Constant Thread Research Articles

"Pero yo soy negro" : Reclaiming Blackness in Roberto Carlos Garcia's AfroDominican Poetry

Abstract: Roberto Garcia's poetry is broad in scope, but a constant thread that runs through it is the topic of Blackness and how it intersects with his Dominican and Latinx identities. As such, he joins the ranks of new and established AfroLatinx poets who are challenging, destabilizing, complicating, and redefining what we understand by Latinx poetry. Using selected poems, in this essay I examine how the speaker embodies what critic Lorgia García Peña refers to as rayano consciousness, although I push its original meaning grounded on the concept of dominicanidad to also include the marginal position that AfroLatinx people occupy vis-à-vis US Blackness. I show how Garcia's affirming his Blackness becomes a gesture directed both inward (Dominican culture/family) and outward (US society) that foregrounds hemispheric/global Blackness.

Expanded Transference: A Humanities Perspective on the Generative Core of Ernest Becker’s Theory of Human Nature

The death anxiety thesis is widely considered to be Ernest Becker’s primary contribution to social theory and is associated with his most widely read book, The Denial of Death (1973). This essay suggests Becker is understood in a more sophisticated and nuanced way when his death anxiety thesis is situated in the context of his earlier work in the humanities and social sciences. The death anxiety thesis itself is one component of a much broader theoretical conceptualization of expanded transference, a constant thread through all of Becker’s writings from his doctoral dissertation through his final posthumously published works. Furthermore, the contention here is that this conceptualization of expanded transference provides a far more comprehensive and complex interpretation matrix for the understanding of human motivation, as well as cultural and political phenomena, than the death anxiety thesis does in isolation.

UNDERSTANDING THE BIOMECHANICAL RESPONSE OF PROGRESSIVE THREAD DENTAL IMPLANTS USING MULTI-SCALE FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

Implant osseointegration is an important factor dictating its long-term efficacy in situ. Along with various biological factors, it is greatly influenced by the mechanical stimulus at the peri-implant bone. The present study aims to understand the biomechanical response of progressive thread dental implants using multi-scale-based finite element analysis employing macro and micro models of bone. μ-CT images of a cadaveric human mandible of its premolar region were obtained, along with CT scan of the same region to generate computational models. Total of six dental implants were designed having regular and progressive thread depths. Three different stages of healing of the bone-implant assembly were simulated parametrically. The biomechanical environment at the peri-implant bone was analyzed considering the 'Mechanostat' hypothesis. The obtained results revealed that bone strain is significantly higher during the initial healing phase when the bone is weakest. During this phase, implant stress and its displacement in both buccolingual and coronoapical directions are also noticeably higher. Also, displacements of progressive thread implants were lower in all the healing phases as compared to the implants with constant thread depth. The observations of this μ FEA study highlights the clinical applicability of a progressive thread dental implant as it generates larger functional surface area, thus engages higher trabeculae and therefore is suitable for weaker bone conditions. Furthermore, by comparing the stress values at bone and implant between the two bone models, the CT-based model having inhomogeneous material was deemed suitable as an alternative to computationally expensive μ FEA.

Importance of Community Engagement in Data Decision Making.

Importance of Community Engagement in Data Decision Making.

Tableau de l’inconstance des mauvais anges et démons

Pierre de Lancre’s Tableau de l’inconstance des mauvais anges et démons (1612) deservedly ranks, as its editor Jean Céard observes, among the ‘grands textes de la démonologie de la Renaissance’. In fact, it was probably the last of the great demonologies. In the wake of the Louis Gaufridi affair, France, as even de Lancre himself realized, was becoming obsessed with demonic possession instead. The Tableau was more, however, than just one judge’s account of a bout of Basque witch-hunting. As the title suggests, the text had clear philosophical aspirations. A preoccupation with inconstancy was the one constant thread throughout the author’s literary career. Indeed, the literary merits of de Lancre’s output should not be underestimated. Rich in metaphors and allusions, de Lancre’s language was ‘toujours souple et aisée’. The text is also a cornucopia of examples and stories. Céard is certainly right that de Lancre ‘visiblement prend plaisir à conter’—a fact that usually goes unnoticed by witchcraft historians on the look-out for expressions of horror and fear, but that is entirely in keeping with the milieu of the Bordeaux Parlement from which he hailed. The Tableau is a display of erudition and good manners. It is perhaps not surprising that in France, de Lancre, a relative of Michel de Montaigne, is principally studied in literature departments.

Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien's Legendarium by Mark Doyle

Reviewed by: Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien's Legendarium by Mark Doyle Jay Rimmer Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien's Legendarium, by Mark Doyle. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020. vii, 195 pp. $90.00 (hardcover). ISBN 978-1-4985-9867-5. Mark Doyle's Utopian and Dystopian Themes in Tolkien's Legendarium is an interesting but flawed work of scholarship. Doyle draws from a wide-ranging array of numerous sources, but while the research and the treatment of the sources is impressive, the arguments constructed from them are highly dubious and detract from the overall [End Page 255] work. Doyle is at his best introducing a source to the discussion and showing his reader how to fit the new source alongside the others. The weakest moments tend to come soon after the introduction of a source, as Doyle constructs arguments that are often unimaginative and occasionally self-contradicting or highly subjective. It is also difficult to know what audience this book is written for: one constant thread is that Tolkien is better than other authors for a plethora of reasons, and most of Doyle's high-level, overarching arguments are variations on this theme. Overall, this book could make an excellent starting point for further research, as Doyle does an admirable job of showing what a great many sources can contribute to the conversation, but his own arguments do not contribute greatly themselves. Doyle's central thesis is that Tolkien synthesizes a number of different and disparate influences in his works, and the outcome of this synthesis is a depiction of utopian and dystopian societies which is unique among contemporary works; according to Doyle, Tolkien's depiction and deployment of these themes and motifs is also superior to these contemporary works. The basis of this argument is one of Doyle's most interesting ideas. A significant number of Tolkien scholars have attempted to place Tolkien in the contexts of various Germanic traditions or of that of Tolkien's predecessors and contemporaries. In chapters dedicated to each approach, Doyle claims that Tolkien's Victorian, pagan, and environmentally conscious leanings are just as important as any other thread of influence you might care to follow. This by itself is not groundbreaking, but using this discussion to complement a discussion about utopias and dystopias is a compelling way to view Tolkien's works. By showing how all these varied approaches intersect in Tolkien's legendarium, Doyle helps illustrate the richness of these works. Along these lines, another strength of this book is Doyle's care in establishing terms and conditions for his discussion. In particular, Doyle devotes several pages to establishing definitions of "utopia(n)" and "dystopia(n)," which may seem nitpicky at first; however, Doyle justifies the discussion by showing how the precision in terminology and definition actually reveals interesting nuances. At one point, Doyle makes the argument that while many utopian stories feature a break with the past and prior ways of living, Tolkien "departs from most fictional utopian states in his emphasis on tradition and traditional wisdom" (21). Even though the utopia is often defined in shorthand as "the best possible society," there can be something sinister in its very core, Doyle argues in conjunction with his sources, and by the same [End Page 256] token, the idea of a dystopia is rich with narrative potential which extends beyond a standard "woe is us" plot. This care with definitions and distinctions in the scholarship behind this book is matched by the wide variety of sources. It's clear that Doyle has spent a lot of time considering not only the original texts at the core of this book, but also the wide variety of Tolkien scholarship from the past few decades, as well as sources involving Christian theology, pagan myths, and environmental conservation of many stripes. The variety and number of his sources add a lot to the book. Doyle also does a great job of introducing these other voices to the conversation while showing where they fit into the overall picture. Doyle's writing is strongest when he is discussing these sources and providing context. By including some of the most well-known names in Tolkien scholarship...

Where be the ‘magic bullet’ for educational change? Vietnam and the quest of policy borrowing from abroad

This paper is a reflection upon my previous research on an educational reform initiative in Vietnam that was borrowed from Colombia’s renowned Escuela Nueva model. In addition to being situated within the global phenomenon of policy lending/borrowing, or policy transfer, this case also reflects the prevalence of policy borrowing in Vietnam’s contemporary educational policy-making. Through a reflection of Vietnam Escuela Nueva and various cosmopolitan traces within Vietnamese education policy-making, I will highlight the constant thread of Western modernity as an anchoring reference in the pursuit of educational change. In this particular context of Vietnam as a supposedly postcolonial developing country, learning from abroad is always a process intertwined with questions of coloniality.

