Activating Heterotopia through Knowledge Design : the Case of the Krêkvars-Kopanong Student Arts Festival

Festivals, including arts festivals, have a long history of acting as special slices of space and time to commemorate or celebrate cultural occasions (Getz, 2007, p. 11). Getz’ views events and festivals as ‘special places’ and ‘other spaces’ that exist in a ‘time out of time’. Despite the proliferation of arts festivals across the globe over the past few decades, there is a lack of articulated and documented approaches with regard to sets of general principles to guide the way in which arts festivals can be structured so as to best activate the special place of a ‘heterotopia’, which can be also be described as an ‘other’ place, similar to Getz’s notion. This dissertation proposes a framework for organising arts festivals that enhances the idea of festivals being special slices of space and time by using the EMBOK Design Domain. It provides a theoretical toolkit for future festival coordinators to be able to theoretically activate heterotopic principles of space and time. In particular, this dissertation considers the 2013-2015 Krêkvars-Kopanong Student Arts Festivals hosted by the Drama Department of University of Pretoria, South Africa. To create this framework, the dissertation first considers the notion of the festival as heterotopia – supporting Getz’s idea that festivals are special places and spaces. The dissertation uses Michel Foucault's six principles of heterotopia to explore the relationship between festivals, space, and time. The dissertation extends Foucault’s theorisation of heterotopia by introducing the concept of ‘splace’. ‘Splace’ is an important concept in order to understand the complexity of, and conceptual interface between, space and place. Secondly, the dissertation considers the Event Management Book of Knowledge (EMBOK), a formal methodology for event coordination that consists of varied spheres of management, known as domains, such as administration, marketing, operations, risk and design. This dissertation argues that the strategic use of the EMBOK Design Domain may activate heterotopic principles when used as part of the process of planning and organising the Krêkvars-Kopanong Student Arts Festival. The Design Domain largely relates to decisions around the creative content of an event. The two main components of this framework, heterotopia and EMBOK, could together form an approach for the Krêkvars-Kopanong Student Arts Festival organiser to enhance the special slice of time and space that the festival occupies – creating heterotopia. The findings of the research can be extrapolated to a broader context by applying the framework to the way design decisions are made in other festivals.Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018.DramaMA DramaUnrestricte

Treatments for peri-menstrual seizures in catamenial epilepsy

We investigate the properties of ten spectral densities relevant for nuclear spin relaxation studies in solids. This is preceded by a brief review of nuclear spin relaxation in solids which includes a discussion of the appropriate spin-dependent interactions and the various relaxation rates which can be measured. Also, the link between nuclear spin relaxation and dielectric relaxation is discussed. Where possible and/or appropriate each of the spectral densities is expressed as a continuous distribution of Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound (or Debye) spectral densities 2ξ /(1 + ξ2 ω2) for nuclear Larmor angular frequency ω and correlation time ξ. The spectral densities are named after their originators or the shape of the distributions of correlation times or both and are (1) Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound or δ-function, (2) Havriliak-Negami, (3) Cole-Cole, (4) Davidson-Cole, (5) Fang, (6) Fuoss-Kirkwood, (7) Bryn Mawr, (8) Wagner or log-Gaussian, (9) log-Lorentzian, and (10) Fröhlich or energy box. The Havriliak-Negami spectral density is related to the Dissado-Hill theory for dielectric relaxation. The spectral densities are expressed in a way which makes them easy to compare with each other and with experimental data. Many plots of the distributions of correlation times and of the spectral densities vs. various correlation times characterizing the distributions are given

Antidepressants for people with epilepsy and depression.

