The rhetoric of Pascal. A study of Pascal's "Art of Persuasion" with particular reference to the Provinciales and the Pensees

Pascal's essays De l'esprit geometrique and De l'art de persuader, together with fragments found amongst his notes for an Apology, constitute his literary theory or Rhetoric. This Rhetoric is basically psychological. Pascal recognises that in order to persuade his reader he must sway his emotions as well as convince him intellectually. The character or temperament of the person or group to be persuaded determines the adoption of a particular method. This theory is essentially similar to Ancient Rhetoric. Though the Ancients tend to be remembered only for their lists of figures and tropes, they also emphasised the orator's need, to vary his approach according to his audience, devoting as much space to "moving the passions" as to "proof". Analysis of both the Provinciales and the Pensees - aimed primarily at the honnetes gens shows how Pascal put his precepts into practice. In the Provinciales he does not simply, as critics sometimes suggest, present his reader with models of logical and cogent reasoning. By the extensive use of irony, invective, ridicule, innuendo and all the standard means of disparagement he builds up an atmosphere of hostility to the Jesuit cause and conditions his reader's reaction against it. In apologetics he rejects metaphysical proofs: intellectual conviction alone, he fears, leads todeism and not Christianity. Though he makes some appeal to the unbeliever's reason, he seeks especially to induce in him certain moods and to convince him emotionally of the desirability of belief in the Christian god. He belongs to the Augustinian tradition of apologetics. The Provinciales and the Pensees are linked by Pascal's forceful and ardently religious temperament, which is reflected in his Rhetoric. In the Provinciales his personality is an asset: in the Pensees it modifies his success as an apologist, but raises him, occasionally, to the stature of poet.<p

Mentoring beginning teachers in Catholic schools in Western Australia: An exploratory study

The study identified and explored the mentoring experiences in the transition fromgraduate to Early Career Teacher (ECT) in selected Catholic primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. The research addressed a significant deficit, as presently the lack of a system-wide framework for the mentoring of ECTs, the cessation of the current ECT program and the limited training of mentors, has resulted in less than ideal mentoring experiences for ECTs. The study examined the perceptions of ECTs in the transition from graduate to Beginning Teacher and involved three distinct yet inter-related phases that explored the mentoring experience. The first phase sought the expectations of mentoring of a small group of final year, Primary Education students from a Catholic University in Western Australia. The second phase, the Beginning Teachers’ phase, was conducted with a group over their first three terms of teaching and examined their experiences of mentoring. In the final phase, the perceptions of Catholic primary principals were sought regarding the place and logistics of mentoring. These phases were then synthesised to provide a clearer picture of mentoring in the Catholic Education system. The data collection methods involved both a survey questionnaire and focus group input. Descriptive statistical analysis was undertaken for each phase of the study for interpreting survey data from Post-Internship (Pre-Service) teachers, Beginning Teachers and principals. Such an approach helped to determine the numerical occurrence of concept/theme descriptors in relation to answering each of the research questions. For the purpose of addressing the research questions, focus group qualitative data were garnered via the use of both open-ended and closed questioning techniques, which were then audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. Data was interpreted using a Mixed Methods convergence design. A chief finding was that the guarantee of a mentor does not necessarily alleviate every problem faced by an ECT. However, the attributes of a mentor may significantly assist or hinder the aspirations of an ECT. It was also found that the regular feedback provided to Post-Internship (Pre-Service) teachers became more informal as an ECTs’ careers progressed. The importance of feedback to the vocation of both Post-Internship (Pre-Service) teachers and ECTs indicated that further investigation was specifically required in the Religious Education Learning Area. Significantly, nearly half of ECTs received minimal feedback from mentors and or/principals regarding the prospect of ongoing permanency. Although some of the ECTs received feedback in the Proficient Stage of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Standards as a Key Performance Indicator for their ongoing employment, 54% of Beginning Teachers reported no such feedback. The lack of certainty about their future role in the work-place impacted the relationship some ECTs had with their mentor and/or principal. Encouragingly, the majority of principals recognised the importance of mentoring by offering support for the instigation of a system-wide mentoring framework. On the basis of these findings, principles upon which a new mentoring framework might be developed are proposed. These principles might benefit principals, mentors and ECTs, through the introduction of strategies such as school and system-based mentoring coordinators