THE COMMUNITY OF SHIP-HANDLERS AND PILOTS: TRAINING, COLLABORATION AND GOOD PRACTICE TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE

Collective learning and knowledge sharing take place by a group of people, with similar interests, customs, language and repertoire, within a specific domain. Much of the community knowledge or memory bank is based on shared narratives and task norms developed over time and there is a constant thread of working and learning collaboratively, also known as a ‘community of practice’. A survey was undertaken, designed to illuminate opinion and ascertain facts in a number of areas regarding community of practice theory. Ship-handlers and pilots were asked how they learned and acquired their skills, and the effectiveness of the various methods applicable to them. The survey yielded 113 responses with 61% fully completed. The participants highlighted the importance of a collaborative approach and indicated that over half of the necessary knowledge and skills is acquired whilst afloat, highlighting the importance of onboard training methods and tools to good practice.

An Executive Leadership Journey

Leadership journeys are rarely exactly how you planned and envisioned them. The 1 constant thread, however, is relationship building. Leaders, in fact, are only as good as their relationships, no matter a person’s title, stage in life, or moment in time. Within these relationships, it is key to understand the importance of timing and how best to get buy-in. Throughout the lifetime of a leadership career, it is critical to hold your mission close. It might not make decisions easier but will make them clearer. At the end of the day, all you truly have is your integrity. Keep it close. Leadership journeys are rarely exactly how you planned and envisioned them. The 1 constant thread, however, is relationship building. Leaders, in fact, are only as good as their relationships, no matter a person’s title, stage in life, or moment in time. Within these relationships, it is key to understand the importance of timing and how best to get buy-in. Throughout the lifetime of a leadership career, it is critical to hold your mission close. It might not make decisions easier but will make them clearer. At the end of the day, all you truly have is your integrity. Keep it close. Karen Cox, PhD, RN, FACHE, FAAN, is president of Chamberlain University in Downers Grove, Illinois, and president of the American Academy of Nursing in Washington, DC. She can be reached at [email protected] Dr. Cox is V. Fred Burry, MD, and Sandra Hobart in Nursing Advocacy and Leadership Chair Emeritus at Children's Mercy Kansas City in Kansas City, Missouri.

Nonlinear dynamic model upgrading and updating using sine-sweep vibration data

Dynamic modelling is a core activity in mechanical engineering towards supporting system and control design. It is typically carried out in a computational environment, involving idealizing assumptions of diverse kinds. The most notable assumption commonly adopted in the field is the excitation-to-response linearity of the mechanical vibrations. This common practice contrasts with the day-to-day experience of test engineers, who are ever more confronted with nonlinearities when dynamically testing modern mechanical structures. A nonlinear behaviour may result from various physical mechanisms, the most recurrent being the existence of dynamic boundary conditions in the direct vicinity of structural joints and interfaces. In this paper, a coherent set of techniques is described to locate, characterize and model nonlinearities using sine-sweep vibration data, with the purpose of upgrading a pre-existing linear numerical model into a reliable nonlinear one. A constant thread in this set of techniques is the analysis of sensor measurements in phase space. The presented tools are illustrated using acceleration time histories measured at multiple forcing amplitudes on a full-scale F-16 aircraft. Nonlinear stiffness and damping elements, modelling a loosened attachment at one of the aircraft wing tips, are identified and introduced in a linear finite-element model, leading to accurate response predictions in a strongly nonlinear regime of motion.

Building a Mystery: Giorgio de Chirico and Italian Renaissance Painting

ABSTRACTIn an infamous 1926 article in La révolution Surréaliste, André Breton roundly condemned Giorgio de Chirico, faintly praising his early ‘metaphysical’ works, yet rejecting the artist’s later production. This judgment has had a marked impact on later criticism, which often separates the artist’s work into his early ‘metaphysical’ period and his production after 1919, when he proclaimed himself a pictor classicus advocating a ‘return to craft’ that focused on painting as a technical skill and the copying of Renaissance masters. Building on work of recent scholars, this essay investigates de Chirico’s relationship to Renaissance painting, arguing that his interest in early modern Italian masters predates his 1919 break with the avant-garde. Through an examination of de Chirico’s writings and early metaphysical canvases, the artist’s interest in Renaissance paintings is shown to be a constant thread throughout his early career, rather than a reactionary rejection of contemporary artistic currents.

