4303 research outputs found
Sort by
The Self, Spiritual Warfare, and Deliverance in the Work of Frank and Ida Mae Hammond
No full textThis paper examines how the self is constructed in two books on charismatic deliverance ministry by Frank and Ida Mae Hammond – Pigs in the Parlor and The Christian and Demons. I first discuss the historical context behind deliverance, referencing Michael Cuneo. I then analyze the demonology in the Hammonds’ writing, using Thomas Csordas’ writing to contextualize. I next look at how Frank Hammond responds to arguments against the idea of demonic possession, and analyze the way the relationship between demons and self is portrayed in several anecdotes of deliverance performed by the Hammonds. I find that the “real self” is something that one is meant to choose for oneself, yet is determined by outside forces. I then discuss how these ideas are relevant in the war between God and Satan which the Hammonds emphasize in Pigs in the Parlor. I end by suggesting a connection with a more recent charismatic-adjacent Christian movement
Replicating Image-Adaptive GAN Based Reconstruction
No full textThe image inverse problem is the problem of reconstructing an image given its degraded or compressed observation. Some previous solutions to this problem use generative adversarial networks (GANs), but the representation capabilities of such models cannot capture the full distribution of complex classes of images (e.g., human faces), thus producing sub-optimal results. Our work examines the image-adaptive generative model, proposed in Hussein et al (2020), that purports to mitigate the limited representation capabilities of previous models in solving the image inverse problem. To this end, we implement the proposed model from Hussein et al (2020), which makes generators image-adaptive to a specific test sample. This model consists of three successive optimization stages: the non-image-adaptive compressed sensing using generative models (CSGM), the image-adaptive step (IA), and the post-processing back-projection (BP). Our results demonstrate that the two image-adaptive approaches--IA and BP--can effectively improve reconstructions. Further testing reveals slight biases existing in the model (e.g., skin tones), which we conjecture to be caused by the training dataset on which the model is trained. Finally, to explore more efficient ways of running the model, we test out different numbers of iterations used for CSGM. The results show that we can indeed decrease the number of CSGM iterations without compromising reconstruction qualities
Error Processing for Linear Block Codes
No full textOur lives depend on communication, but our methods are prone to errors. Coding theory illustrates how the encoding and subsequent error processing of messages improve the reliability of communication. In this paper, we discuss the structure and measures of block codes, and we prove that the minimum distance of a block code determines error-correction and error-detection capabilities. Furthermore, we show how the error probability impacts the chance of successful message transmission. We then focus on linear block codes and applications of linear algebra. We demonstrate how generator matrices and check matrices execute the tasks performed by an encoder and error processor, respectively. We conclude by proving that standard generator matrices and standard check matrices are unique and that a linear block code must have both if it has either. Throughout the paper, we relate concepts to the esteemed Hamming[7,4] code
Deconstructing Nostalgic Configurations of Home: The German (Anti)Heimat Film
No full textThe German Heimat film genre of the 1950s is invariably intertwined with nostalgia which works to restore an imaginary Germany of the past in escapist and revisionist manners. Eventually, the conventions of the genre were reworked in the 1970s in order to subvert its totalizing influence, and to engage with a more historically rooted Germany. Still, nostalgia is utilized in the Anti-Heimat films to deconstruct the contemporary configurations of home. I analyze three Anti-Heimat films, Werner Herzog\u27s Herz aus Glas (1976), Peter Fleischmann\u27s Das Unheil (1972), and Wim Wenders\u27 Falsche Bewegung. In all three films, the environment of Heimat, primarily the natural one, is presented in subversive ways to undercut the nostalgic yearning for untouched landscapes popular in Heimatfilme. Through character configuration, all these films demonstrate a moral dilemma on the personal level that extends to encompass the community of Heimat, therefore denying the societal cohesion promised by nostalgic Heimatfilme
Impacts of Increasing Drought on the Functioning and Stability of the Grassland Soil Microbiome
No full textA Cross Cultural Comparison of Trauma Symptoms
No full textSeventy percent of all adults in the world will experience some type of trauma in their lives (Raghavan & Sandanapitchai, 2019). It is important to note the impact that culture and trauma have on each other. Culture is one of the many building blocks of identity and helps shape how individuals interact with the world. In this paper the dynamic is examined with the intent to better understand the influence that culture has on responses to traumatic events as well as trauma symptomology. Western, Asian, and African cultures all possess unique responses to traumatic events and varied symptomatology. Furthermore, this paper explores possible differential reasons for why symptoms differ in various places with a specific focus on religion and spirituality and exposure to past traumatic events. The findings show a need for further research into the topic of trauma as well as a possible positive effect of trauma with post traumatic growth. It is important to focus on including culture when diagnosing and treating individuals so as to not hinder treatment
