If you label it this then it cant be that: Revisiting New Journalism in Mailer, Didion, and Wolfe

This thesis explores the works of Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe, a group of writers most often defined as the “New Journalists” for their untraditional blending of fictional techniques with reportage. I refer primarily to three texts: Mailer’s The Armies of the Night, Didion’s The White Album, and Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and then go on to analyze the authors’ later careers through a study of their more recent essays and essay collections. I examine the ways in which these three authors break conventions of traditional journalism, most notably through their rejection of ethical boundaries, the varying level of “truth” or authenticity in their works, and their use of blurred genre. Through close readings of my three primary texts, I reveal how each author counters traditional journalism through a focus on the self. I conceptualize each writer’s focus through the lens of different disciplines: Didion as philosopher, Mailer as memoirist, and Wolfe as social psychologist. These distinctive authorial roles provide a background for a discussion of each writer’s later New Journalistic works. I locate their writing in the context of both the New Journalism movement, characterized by the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in later decades, thereby asserting that the movement is characterized by authorial presence rather than by time period. In this way, I reveal that the New Journalism movement did not conclude, but rather, has persisted through the later careers of each author

If you label it this then it cant be that: Revisiting New Journalism in Mailer, Didion, and Wolfe

This thesis explores the works of Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe, a group of writers most often defined as the “New Journalists” for their untraditional blending of fictional techniques with reportage. I refer primarily to three texts: Mailer’s The Armies of the Night, Didion’s The White Album, and Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, and then go on to analyze the authors’ later careers through a study of their more recent essays and essay collections. I examine the ways in which these three authors break conventions of traditional journalism, most notably through their rejection of ethical boundaries, the varying level of “truth” or authenticity in their works, and their use of blurred genre. Through close readings of my three primary texts, I reveal how each author counters traditional journalism through a focus on the self. I conceptualize each writer’s focus through the lens of different disciplines: Didion as philosopher, Mailer as memoirist, and Wolfe as social psychologist. These distinctive authorial roles provide a background for a discussion of each writer’s later New Journalistic works. I locate their writing in the context of both the New Journalism movement, characterized by the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in later decades, thereby asserting that the movement is characterized by authorial presence rather than by time period. In this way, I reveal that the New Journalism movement did not conclude, but rather, has persisted through the later careers of each author

Evolution of Great Salt Lake’s Exposed Lakebed (1984-2023): Variations in Sediment Composition, Water, and Vegetation from Landsat OLI and Sentinel MSI Satellite Reflectance Data

The Great Salt Lake has been rapidly shrinking since the highstand of the mid-1980s, creating cause for concern in recent decades as the lake has reached historic lows. Many investigators have assessed the evolution of lake elevation, geochemistry, anthropogenic impacts, and links to climate and atmospheric processes; however, the use of remote sensing to study the evolution of the lake has been significantly limited. Harnessing recent advancements in cloud-processing, specifically Google Earth Engine cloud computing, this study utilizes over 600 Landsat TM/OLI and Sentinel MSI satellite images from 1984-2023 to present time-series analyses of remotely sensed Great Salt Lake water area, exposed lakebed area, surface cover types, and chlorophyll-a analyses paired with modelled estimates for water and exposed lakebed area. Results show that a analyses paired with modelled estimates for water and exposed lakebed area. Results show that area has increased to ~3,500 km2 from ~500 km2. The area of unconsolidated sediments not protected by vegetation or halite crusts has risen to ~2,400 km2. Significant halite crusts are observed in the North Arm, having a max extent of ~150 km2 between 2002 and 2003, while only small extents of halite crusts are observed for the South Arm. Vegetation is more prevalent in the Bear River Bay and South Arm, with surface area increases over 400% since 1990. Gypsum is widely observed independent of halite crusts. The results highlight multiple instances of land-use/water-management that led to observable changes in water/exposed lakebed area and halite crust extent. This study demonstrates the important benefits of maintaining a lake elevation above ~4,194 ft to maximize lake and halite crust area, which would help mitigate possible dust events and maintain a broad lake extent

Comments on Subfamilial Relationships in Two Amphi-American Muricid Genera - Acanthotrophon and Attiliosa

Vokes (1976) has treated the Recent and fossil species of the genus Attiliosa extensively, especially as they occur in the western Atlantic.  A reading of that paper has caused us to reassess the subfarnilial assignments of two of the Recent western Atlantic species and their relationships to two or more eastern Pacific species

What factors influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnoses documentation in clinical practice? A systematic literature review

Aim. To identify what determinants influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnosis documentation in clinical practice. Background. Nursing diagnoses guide and direct nursing care. They are the foundation for goal setting and provide the basis for interventions. The literature mentions several factors that influences nurses' documentation of diagnoses, such as a nurse's level of education, patient's condition and the ward environment. Design. Systematic review. Method. MEDLINE and CINAHL databases were searched using the following headings and keywords: nursing diagnosis, nursing documentation, hospitals, influence, utilisation, quality, implementation and accuracy. The search was limited to articles published between 1995-October 2009. Studies were only selected if they were written in English and were primary studies addressing factors that influence nursing diagnosis documentation. Results. In total, 24 studies were included. Four domains of factors that influence the prevalence and accuracy of diagnoses documentation were found: (1) the nurse as a diagnostician, (2) diagnostic education and resources, (3) complexity of a patient's situation and (4) hospital policy and environment. Conclusion. General factors, which influence decision-making, and nursing documentation and specific factors, which influence the prevalence and accuracy of nursing diagnoses documentation, need to be distinguished. To support nurses in documenting their diagnoses accurately, we recommend taking a comprehensive perspective on factors that influence diagnoses documentation. A conceptual model of determinants that influence nursing diagnoses documentation, as presented in this study, may be helpful as a reference for nurse managers and nurse educators. Relevance to clinical practice. This review gives hospital management an overview of determinants for possible quality improvements in nursing diagnoses documentation that needs to be undertaken in clinical practic

