Composition and the search for self‐awareness

Composition studies saw several cogent criticisms of expressivism in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Some scholars assume that those criticisms discredited expressivism in composition studies, ending the focus on assignments that ask students to write personal, supposedly introspective papers that were believed to lead to self‐awareness and self‐identity. Even so, recent research suggests that the expressivist pedagogical orientation is still widely used in writing classes across the US. Joshua Hilst (2012) sought to rehabilitate expressivism by drawing on the work of philosopher Giles Deleuze, arguing that neo‐expressivism provides a palliative to those criticisms. In this regard, Hilst’s analysis follows the current trend of applying Deleuze’s philosophy to a variety of fields. The present analysis therefore consists of two parts, both with pedagogical implications. First, it examines Deleuze’s work and illustrates how his neo‐expressivism and views on writing are incongruent with the expressivism applied in composition studies. Second, it examines the psychological research on introspection and self‐ awareness that has demonstrated with considerable consistency the opacity of mental processes and the difficulty associated with gaining any sense of self‐awareness or self‐identity

First-year composition and transfer: a quantitative study

The present study investigated the effect of writing pedagogy on transfer by examining the effect of pedagogical orientation (WAC/WID or ‘traditional’) on content-area grades. Participants were 1,052 undergraduates from 17 schools throughout the United States. Hypothesis was that the WAC/WID orientation would lead to higher transfer levels as measured by participants’ higher content-area performance. Composition grades were collected in year one; content-area grades where collected in year two. Propensity scores were calculated to stratify the groups and minimize selection bias of writing-class assignment, thereby allowing quasi-causal inference. An ANOVA was performed on the resulting 2-by-5 stratified data. Results indicated that students who completed the WAC/WID composition classes received significantly higher content grades than those in the ‘traditional’ writing classes. The results confirmed the hypothesis

Key pedagogic thinkers: Jean Baudrillard

Jean Baudrillard was born in Reims, France, in 1929, and completed his undergraduate work at the Sorbonne, taking a degree in German. Upon graduation, he taught high school. In the early 1960s, he began graduate studies at the University of Paris, Nanterre, earning his doctorate in sociology in 1966. Baudrillard published 30 books in which he examined various facets of modern society: gender, race, consumerism, politics, the media, and so forth. His focus was semiological—how objects and signs reflect the current human condition. Although Baudrillard did not write about education, his work is nevertheless relevant if we recognize that our educational system is a reflection of society. A Baudrillardian perspective raises the following question: What effect has consumerism had on education? To address this question, we offer some background information related to Baudrillard’s philosophical inquiries. This is followed by our brief analysis of how Baudrillard’s work may provide some potential answers to the above question and of how it can help us interpret the changes that have occurred in education during the modern period. We give special emphasis to The Consumer Society and Simulacra and Simulation

The first record of Merycomyia whitneyi (Johnson), tribe Bouvieromyiini (Diptera: Tabanidae), from Texas and from west of the Mississippi River

The first collections of Merycomyia whitneyi (Johnson), (Diptera: Tabanidae: Chrysopsinae: Bouvieromyiini) from Texas and from west of the Mississippi River are reported, and the Nearctic species of the Tribe Bouvieromyiini are discussed

Terlipressin or norepinephrine in septic shock: do we have the answer?

Comment on Terlipressin versus norepinephrine as infusion in patients with septic shock: a multicentre, randomised, double-blinded trial. [Intensive Care Med. 2018