Latency Performance for Real-Time Audio on BeagleBone Black

In this paper we present a set of tests aimed at evaluating the responsiveness of a BeagleBone Black board in real-time interactive audio applications. The default Angstrom Linux distribution was tested without modifying the underlying kernel. Latency measurements and audio quality were compared across the combination of different audio interfaces and audio synthesis models. Data analysis shows that the board is generally characterised by a remarkably high responsiveness; most of the tested configurations are affected by less than 7ms of latency and under-run activity proved to be contained using the correct optimisation techniques

Properties of length-apodized phase-shifted lpgs operating at the phase matching turning point

The characteristics of length-apodized phase-shifted fiber optic long period gratings with full and partial nanostructured coatings have been explored theoretically and experimentally. The twin rejection bands that are characteristic of length-apodized phase-shifted long period gratings are studied for a long period grating (LPG) operating at the phase matching turning point. When one half of the length of the LPG is coated, complex bandgap like structure appears within the transmission spectrum, which may be of benefit to spectral filter design and for sensing applications

Particle features at the equatorward edge of the cusp

This thesis investigates particle features observed at the equatorward edge of the Earth's magnetospheric cusp regions by instruments onboard NASA's POLAR spacecraft. Two years of data from the TIMAS instrument, a mass-resolved electrostatic ion analyser, are used to identify the location of the cusp. Different types of cusp particle signatures are discussed. The effect of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) orientation on cusp location is investigated, and results are found to generally agree with previous, lower-altitude studies. For southward IMF, magnetosheath plasma can enter the magnetosphere through low-latitude reconnection. Examination of HYDRA electron data reveals that only 3% of POLAR cusp crossings have a magnetosheath 'electron-only' region at the equatorward edge of the cusp. Electron spectra within this region suggest that an electric field above POLAR is retarding the electrons in order to maintain charge neutrality. We discuss the validity of deducing the presence of electric fields from single point electron spectrum measurements. Intermittent conic distributions, occasionally peaked close to 90 pitch-angle at the equatorward edge of the cusp, reveal that ionospheric ions are locally accelerated over a 5 to 8 RE altitude range. Evidence of multiple, mass-specific acceleration processes, acting in distinct regions of the cusp is presented. Enhanced wave activity coincides with the period in which intermittent conics are detected. However, no correlation between the appearance of individual conic distributions and peaks in wave power is found. Low-frequency waves of an irregularly pulsed nature are detected at discrete frequencies. Split, or 'butterfly' ion dispersion signatures, detected during periods of northward IMF, have previously been reported and interpreted as evidence of magnetosheath plasma entry by cross-field diffusion. We develop a simple model of reconnection at high latitudes, which shows that these dispersions can be produced on reconnected field lines which accelerate as they move sunward into regions of lower magnetosheath flow velocity

Depressed youth, suicidality and antidepressants

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Robert D Goldney, Peter R Mansfield, Melissa K Raven, Jon N Jureidini, Joseph M Rey, Michael J Dudley, Duncan Toplis

Some observations on classical QSAR

Classical QSAR began almost 30 years ago. This article briefly traces its development, use and impact in relation to drug design and medicinal chemistry. Particular aspects discussed include hydrophobicity, relative potency in a series, tissue selectivity, central nervous system penetration, pharmacokinetics, potency optimization, bioisosterism, mechanistic insights, synthesis termination, receptor mapping, and the design of marketed drugs and late-stage drug candidates. In addition, some recent QSAR studies and examples of the use of the Free-Wilson approach are reviewed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43354/1/11091_2005_Article_BF02174527.pd

Water wave impact on structures.

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX184928 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Follow the Leader: Examining Real and Augmented Reality Lead Vehicles as Driving Navigational Aids

Two studies investigated the concept of following a lead vehicle as a navigational aid. The first videobased study (n=34) considered how drivers might use a real-world lead vehicle as a navigational aid, whilst the second simulator-based study (n=22) explored how an Augmented Reality (AR) virtual car, presented on a head-up display (HUD), may aid navigation around a complex junction. Study 1indicated that a lead vehicle is most valued as a navigation aid just before/during a required maneuver. During the second study the dynamic virtual car (which behaved like a real vehicle) resulted in greater confidence and lower workload than a static virtual car that “waits” at the correct junction exit, but resulted in more gaze concentration. It is concluded that a virtual car may be a valuable element of a navigation system, in combination with other forms of information, to completely fulfil all a driver’s navigational task requirements