ventricular function is difficult, and the ability to predict postoperative function is limited. Previous studies in patients undergoing mitral valve replacement may not be applicable in the present era of valve repair.Methods.We performed exercise echocardiography in 139 patients with isolated mitral regurgitation and no coronary disease, 74 of whom subsequently underwent uncomplicated valve repair. We measured rest left ventricular end-systolic dimension, end-systolic wall stress and positive first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/dt). End-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and ejection fraction were measured preoperatively at rest, immediately after exercise and postoperatively.Results.Ejection fraction decreased postoperatively to 55 ± 10% from a rest preoperative value of 64 ± 9% (p < 0.001). Compared with patients with a postoperative ejection fraction ≥50% (n = 56), patients with postoperative ejection fraction <50% (n = 18) had a significantly lower preoperative exercise ejection fraction (57 ± 11% vs. 73 ± 9%, p < 0.0005), a larger exercise end-systolic volume index (32 ± 8 vs. 18 ± 7 cm3/m2, p < 0.0005) and a lower change in ejection fraction with exercise (−4 ± 8% vs. 9 ± 10%, p < 0.005). Preoperative rest indexes, including dP/dt, end-systolic wall stress and end-systolic volume index were less predictive, whereas exercise capacity, rest ejection fraction and end-systolic dimension were not predictive of postrepair ejection fraction. An exercise end-systolic volume index >25 cm3/m2 was the best predictor of postoperative dysfunction, with a sensitivity and specificity of 83%.Conclusions.In minimally symptomatic patients with mitral regurgitation, latent ventricular dysfunction may be indicated by a limited contractile reserve, manifest at exercise as an inadequate increase in ejection fraction and a larger end-systolic volume. These variables may also be used to predict left ventricular function after repair

American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Recommendations for Contrast‐Enhanced Liver Ultrasound Imaging Clinical Trials

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135306/1/jum2007266705.pd