Impact of the Anti-Intellectual Attitudes to the Level of Self-Esteem of Senior High School Students from Fiat Lux Academe-Cavite, Philippines

Anti-intellectualism, the manifestation of disrespect and lack of interest of individuals for intellectual pursuits and critical thinking, has become a constant thread not only in the corporate world but also among students. Its long-term effect will be very excruciating, especially in the Philippine economy. This quantitative correlational research investigated the extent of relationship between the anti-intellectual attitudes and level of self-esteem or the individual's overall sense of self-worth or personal value of one hundred and ninety-four (194) senior high school students from Fiat Lux Academe-Cavite, Philippines. The researchers made use of the Student's Anti-Intellectualism Scale and State Self-Esteem Scale to measure the two variables. Analyzed data revealed an average level of attitude of anti-intellectualism and a moderate level of self-esteem among the participants. Furthermore, there is a significant, inverse, and moderate correlation between the two variables (Pearson= -0.50; Spearman Correlation = -0.44). Thus, students with high level of self-esteem have low anti-intellectual attitudes. Conversely, students exhibiting low level of anti-intellectual attitudes tend to have higher self-esteem. The researchers also utilized other statistical techniques such as the t Statistic and linear regression.

Constructing Temporal Abstractions Autonomously in Reinforcement Learning

The idea of temporal abstraction, i.e. learning, planning and representing the world at multiple time scales, has been a constant thread in AI research, spanning sub-fields from classical planning and search to control and reinforcement learning. For example, programming a robot typically involves making decisions over a set of controllers, rather than working at the level of motor torques. While temporal abstraction is a very natural concept, learning such abstractions with no human input has proved quite daunting. In this paper, we present a general architecture, called option-critic, which allows learning temporal abstractions automatically, end-to-end, simply from the agent’s experience. This approach allows continual learning and provides interesting qualitative and quantitative results in several tasks.

The Effects of Geometrical Parameters of the Pedicle Screw on Its Pullout Strength: In-Vitro Animal Tests

Background: Pedicle screw instrumentation is one of the most commonly used forms of stabilization. Achieving solid screw fixation within the bone presents a significant challenge to spinal surgeons. Although pure pullout is not the mode of failure seen in clinical situations, pullout testing is thought to be a good predictor of pedicle screw fixation strength for spinal fusion.Objectives: To investigate the effects of varying lengths and thread depths of pedicle screws, as well as its insertion angle relative to the sagittal line on pullout strength, and stiffness of the pedicle screws and adjacent bone.Methods: Six fresh-frozen bovine lumbar vertebrae (L5) were examined. Pedicle screws with the lengths of 35, 40, and 45 mm, and the pedicle screws with thread depths of 0.9, 1.1, and 1.15 mm were inserted in pedicles by an orthopedic surgeon. Axial pullout tests were performed by a pullout apparatus and force-displacement curves were plotted.Results: The 45 mm length screw showed the maximum pullout strength (1746 N) and stiffness (564.7 N/mm) in the case of constant thread depth of 0.9 mm. The 1.15 mm thread depth screw showed the maximum pullout strength (1719 N) and stiffness (646.4 N/mm) in the case of constant length of 40 mm, and the screw insertion angle of 25° resulted in maximum pullout strength (1251 N) and stiffness (249.6 N/mm) in the case of constant thread depth of 0.9 mm and constant length of 35 mm.Conclusions: Increasing the length and the thread depth of the screws leads to an increase in the pullout strength, as well as the bone-screw construct stiffness. Pedicle screw pullout strength and the bone-screw construct stiffness were also affected by the insertion angle of the screw. There are other factors such as the insertion technique employed by the surgeon, and bone mineral density, which affect the pullout strength.

On the Path of the Sign

Abstract With Medieval Philosophy Redefined as the Latin Age, John Deely has written a truly revolutionary book. Both medieval historians and semioticians alike will gain a new perspective on their subject matter upon reading Medieval Philosophy Redefined. In it, Deely traces the history of the sign by going to its roots in the writings of Augustine, and following it through to the time of John Poinsot. John Poinsot, a previously marginalized philosopher from the late medieval period, factors greatly in Deely’s book. Poinsot makes it possible to get through the “thicket” of nominalism and see beyond Renaissance Humanism. Perhaps even more remarkable is the fact that, by using the sign as the point of departure, Deely has found a constant thread that runs through the Medieval Ages, making it, the sign, a key to understanding medieval philosophy from its start to its finish.

Teaching with Artifacts and Special Collections.