Background Depressive disorders are the most common psychiatric comorbidity in people with epilepsy, affecting around one‐third, with a significant negative impact on quality of life. There is concern that people may not be receiving appropriate treatment for their depression because of uncertainty regarding which antidepressant or class works best, and the perceived risk of exacerbating seizures. This review aimed to address these issues, and inform clinical practice and future research. This is an updated version of the original Cochrane Review published in Issue 12, 2014. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antidepressants in treating depressive symptoms and the effect on seizure recurrence, in people with epilepsy and depression. Search methods For this update, we searched CRS Web, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov (February 2021). We searched the World Health Organization Clinical Trials Registry in October 2019, but were unable to update it because it was inaccessible. There were no language restrictions. Selection criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective non‐randomised studies of interventions (NRSIs), investigating children or adults with epilepsy, who were treated with an antidepressant and compared to placebo, comparative antidepressant, psychotherapy, or no treatment for depressive symptoms. Data collection and analysis The primary outcomes were changes in depression scores (proportion with a greater than 50% improvement, mean difference, and proportion who achieved complete remission) and change in seizure frequency (mean difference, proportion with a seizure recurrence, or episode of status epilepticus). Secondary outcomes included the number of participants who withdrew from the study and reasons for withdrawal, quality of life, cognitive functioning, and adverse events. Two review authors independently extracted data for each included study. We then cross‐checked the data extraction. We assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane tool for RCTs, and the ROBINS‐I for NRSIs. We presented binary outcomes as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) or 99% CIs for specific adverse events. We presented continuous outcomes as standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% CIs, and mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. Main results We included 10 studies in the review (four RCTs and six NRSIs), with 626 participants with epilepsy and depression, examining the effects of antidepressants. One RCT was a multi‐centre study comparing an antidepressant with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The other three RCTs were single‐centre studies comparing an antidepressant with an active control, placebo, or no treatment. The NRSIs reported on outcomes mainly in participants with focal epilepsy before and after treatment for depression with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI); one NRSI compared SSRIs to CBT. We rated one RCT at low risk of bias, three RCTs at unclear risk of bias, and all six NRSIs at serious risk of bias. We were unable to conduct any meta‐analysis of RCT data due to heterogeneity of treatment comparisons. We judged the certainty of evidence to be moderate to very low across comparisons, because single studies contributed limited outcome data, and because of risk of bias, particularly for NRSIs, which did not adjust for confounding variables. More than 50% improvement in depressive symptoms ranged from 43% to 82% in RCTs, and from 24% to 97% in NRSIs, depending on the antidepressant given. Venlafaxine improved depressive symptoms by more than 50% compared to no treatment (mean difference (MD) ‐7.59 (95% confidence interval (CI) ‐11.52 to ‐3.66; 1 study, 64 participants; low‐certainty evidence); the results between other comparisons were inconclusive. Two studies comparing SSRIs to CBT reported inconclusive results for the proportion of participants who achieved complete remission of depressive symptoms. Seizure frequency data did not suggest an increased risk of seizures with antidepressants compared to control treatments or baseline. Two studies measured quality of life; antidepressants did not appear to improve quality of life over control. No studies reported on cognitive functioning. Two RCTs and one NRSI reported comparative data on adverse events; antidepressants did not appear to increase the severity or number of adverse events compared to controls. The NSRIs reported higher rates of withdrawals due to adverse events than lack of efficacy. Reported adverse events for antidepressants included nausea, dizziness, sedation, headache, gastrointestinal disturbance, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction. Authors' conclusions Existing evidence on the effectiveness of antidepressants in treating depressive symptoms associated with epilepsy is still very limited. Rates of response to antidepressants were highly variable. There is low certainty evidence from one small RCT (64 participants) that venlafaxine may improve depressive symptoms more than no treatment; this evidence is limited to treatment between 8 and 16 weeks, and does not inform longer‐term effects. Moderate to low evidence suggests neither an increase nor exacerbation of seizures with SSRIs. There are no available comparative data to inform the choice of antidepressant drug or classes of drug for efficacy or safety for treating people with epilepsy and depression. RCTs of antidepressants utilising interventions from other treatment classes besides SSRIs, in large samples of patients with epilepsy and depression, are needed to better inform treatment policy. Future studies should assess interventions across a longer treatment duration to account for delayed onset of action, sustainability of treatment responses, and to provide a better understanding of the impact on seizure control

Post-traumatic stress disorder: A biopsychosocial case-control study investigating peripheral blood protein biomarkers

Experiencing traumatic events is unfortunately commonplace and, in some cases, may lead to the onset of debilitating mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Current diagnostic criteria for PTSD results in high depression and anxiety comorbidity. Better understanding of biological mechanisms and pathways underlying PTSD could aid in more accurate case identification and stratification of treatments. Recent meta-analysis has identified chronic PTSD to be associated with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and alterations in neuronal structures which contribute to an overall reduction in brain volume. Despite this, there are currently no biological markers in clinical use to identify PTSD or monitor treatment. This case-control study (n = 40) aimed to identify differences in peripheral blood biomarkers, and biomarker combinations, able to distinguish PTSD participants from controls, and examine in a biopsychosocial framework. The levels of 5/37 biomarkers investigated were significantly altered in the serum of PTSD participants: HDL and LDL cholesterol, tPA, IL-8 and EGF. Biomarkers could be used in combination with psychological criteria, in a biopsychosocial model, to support clinical management decisions and ensure appropriate individual treatment pathways

