Rhetorical resonance: exploring potentiality through materiality and symbolicity

Includes bibliographical references.2016 Summer.Using the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, as an artifact for analysis, this thesis investigates how rhetoric and communication scholars can better understand and investigate the linkages between material objects and symbolic discourses as they pertain to the production of rhetorics. This thesis offers a theory of rhetorical resonance to guide the analysis of how multiple material and symbolic components resonate together and produce rhetorics. Building from theories of affect and ambience, rhetorical resonance offers a way for scholars to analyze the effects of materiality and symbolicity as resonant facets of the world. Additionally, this thesis proposes a resonant methodology to orient scholars in their pursuit of analyzing rhetorically resonant artifacts. Drawing from previous rhetorical work in rhetorical field methods and “being [through] there,” this thesis develops a methodology focused on building an artifact from pieces instead of accepting one thing as an entity itself. Finally, this thesis utilizes a resonant theory and methodology to analyze the Mall of America. It draws out the various pieces of the mall’s security rhetorics while focusing on how it contrasts the harshness and danger of being outside with the relative safety and comfort within the structure itself. Additionally, this thesis also analyzes how once inside, the Mall of America diverts security attention to young teens who are prohibited by the Parental Escort Policy from being alone in the mall. Overall, this thesis serves to push rhetorical theory and methodology to engage with artifacts and analyze the way material and symbolic components work together to produce rhetorics upon an audience

Treatment of Electronic Energy Level Transition and Ionization Following the Particle-Based Chemistry Model

A new method of treating electronic energy level transitions as well as linking ionization to electronic energy levels is proposed following the particle-based chemistry model of Bird. Although the use of electronic energy levels and ionization reactions in DSMC are not new ideas, the current method of selecting what level to transition to, how to reproduce transition rates, and the linking of the electronic energy levels to ionization are, to the author s knowledge, novel concepts. The resulting equilibrium temperatures are shown to remain constant, and the electronic energy level distributions are shown to reproduce the Boltzmann distribution. The electronic energy level transition rates and ionization rates due to electron impacts are shown to reproduce theoretical and measured rates. The rates due to heavy particle impacts, while not as favorable as the electron impact rates, compare favorably to values from the literature. Thus, these new extensions to the particle-based chemistry model of Bird provide an accurate method for predicting electronic energy level transition and ionization rates in gases

Archaeological test pit excavations at Shillington, Bedfordshire

This report presents the results of a programme of archaeological excavation of 23 1m2 ‘test pits’ in the Bedfordshire village of Shillington carried out in summer 2013. The programme was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through its ‘All Our Stories’ programme and supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Connected Communities theme which funded the Cambridge Community Heritage programme at the University of Cambridge in 20012-13. Over three days, more than 300 residents of the village of Shillington and the local area took part in the excavations in 23 different locations throughout the present village. The results provided new evidence for the development of the area now occupied by the village, which mostly lies alongside a small stream, from the prehistoric period onwards. The landscape was used by humans in the prehistoric period, apparently favouring the area nearer the small brook running west of the prominent hill which dominates the land around the parish. One test pit near this stream produced convincing evidence for undisturbed settlement remains in the immediate vicinity. Small quantities of pottery of Roman date came from five different sites, two of them away from the Brookside area hinting at a pattern of settlement or agricultural land use moving beyond the lower lying zones. No evidence was found for any activity dating to the period between the 5 th – 9 th centuries AD, but Saxo-Norman pottery of 10th – 11th century date was found in two distinct concentrations, suggesting more than one hamlet present, possibly part of a nucleated pattern of settlement, at this time. The high medieval period saw settlement at these sites grow and that at three other ‘ends’ appear, indicating a pattern of mixed dispersed and nucleated settlement. This growth ceases in the late medieval period, with Shillington particularly badly affected in this period of widespread demographic and settlement contraction compared to many settlements in the eastern region. In the postmedieval period, however, the test pit data indicates that Shillington gradually recovered, with former dispersed settlements mostly reoccupied, although it did not achieve its pre-14th century levels and some of the medieval ‘ends’ remained uninhabited until the 19th century

Extension of a Kinetic-Theory Approach for Computing Chemical-Reaction Rates to Reactions with Charged Particles

Recently introduced molecular-level chemistry models that predict equilibrium and nonequilibrium reaction rates using only kinetic theory and fundamental molecular properties (i.e., no macroscopic reaction rate information) are extended to include reactions involving charged particles and electronic energy levels. The proposed extensions include ionization reactions, exothermic associative ionization reactions, endothermic and exothermic charge exchange reactions, and other exchange reactions involving ionized species. The extensions are shown to agree favorably with the measured Arrhenius rates for near-equilibrium conditions

The role and value of medicines management work packages 1 & 2

Work Package 1 presents the findings and recommendations from the analysis of Southern Derbyshire’s Medicine Management “Work Log” SharePoint data set. The report provides an overview of the work done by the Medicine Management team. The current form and function of the SharePoint data set are also discussed. The analysis of the dataset (Annex Document) provide context for the recommendations presented, which are based on six case studies selected by Southern Derbyshire Medicines Management team. Work package 2 presents the findings and recommendations from our evaluation of the project to embed Clinical Pharmacists in Patient Facing roles within the ‘Belper Five’ group of practices. This element of the report continues to explore the value of medicines management from the viewpoint of the expanded role of the patient facing Clinical Pharmacists within a general practice setting.This report was commissioned by Southern Derbyshire's Medicines Management Tea

The role of delamanid in the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant cause of death worldwide, and emergence of drug-resistant TB requires lengthy treatments with toxic drugs that are less effective than their first-line equivalents. New treatments are urgently needed. Delamanid, previously OPC-67863, is a novel drug of the dihydro-nitroimidazole class with potent anti-TB activity and great promise to be effective in the treatment of drug-resistant TB. This review examines the preclinical and clinical development of delamanid, reviews current guidance on its use and evaluates the opportunities and challenges for its future role in TB management.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Oral nutritional supplements in care homes and the community: Nutrition review and staff education.

The University of Derby’s Health and Social Care Research Centre has been commissioned to support the delivery of Southern Derbyshire CCG’s review of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) and education of care home staff. Southern Derbyshire currently spends £1,409,099 on ONS prescribing (SH3-OT26 PID, 2016). While the efficacy of the use of ONS in malnourished patients is well understood (Agarwal, Miller, Yaxley, & Isenring, 2013), their use may not always be appropriate and other methods such as food fortification may result in either equal or better outcomes for considerably lower cost (Baldwin & Weekes, 2012). A successful pilot in five care homes by Southern Derbyshire CCG achieved cost savings of £183,203.33, along with the associated benefits of increased dietetic support to those residents who required input. On this basis, building on the pilot work, the present programme of work was conceived. Broadly, the project aimed to: (a) improve the nutritional state of residents in 112 care homes and at home; and (b) reduce spend on ONS prescribing. This was divided into two work streams: (1) evaluating the efficacy of a training programme on the identification, prevention and treatment of malnutrition, through a “Food First” approach including MUST training; and (2) the assessment, review and support of GP practices with patients prescribed ONS within their own home. This report provides an overview of the work done by the dietetics team up until the end of February 2018. The analysis of the dataset provides context for the recommendations presented.Southern Derbyshire CC