Teaching with Artifacts and Special Collections Lois Hendrickson Artifacts, material culture objects from the past, fascinate students. They are intrigued with the unknown, consumed with curiosity, and delighted to discover the true identity of these items. At the same time, engaging students with artifacts and special collections enriches student learning, stimulates critical thinking, and increases historical literacy. Students gain skills in solving problems, analyzing and synthesizing evidence, and communicating the results. By being able to touch artifacts and think about who used them and how, and by contemplating the technologies, ideas, and assumptions of a given time, history is humanized for students. The utilization of primary sources in teaching has been discussed in the literature since the mid-1980s. As Ken Osborne noted, the rise of “New History” in the 1960s and 1970s led to an increase in student-centered, activity-based use of historical documents and the need for archivists to act as educators.1 In the late 1990s, my archivist colleagues and I saw an upsurge in requests to lead sessions introducing University of Minnesota students to primary sources. Despite the decades of interest in teaching with primary sources, however, pedagogical engagements with material culture are focused primarily on curriculum units for K–12. The Library of Congress, for example, “offers materials and lesson plans to help teachers effectively use primary sources that meet Common Core standards, state content standards, and the standards of national organizations.”2 The plethora of scholarship on object-based learning for K–12 schools is matched by work being done with a museum focus.3 This work typically measures a visitor’s interaction with objects in an exhibit-centered, interpretative and place-based context. More recently, and again within a museum context, inquiries into the value of learning with objects in higher education has been undertaken at the University College of London by Helen Chatterjee and her colleagues. The rationale for the UCL project was that little had been written on the particular benefits of this method of learning for university programmes—despite universities holding large and unique collections of art works, manuscripts, specimens, rare books and artefacts. This research is strongly linked to pedagogies of active and experiential learning, which sees hands-on engagement with the object of study as key to personal meaning-making and the long-term retention of ideas.4 [End Page 136] Objects inspire critical thinking skills, and written and oral communication skills, and as Chatterjee points out, “Objects can be employed in a variety of ways to enhance and disseminate subject specific knowledge, to facilitate the acquisition of communication, team working, practical, observational and drawing skills, and for inspiration.”5 Dominique Tobbell and I are integrating learning with objects into the undergraduate classroom using the artifacts and special collections of the Wangensteen Historical Library of Medicine and Biology. In Technology and Medicine in Modern America, artifacts are both a constant thread throughout the course, as well as the focus of the final research paper (the course syllabus is online at https://www.hopkinshistoryofmedicine.org/content/syllabus-archive). Our initial step in this collaboration involved a conversation to gauge my interest and to understand the policies and parameters of artifact use. Following this, we met to look at her draft syllabus. For each of the potential themes; for example, technology and medical professionalization, technology and gender, and technology and the patient, I identified related primary printed texts, manuscripts, and artifacts. As the syllabus was finalized, some themes assumed more prominence, some were not well represented by artifacts in the collections, and some were outside of the timeframe of artifact’s nineteenth- and early twentieth-century focus.6 We decided to focus on six sessions, and to have me bring artifacts related to the reading and/or lecture into the classroom for the final twenty minutes of a session. In the first session students examined four or five technologically interesting objects not related to the syllabus. This served to introduce me, the Wangensteen Library materials, as well as serving as an introduction to material culture and the correct way to handle artifacts. The inaugural class was a seminar size of [End Page 137] about twenty, so students worked as...

Rodzina szlachecka jako miejsce wychowania i szkolenia wojskowego w okresie staropolskim

In an Old Polish period a family house had a very significant role in education and military preparation. Due to lack of military schools it was the only source of patriotic and military education. The atmosphere of constant thread evoked by ceasless wars caused that the youth was prepared to defence and military service since the earliest years. Patriotic and defensive education was supervised by father and appointed tutors. It was shaped also by the traditios of the noble house, interior decoration and fumishings, as well as specially prepared and selected military playthings and games. A father was a first person who introduced a son into the depths of military art.

Ireland on a Plate: Curating the 2011 State Banquet for Queen Elizabeth II

Ireland on a Plate: Curating the 2011 State Banquet for Queen Elizabeth II

Hepatic Stellate Cells and Liver Disease

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Sabores y olores en la novela policíaca de Jean-Claude Izzo: recetas de vida para un existir cosmopolita

Jean-Claude Izzo’s Marseilles is a cosmopolitan city with a pervasive smell of death. Its stench spreads across the city, irredeemably poisoning the flavour of life. For Fabio Montale, the detective protagonist of Izzo’s trilogy ( Total Kheops , Chourmo and Solea ), this sensation is a constant thread running through all his adventures. In an attempt to rid himself of it, he counteracts its unpleasant aftertaste by savouring the range of dishes offered by the Mediterranean city, delighting in each shot of alcohol and discovering the aromas that lie under the skin of the women he loves. Like the Belgian writer George Simenon and the Italian novelist Andrea Camilleri, Izzo also introduces the pleasure of good food and drink into his detective novels, but seasoned at the same time with the multicultural mix characteristic of Marseilles.