Forgetting to Remember: Multidirectional Communities in Caryl Phillips’s In the Falling Snow

This article reads In the Falling Snow (2009) as an examination of Anglo-centric multicultural diaspora that incorporates new European migration. The reading is framed by Michael Rothberg’s theory of multidirectional memory. Using Rothberg in this way allows for a rendering of English subjectivity which encounters and draws from multiple transcultural referents. Through the problematic figure of Keith, Caryl Phillips’s novel explores the competing spheres of influence, migratory and otherwise, that lead to contemporary articulations of Englishness. Furthermore, the article posits that In the Falling Snow recasts familiar diasporic tropes and therefore expands the limits of cultural memory in critically unfamiliar and even vitally post-racial ways. The narrative achieves this in part through its inclusion of Eastern European migrants, whose experiences of England are circumscribed by a narrow view of “Englishness” at the community level. The novel therefore indexes the vexed contemporary relationship with multiculturalism, while simultaneously foregrounding the deeply rooted interconnectivity between England and its migrant communities.  By reading the novel through the lens of Michael Rothberg’s theory of multidirectional memory, the article identifies a multidirectional narrative consciousness which allows for complex renderings of iterations of Englishness

Between the black Atlantic and Europe: Emerging paradigms in contemporary black British writing.

My thesis explores the emerging concerns of contemporary black British writing. I index the move towards a non-normative black British aesthetic through my reading of the twenty-first century novels of Diana Evans, Bernardine Evaristo, Caryl Phillips and Zadie Smith. I hypothesise that the works interrogated in the thesis offer a break from the generational model of black British writing, and in so doing shift the trajectories of black British writing away from the triangulated model of Paul Gilroy’s ‘black Atlantic’. I argue that the novels posit a non-normative black British aesthetic which draws upon multidirectional cultural trajectories. Locating this non-normative aesthetic in relation to iterations of Englishness allow my readings of the novels to uncover a newly emergent writing of black British selfhood which engages with transcultural and non-diasporic modes of cosmopolitan belonging. I identify a positioning of Europe as an alternative dwelling place which allows for new trajectories of travel for the black British subject. Subsequently, this thesis interrogates the implications for collective cultural histories, narrative and memory in which critical theories of cosmopolitanism and multidirectional memory intervene. I hypothesise a transformative energy within contemporary black British fiction as it moves on from the language of identity, crosses the boundaries of nationhood and memory, and offers a new vocabulary for the articulation of cultural belonging and ‘Englishness’

More than just trees: Assessing reforestation success in tropical developing countries

Rural communities in many parts of the tropics are dependent of forests for their livelihoods and for environmental services. Forest resources in the tropics have declined rapidly over the past century and therefore many developing countries in the tropics have reforestation programs. Although reforestation is a long-term process with long-term benefits, existing evaluations of the success of these programs tends to focus on short-term establishment success indicators. This paper presents a review of reforestation assessment that highlights the need to not only consider short-term establishment success, but also longer-term growth and maturation success, environmental success and socio-economic success. In addition, we argue that reforestation assessment should not be based on success indicators alone, but should incorporate the drivers of success, which encompasses an array of biophysical, socio-economic, institutional and project characteristics. This is needed in order to understand the reasons why reforestation projects succeed or fail and therefore to design more successful projects in future. The paper presents a conceptual model for reforestation success assessment that links key groups of success indicators and drivers. This conceptual model provides the basis for a more comprehensive evaluation of reforestation success and the basis for the development of predictive systems-based assessment models. These models will be needed to better guide reforestation project planning and policy design and therefore assist rural communities in tropical developing countries to alleviate poverty and achieve a better quality of life

Inhibiting aberrant seizure-induced neurogenesis by temozolomide improves cognitive impairments associated with long-term amygdala kindling

In the adult dentate gyrus, new neurons are continuously generated and integrated into the existing circuitry where they play a crucial role in maintaining important functions related to learning and memory. Seizures not only robustly increase levels of hippocampal neurogenesis but can also induce aberrant migration and functional development of these new neurons, which has been hypothesized to promote network excitability and epileptogenesis. However, the contribution of new neurons to the development of epilepsy-related cognitive impairments remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether suppressing this abnormal elevation in neurogenesis that occur with seizures could prevent the emergence of cognitive dysfunction and behavioral deficits associated with chronic epilepsy. Using the long-term amygdala kindling model (consisting of 99 electrical stimulations), we demonstrate that initiating cyclic treatment with the DNA-alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) during a period of heightened neurogenic activity can reduce aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis and rescue impairments in a contextual fear discrimination task known to depend on functional neurogenesis. In addition, TMZ treatment also prevented object recognition memory deficits after kindling. Together, our findings suggest kindled seizures trigger the production of new neurons that can effectively rewire and interfere with hippocampal circuit function which can contribute to the development of chronic cognitive and behavioral deficits as seen in both patients with epilepsy and other rodent models. Thus, strategies that can selectively reduce aberrant adult neurogenesis may serve as a novel approach to treat cognitive deficits associated with epilepsy

