Community development, higher education institutions and the Big Society: opportunities or opportunism?

In his Prison Notebooks, written between 1929-35, Gramsci claimed that 'all men are intellectuals: but not all men have in society the function of intellectuals.' He used this term 'organic intellectuals' to illustrate that those working at grassroots level who have significant knowledge(s) about the way communities of all types work, are as important to the development of society as academic intellectuals. This article explores the current idea of a 'Big Society' as a hegemonic idea. This exploration is undertaken in relation to the current economic, social and political situation and with reference to the practice of community development, lifelong learning and the role of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in supporting this field of activity. In this article we use the term 'community development' as Tett defines in Morgan-Klein and Osborne (2007:104). She claims it means to 'increase the capacity of particular communities through targeted resources for particular areas'. We specifically explore the following areas: <p> • challenging the hegemonic ideas and policies • practising within the restrictions of cuts and limited resources • setting up supportive networks which will sustain workers • making meaningful international links abroad and using international examples of good practice • turning the ideology of the Big Society into an opportunity</p> We will pose the critical questions that we think need to be addressed and which we hope will help us to find direction and an understanding of the way forward at a deeper level. We hope to create both useful and innovative knowledge which will be a valid contribution to the field of community development

Marshall University Music Department Presents a Senior Recital, Jordan Henry, tenor

https://mds.marshall.edu/music_perf/1276/thumbnail.jp

Jordan W. Henry in a Senior Alto Saxophone Recital

This is the program for the senior alto saxophone recital of Jordan W. Henry. Mr. Henry was accompanied on the piano by Glenda Aldridge. This recital took place on November 19, 2010, in the McBeth Recital Hall in the Mabee Fine Arts Center

Modeling the practical performance of switched-capacitor converters and a method for automating state-space model generation

A new modeling technique and a method for automating the modeling process are introduced for analyzing complex switched-capacitor (SC) converters. The model uses conventional circuit analysis methods to derive state-space models of each switching state. Steady-state performance is derived and expressed as an equivalent resistance. Whereas previous techniques have provided either the detailed performance of a simple SC converter or the limiting performance of a complex SC converter, this new model is flexible enough to provide detailed performance for any practical converter. Nonuniform component choices, asymmetric duty cycles, and other deviations from an ideal converter can be readily included. Dynamics can also be analyzed. Iterative methods of design based on this model would require the formulation of many equations, which is time consuming if done manually. Therefore, an algorithm is introduced to automatically generate the equations required for this state-space based modeling. The state equations are generated algorithmically given a standard node incidence matrix generated from a user-defined netlist. The algorithm enables a designer to quickly iterate SC converter design solutions based on its predicted performance. The model and algorithm have been validated through simulation techniques and experimental data collected from laboratory testing --Abstract, page iii

The algebraic method in quadrature for uncertainty quantification

A general method of quadrature for uncertainty quantification (UQ) is introduced based on the algebraic method in experimental design. This is a method based on the theory of zero-dimensional algebraic varieties. It allows quadrature of polynomials or polynomial approximands for quite general sets of quadrature points, here called “designs.” The method goes some way to explaining when quadrature weights are nonnegative and gives exact quadrature for monomials in the quotient ring defined by the algebraic method. The relationship to the classical methods based on zeros of orthogonal polynomials is discussed, and numerical comparisons are made with methods such as Gaussian quadrature and Smolyak grids. Application to UQ is examined in the context of polynomial chaos expansion and the probabilistic collocation method, where solution statistics are estimated

Exploring the Referral and Usage of Science Fiction in HCI Literature

Research on science fiction (sci-fi) in scientific publications has indicated the usage of sci-fi stories, movies or shows to inspire novel Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research. Yet no studies have analysed sci-fi in a top-ranked computer science conference at present. For that reason, we examine the CHI main track for the presence and nature of sci-fi referrals in relationship to HCI research. We search for six sci-fi terms in a dataset of 5812 CHI main proceedings and code the context of 175 sci-fi referrals in 83 papers indexed in the CHI main track. In our results, we categorize these papers into five contemporary HCI research themes wherein sci-fi and HCI interconnect: 1) Theoretical Design Research; 2) New Interactions; 3) Human-Body Modification or Extension; 4) Human-Robot Interaction and Artificial Intelligence; and 5) Visions of Computing and HCI. In conclusion, we discuss results and implications located in the promising arena of sci-fi and HCI research.Comment: v1: 20 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, HCI International 2018 accepted submission v2: 20 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables, added link/doi for Springer proceedin

An Open-Source Tool for Anisotropic Radiation Therapy Planning in Neuro-oncology Using DW-MRI Tractography.