PTF11iqb: Cool supergiant mass loss that bridges the gap between Type IIn and normal supernovae

PTF11iqb was initially classified as a TypeIIn event caught very early after explosion. It showed narrow Wolf-Rayet (WR) spectral features on day 2, but the narrow emission weakened quickly and the spectrum morphed to resemble those of Types II-L and II-P. At late times, Halpha emission exhibited a complex, multipeaked profile reminiscent of SN1998S. In terms of spectroscopic evolution, we find that PTF11iqb was a near twin of SN~1998S, although with weaker interaction with circumstellar material (CSM) at early times, and stronger CSM interaction at late times. We interpret the spectral changes as caused by early interaction with asymmetric CSM that is quickly (by day 20) enveloped by the expanding SN ejecta photosphere, but then revealed again after the end of the plateau when the photosphere recedes. The light curve can be matched with a simple model for weak CSM interaction added to the light curve of a normal SN~II-P. This plateau requires that the progenitor had an extended H envelope like a red supergiant, consistent with the slow progenitor wind speed indicated by narrow emission. The cool supergiant progenitor is significant because PTF11iqb showed WR features in its early spectrum --- meaning that the presence of such WR features in an early SN spectrum does not necessarily indicate a WR-like progenitor. [abridged] Overall, PTF11iqb bridges SNe~IIn with weaker pre-SN mass loss seen in SNe II-L and II-P, implying a continuum between these types.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, submitted to MNRA

LSQ13ddu: a rapidly evolving stripped-envelope supernova with early circumstellar interaction signatures

This paper describes the rapidly evolving and unusual supernova LSQ13ddu, discovered by the La Silla-QUEST survey. LSQ13ddu displayed a rapid rise of just 4.8 ± 0.9 d to reach a peak brightness of −19.70 ± 0.02 mag in the LSQgr band. Early spectra of LSQ13ddu showed the presence of weak and narrow HeI features arising from interaction with circumstellar material (CSM). These interaction signatures weakened quickly, with broad features consistent with those seen in stripped-envelope SNe becoming dominant around two weeks after maximum. The narrow HeI velocities are consistent with the wind velocities of luminous blue variables but its spectra lack the typically seen hydrogen features. The fast and bright early light curve is inconsistent with radioactive ⁵⁶Ni powering but can be explained through a combination of CSM interaction and an underlying ⁵⁶Ni decay component that dominates the later time behaviour of LSQ13ddu. Based on the strength of the underlying broad features, LSQ13ddu appears deficient in He compared to standard SNe Ib

Measuring nickel masses in Type Ia supernovae using cobalt emission in nebular phase spectra

The light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are powered by the radioactive decay of $^{56}$Ni to $^{56}$Co at early times, and the decay of $^{56}$Co to $^{56}$Fe from ~60 days after explosion. We examine the evolution of the [Co III] 5892 A emission complex during the nebular phase for SNe Ia with multiple nebular spectra and show that the line flux follows the square of the mass of $^{56}$Co as a function of time. This result indicates both efficient local energy deposition from positrons produced in $^{56}$Co decay, and long-term stability of the ionization state of the nebula. We compile 77 nebular spectra of 25 SN Ia from the literature and present 17 new nebular spectra of 7 SNe Ia, including SN2014J. From these we measure the flux in the [Co III] 5892 A line and remove its well-behaved time dependence to infer the initial mass of $^{56}$Ni ($M_{Ni}$) produced in the explosion. We then examine $^{56}$Ni yields for different SN Ia ejected masses ($M_{ej}$ - calculated using the relation between light curve width and ejected mass) and find the $^{56}$Ni masses of SNe Ia fall into two regimes: for narrow light curves (low stretch s~0.7-0.9), $M_{Ni}$ is clustered near $M_{Ni}$ ~ 0.4$M_\odot$ and shows a shallow increase as $M_{ej}$ increases from ~1-1.4$M_\odot$; at high stretch, $M_{ej}$ clusters at the Chandrasekhar mass (1.4$M_\odot$) while $M_{Ni}$ spans a broad range from 0.6-1.2$M_\odot$. This could constitute evidence for two distinct SN Ia explosion mechanisms.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures (main text), plus data tables in appendix. Spectra released on WISeREP. Submitted to MNRAS, comments welcom