A controlled-source physical model for long period seismic events

Long-period seismic events (LPs) are observed within active volcanoes, hydrothermal systems and hydraulic fracturing. The prevailing model for LP seismic events suggests that they result from pressure disturbances in fluid-filled cracks that generate slow, dispersive waves known as Krauklis waves. These waves oscillate within the crack, causing it to act as a seismic resonator whose far-field radiations are known as LP events. Since these events are generated from fluid-filled cracks, they have been used to analyse fluid transport and fracturing in geological settings. Additionally, they are deemed precursors to volcanic eruptions. However, other mechanisms have been proposed to explain LP seismicity. Thus, a robust interpretation of these events requires understanding all parameters contributing to LP seismicity. To achieve this, for the first time, we have developed a physical model to investigate LP seismicity under controlled-source conditions. The physical model consists of a 30 cm × 15 cm × 0.2 cm crack embedded within a concrete slab with dimensions of 3 m × 3 m × 0.24 m. Using this apparatus, we investigate fundamental factors affecting long-period seismic signals, including crack stiffness, fluid density and viscosity, radiation patterns and triggering location. Our findings are consistent with the theoretical model for Krauklis waves within a fluid-filled crack. In this study, we examine the interplay between fluid properties and characteristics of waves within and radiated from the crack model. Records from a pressure transducer within the crack model have the same frequency characteristics as the surface sensors, indicating that the surface sensors are recording the crack waves. Because the crack stiffness parameters for all the fluids are relatively high, fluid density variations have a larger effect on the crack wave frequency, with higher density fluids yielding lower resonance frequencies. Similarly, the quality factor (Q) decreases with increasing fluid density. We also find that an increase in fluid viscosity along with the increased fluid density results in a decrease in resonance frequency and Q. Trigger locations at the middle of the crack length and width most effectively resonated the first and second transverse modes. Thus, this physical model can offer new horizons in understanding LP seismicity and bridge the gap between theoretical models and observed LP signals

Patterns and frequency of anxiety in women undergoing gynaecological surgery

Patterns and frequency of anxiety in women undergoing gynaecological surgery Aims. Within a gynaecological surgical setting to identify the patterns and frequency of anxiety pre- and postoperatively; to identify any correlation between raised anxiety levels and postoperative pain; to identify events, from the patients’ perspective, that may increase or decrease anxiety in the pre- and postoperative periods. Background. It is well documented that surgery is associated with increased anxiety, which has an adverse impact on patient outcomes. Few studies have been conducted to obtain the patient’s perspective on the experience of anxiety and the events and situations that aggravate and ameliorate it. Method. The study used a mixed method approach. The sample consisted of women undergoing planned gynaecological surgery. Anxiety was assessed using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Trait anxiety was measured at the time of recruitment. State anxiety was then assessed at six time points during the pre- and postoperative periods. Postoperative pain was also measured using a 10 cm visual analogue scale. Taped semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted approximately a week after discharge. Results. State anxiety rose steadily from the night before surgery to the point of leaving the ward to go to theatre. Anxiety then increased sharply prior to the anaesthetic decreasing sharply afterwards. Patients with higher levels of trait anxiety were more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety throughout their admission. Elevated levels of pre- and postoperative anxiety were associated with increased levels of postoperative pain. Telephone interviews revealed a range of events/situations that patients recalled distressing them and many were related to inadequate information. Conclusion. This study found higher rates of anxiety than previously reported and anxiety levels appeared raised before admission to hospital. This has important clinical and research implications.Relevance to clinical practice. Patients with high levels of anxiety may be identified preoperatively and interventions designed to reduce anxiety could be targeted to this vulnerable group. Patient experiences can inform the delivery of services to meet their health needs better

A System for Human-Robot Teaming through End-User Programming and Shared Autonomy

Many industrial tasks-such as sanding, installing fasteners, and wire harnessing-are difficult to automate due to task complexity and variability. We instead investigate deploying robots in an assistive role for these tasks, where the robot assumes the physical task burden and the skilled worker provides both the high-level task planning and low-level feedback necessary to effectively complete the task. In this article, we describe the development of a system for flexible human-robot teaming that combines state-of-the-art methods in end-user programming and shared autonomy and its implementation in sanding applications. We demonstrate the use of the system in two types of sanding tasks, situated in aircraft manufacturing, that highlight two potential workflows within the human-robot teaming setup. We conclude by discussing challenges and opportunities in human-robot teaming identified during the development, application, and demonstration of our system.Comment: Proceedings of the 2024 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '24), March 11 - 14, 2024, Boulder, CO, US