Investigation of taste tainting in salmon flesh in the Ribble catchment

This report presents the findings of the first phase of an investigation into the cause(s) of taints in salmonid fish in the River Ribble, commissioned by the North West Region of the Environment Agency. There have been reports of tainting in fish taken from both the estuary and the freshwater river for many years, but the contaminants involved and their source and transport pathway are unknown. Tainting by phenols has been of specific concern in the past. The work programme comprised: examination of tainting reports; collection of salmonids; their submission for taste testing; literature review; analysis of fish flesh using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) and analysis of river bed sediments. From enquiries, three common descriptors of the 'taint' were identified: disinfectanty; diesely; and muddy. The incidence of taints appears transient/irregular and may therefore relate to the incidence of discharges and specific threshold concentrations of pollutants. The literature review showed that a wide range of organic compounds including many industrial chemicals, and others which are naturally occurring, can taint fish flesh. Taste testing confirmed the presence of tainted salmon and trout in the Ribbie Catchment. It identified a low incidence of 'untainted' fish but demonstrated the 'taint' to be not specific to one tainting substance. Differences were found both between the species and fish from different parts of the catchment. Overall, most fish exhibited an unpleasant flavour, though this may have been influenced to some extent by the fact that most were sexually mature. The worst tainting was found in trout from the river Calder: a soapy/chemical aftertaste. An unpleasant earthy/musty flavour distinguished the salmon from the trout. Phenol was shown to have been a minor issue during the present study, whilst no hydrocarbon taints were identified. Examination of tissue from the eight salmon exhibiting the worst taints revealed the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons, but no phenolic compounds. Other notable substances present in the fish were siioxanes and benzophenone. Data from sediment analysis is presented which shows the main compounds present to be aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, that concentrations at two locations R. Darwen and R. Calder were significantly higher than at other sites, and that some phenolic compounds were detected at low levels. A paucity of fish flesh taste descriptors linked to specific compounds prevented an obvious correlation to be made between the tastes observed and the organic compounds detected. Descriptors frequently used by the taste testing panel (e.g. earthy, musty, astringency, chemical) cannot be linked to any of the compounds identified in the tissue analyses. No taste information was available from the literature on siioxanes. Aromatic hydrocarbons though present in tissue and sediments were not identified as tainting

Exclusion zone phenomena in water -- a critical review of experimental findings and theories

The existence of the exclusion zone (EZ), a layer of water in which plastic microspheres are repelled from hydrophilic surfaces, has now been independently demonstrated by several groups. A better understanding of the mechanisms which generate EZs would help with understanding the possible importance of EZs in biology and in engineering applications such as filtration and microfluidics. Here we review the experimental evidence for EZ phenomena in water and the major theories that have been proposed. We review experimental results from birefringence, neutron radiography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and other studies. Pollack and others have theorized that water in the EZ exists has a different structure than bulk water, and that this accounts for the EZ. We present several alternative explanations for EZs and argue that Schurr's theory based on diffusiophoresis presents a compelling alternative explanation for the core EZ phenomenon. Among other things, Schurr's theory makes predictions about the growth of the EZ with time which have been confirmed by Florea et al. and others. We also touch on several possible confounding factors that make experimentation on EZs difficult, such as charged surface groups, dissolved solutes, and adsorbed nanobubbles.Comment: 14 pg

Input-output characterization of fiber reinforced composites by P waves

Input-output characterization of fiber composites is studied theoretically by tracing P waves in the media. A new path motion to aid in the tracing of P and the reflection generated SV wave paths in the continuum plate is developed. A theoretical output voltage from the receiving transducer is calculated for a tone burst. The study enhances the quantitative and qualitative understanding of the nondestructive evaluation of fiber composites which can be modeled as transversely isotropic media

Input-output characterization of fiber composites by SH waves

Input-output characterization of fiber composites is studied theoretically by tracing SH waves in the media. A fiberglass epoxy composite is modeled as a homogeneous transversely isotropic continuum plate. The reflection of an SH wave at a stress-free plane boundary in a semi-infinite transversely isotropic medium is considered first. It is found that an incident SH wave reflects only a similar SH wave back into the medium. It is also established that the angle of reflection of the reflected wave is equal to the angle of incidence of the incident wave. The phase velocity of the SH waves and the delay time of the SH waves in reaching the receiving transducer are computed as functions of a reflection index, defined as the number of reflections of the SH waves from the bottom face of the continuum plate. The directivity function corresponding to the shear stress associated with the SH waves in the continuum plate is also derived as a function of the reflection index. A theoretical output voltage from the receiving transducer is calculated for a tone burst (a periodic input voltage of finite duration). The output voltage is shown for tone bursts of duration 60 microseconds and center frequencies of 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 MHz. The study enhances the quantitative and qualitative understanding of the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of fiber composites which can be modeled as transversely isotropic media

Alfred Russel Wallace notes 11: Wallace, Darwin, education and the class question

In a recent paper by John van Wyhe (2020), the issue of class was discussed and whether Wallace came from a “working class” background. As a result of class differences could or should Wallace be considered differently from Darwin, who supposedly came from a higher class? An additional “myth” highlighted was whether Wallace left school, aged 14, due to difficult family financial circumstances. Van Wyhe contends that Darwin and Wallace were both middle class, and Wallace left school at the “normal” school-leaving age. This article shows that both contentions are mistaken. Class in the 19th century was complex and difficult, indeed a developing concept. The idea of a “middle class” was new and within this there was a stratification between the upper and lower middle classes. As for schools and education, there was no set leaving age specified and education was usually determined by class and family finance