The impact of degree apprenticeships: analysis, insights and policy recommendations

Purpose: Degree apprenticeships in the UK have grown exponentially since they were introduced. While claims and speculations about their impact have been made by high-profile politicians, lobbyists and training providers, the evidence base for these claims has never been systematically scrutinised. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and present up-to-date peer-reviewed evidence on the impact of degree apprenticeships on social mobility and productivity and their influence on future policy. Design/methodology/approach: The authors critically and systematically review over 4,000 data points from relevant sources and synthesise the results qualitatively and quantitatively with a combined method approach. Quantitative evidence has been aggregated where possible and tested for statistical significance. Qualitative evidence has been critically reviewed and comparatively analysed. Findings: The analysis reveals that there is a shortage of depth and breadth of concrete and peer-reviewed evidence on the impact of degree apprenticeships. Nevertheless, existing data demonstrate that degree apprenticeships are meeting their intended purpose of contributing positively to the UK Government’s high-level goals for productivity and social mobility. They are an alternative route into higher education and serve as a vital talent pipeline providing opportunities for young people, existing employees and learners from diverse backgrounds. Originality/value: This paper provides the first systematic and peer-reviewed synthesis of the impact of degree apprenticeships. It brings together existing evidence and statistically validates outcomes to inform researchers, educators, training providers, policymakers and other stakeholders in their recommendations moving forward. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

A single intravenous reelin injection restores corticosterone-induced neurochemical and behavioral alterations in dams during the post-partum period

IntroductionTreatment with the synaptic plasticity protein reelin has rapid antidepressant-like effects in adult corticosterone (CORT)-induced depressed rats, whether administered repeatedly or acutely. However, these effects remain unexplored in the context of post-partum depression (PPD).MethodsThis study investigated the antidepressant-like effect of a single injection of reelin in a CORT-induced model of PPD. Long-Evans female dams received either daily subcutaneous CORT (40 mg/kg) or saline injections (controls) from the post-partum day (PD) 2 to 22, and on PD22 were treated with a single intravenous reelin (3 μg) or vehicle injection.ResultsReelin treatment fully normalized to control levels the CORT-induced increase in Forced Swim Test (FST) immobility and the decrease in reelin-positive cells in the subgranular zone of the intermediate hippocampus. It also increased the number of oxytocin-positive cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the number of reelin-positive cells in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, and the dendritic complexity of newborn neurons in the intermediate hippocampus, causing a partial recovery compared to controls. None of these changes were associated with fluctuations in estrogen levels measured peripherally.DiscussionThis study brings new insights into the putative antidepressant-like effect of peripherally administered reelin in an animal model of PPD. Future studies should be conducted to investigate these effects on a dose–response paradigm and to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effects of reelin

Pure Architecture

This thesis began in the pursuit for an alternative way of conceiving architecture that is meaningful and relevant to how we currently construct identity. The thesis then looks at how contemporary architectural theorists and practitioners such as Rem Koolhaas, Kersten Geers and David Van Severen, and Valerio Olgiati are exploring the ideas of pure and non-referential architecture. The thesis situates itself in the period after post-modernism, where architecture can liberate itself from symbolism, uniqueness and extra architectural ideas to produce pure form. This project stands behind the notion that architecture can operate autonomously from its context. As experience of form is the most fundamental engagement with a viewer, pure architecture, in its essence, is concerned with form, space, and their experience at the exclusion of all else.Applied Science, Faculty ofArchitecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School ofUnreviewedGraduat

Analysis of chemical contaminants in tissue samples from two species of fish

Interaction of marine species with chemical pollutants within the marine ecosystem is extremely complex and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effect of an exposure of treated municipal wastewater on winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Fish from two locations were exposed to different concentrations of wastewater. Half of the fish from each tank were sacrificed, and the remaining fish were given a depuration period in unpolluted water. Tissue samples were composited, soxhlet extracted and passed through a florisil cleanup column. Gas chromatography, was used to analyze for hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, Aroclor 1254, bis-(ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate. The results show widespread distribution of the contaminant chemicals in the samples, typical of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration processes within the marine ecosystem. The levels of chemicals found in the samples were comparable to other studies of similar urban estuaries through out the United States

Benjamin D. Walsh: Nineteenth century defender of Darwinian evolutionary theory

Honors College, Washington State UniversityReive, Shannon Benjamin D. Walsh: nineteenth century defender of Darwinian evolutionary theory,Washington State University Honors College thesis, Fall 2005, 33 p