There is evidence from histopathological studies that glioma tumor cells migrate preferentially along large white matter bundles. If the peritumoral white matter structures can be used to predict the likely trajectory of migrating tumor cells outside of the surgical margin, then this information could be used to inform the delineation of radiation therapy (RT) targets. In theory, an anisotropic expansion that takes large white matter bundle anatomy into account may maximize the chances of treating migrating cancer cells and minimize the amount of brain tissue exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) can be used in combination with fiber tracking algorithms to model the trajectory of large white matter pathways using the direction and magnitude of water movement in tissue. The method presented here is a tool for translating a DW-MRI fiber tracking (tractography) dataset into a white matter path length (WMPL) map that assigns each voxel the shortest distance along a streamline back to a specified region of interest (ROI). We present an open-source WMPL tool, implemented in the package Diffusion Imaging in Python (DIPY), and code to convert the resulting WMPL map to anisotropic contours for RT in a commercial treatment planning system. This proof-of-concept lays the groundwork for future studies to evaluate the clinical value of incorporating tractography modeling into treatment planning

"We Europeans": Signal Magazine and Political Collaboration in German-occupied Europe, 1940-1945

2017 Denman Undergraduate Research Forum Winner, First PlaceWithin the vast body of scholarship on the Second World War, the most groundbreaking research in recent years has explored the complex relationships between Germans and the peoples they conquered. While European historians have traditionally focused on national resistance movements during the war, the topic of collaboration with the Nazi regime has remained controversial. My research tackles this contentious subject by examining the relationship between the French and German press industries, using the history of a German propaganda publication, Signal magazine, as a case study. Signal was a photojournalism magazine published by the German Army between April 1940 and April 1945. The magazine was printed by local publishing houses throughout Europe, relying on collaborative networks between Germans and other Europeans. The scholarship on this history is surprisingly sparse: only a handful of articles in French and German exist, with English scholarship virtually non-existent. In this study, I seek out both the material conditions of the magazine’s publication and the ideological underpinnings of its contributors. Through the analysis of archival materials in Washington, D.C. and Paris – including German occupation records, U.S. military records, and French legal documents – I uncover the French and German journalists, photographers, and businessmen who contributed to the magazine. In conjunction with secondary sources, I use this information to reconstruct a coherent narrative for the magazine. Although current scholarship distinguishes distinct categories of cooperation with the enemy, ranging from accommodation to outright collaboration, my research suggests that a more nuanced approach must be made; for some contributors, working for the Nazi regime blurred the lines between collaboration and personal and professional survival. This project adds to our understanding of collaboration by shedding new light on how those in the press industry viewed their place within the Nazi New Order.College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS)College of Arts and Sciences International Research GrantDanone North America ScholarshipNo embargoAcademic Major: Histor

Supersonic Propulsion: Inlet Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interaction in a Diffuser

Using a finite-volume approach and ANSYS/FLUENT, supersonic flow over a 2-D ramp of varying angles is modeled. The computational results from this model will be used to further explore the design of supersonic diffusers used on military aircraft. Using grid capturing features and inflation layers, shockwave and boundary layer interactions will be observed as well as wave-associated pressure changes in supersonic turbulent flow. The Spalart-Allmaras single-equation model of turbulent flow will be used in all simulations to more accurately represent the phenomena that occur in such high-speed environments. The size of upstream zones and recirculation zones will be obtained through this model where applicable. Downstream zones of influence will be represented in terms of skin friction coefficient. Single-ramp data will be compared with double-ramp data to better understand how diffusers are modeled in industry for supersonic aircraft. This data will be the basis for the latter simulations representing internal compression and spike inlets. Inlet geometries are compared based on their stagnation pressure losses