1,240 research outputs found
Effect of test conditions on the essential work of fracture in polyethylene terephthalate film
No full textThe tear resistance of polyethylene terephthalate film is characterized by the essential work of fracture method in mode I as a function of test speed and temperature. Attempts to extrapolate tearing resistance found by the method of essential work to commercial slitting processes are discussed. Limitations of the essential work of fracture method with regards to specimen size are evaluated. Based on the findings modifications to the test protocol are suggested
Alan Moore Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel
No full textEclectic British author Alan Moore (b. 1953) is one of the most acclaimed and controversial comics writers to emerge since the late 1970s. He has produced a large number of well-regarded comic books and graphic novels while also making occasional forays into music, poetry, performance, and prose. In Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel , Annalisa Di Liddo argues that Moore employs the comics form to dissect the literary canon, the tradition of comics, contemporary society, and our understanding of history. The book considers Moore's narrative strategies and pinpoints the main thematic threads in his works: the subversion of genre and pulp fiction, the interrogation of superhero tropes, the manipulation of space and time, the uses of magic and mythology, the instability of gender and ethnic identity, and the accumulation of imagery to create satire that comments on politics and art history. Examining Moore's use of comics to scrutinize contemporary culture, Di Liddo analyzes his best-known works-- Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, From Hell, Promethea , and Lost Girls . The study also highlights Moore?s lesser-known output, such as Halo Jones, Skizz , and Big Numbers , and his prose novel Voice of the Fire. Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel reveals Moore to be one of the most significant and distinctly postmodern comics creators of the last quarter-century.Intro -- Contents -- Preface and Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- CHAPTER 1. Formal Considerations on Alan Moore's Writing -- CHAPTER 2. Chronotopes: Outer Space, the Cityscape, and the Space of Comics -- CHAPTER 3. Moore and the Crisis of English Identity -- CHAPTER 4. Finding a Way into Lost Girls -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- ZEclectic British author Alan Moore (b. 1953) is one of the most acclaimed and controversial comics writers to emerge since the late 1970s. He has produced a large number of well-regarded comic books and graphic novels while also making occasional forays into music, poetry, performance, and prose. In Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel , Annalisa Di Liddo argues that Moore employs the comics form to dissect the literary canon, the tradition of comics, contemporary society, and our understanding of history. The book considers Moore's narrative strategies and pinpoints the main thematic threads in his works: the subversion of genre and pulp fiction, the interrogation of superhero tropes, the manipulation of space and time, the uses of magic and mythology, the instability of gender and ethnic identity, and the accumulation of imagery to create satire that comments on politics and art history. Examining Moore's use of comics to scrutinize contemporary culture, Di Liddo analyzes his best-known works-- Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, From Hell, Promethea , and Lost Girls . The study also highlights Moore?s lesser-known output, such as Halo Jones, Skizz , and Big Numbers , and his prose novel Voice of the Fire. Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel reveals Moore to be one of the most significant and distinctly postmodern comics creators of the last quarter-century.Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, YYYY. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries
Bats that walk: a new evolutionary hypothesis for the terrestrial behaviour of New Zealand's endemic mystacinids
No full textBackground:
New Zealand's lesser short-tailed bat Mystacina tuberculata is one of only two of c.1100 extant bat species to use a true walking gait when manoeuvring on the ground (the other being the American common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus). Mystacina tuberculata is also the last surviving member of Mystacinidae, the only mammalian family endemic to New Zealand (NZ) and a member of the Gondwanan bat superfamily Noctilionoidea. The capacity for true quadrupedal terrestrial locomotion in Mystacina is a secondarily derived condition, reflected in numerous skeletal and muscular specializations absent in other extant bats. The lack of ground-based predatory native NZ mammals has been assumed to have facilitated the evolution of terrestrial locomotion and the unique burrowing behaviour of Mystacina, just as flightlessness has arisen independently many times in island birds. New postcranial remains of an early Miocene mystacinid from continental Australia, Icarops aenae, offer an opportunity to test this hypothesis.
Results:
Several distinctive derived features of the distal humerus are shared by the extant Mystacina tuberculata and the early Miocene Australian mystacinid Icarops aenae. Study of the myology of M. tuberculata indicates that these features are functionally correlated with terrestrial locomotion in this bat. Their presence in I. aenae suggests that this extinct mystacinid was also adapted for terrestrial locomotion, despite the existence of numerous ground-based mammalian predators in Australia during the early Miocene. Thus, it appears that mystacinids were already terrestrially-adapted prior to their isolation in NZ. In combination with recent molecular divergence dates, the new postcranial material of I. aenae constrains the timing of the evolution of terrestrial locomotion in mystacinids to between 51 and 26 million years ago (Ma).
Conclusion:
Contrary to existing hypotheses, our data suggest that bats are not overwhelmingly absent from the ground because of competition from, or predation by, other mammals. Rather, selective advantage appears to be the primary evolutionary driving force behind habitual terrestriality in the rare bats that walk. Unlike for birds, there is currently no evidence that any bat has evolved a reduced capacity for flight as a result of isolation on islands.Suzanne J. Hand, Vera Weisbecker, Robin M.D. Beck, Michael Archer, Henk Godthelp, Alan J.D. Tennyson, Trevor H. Worth
Chitosan Nanoparticles as Therapeutic Protein Nanocarriers: the Effect of pH on Particle Formation and Encapsulation Efficiency
No full textIn the past, tripolyphosphate (TPP)-crosslinked chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (CSNPs) have been widely applied for the delivery of biomacromolecules, because of their mild preparation conditions. However, poor uniformity and burst release limit their application to some extent. In this study, we investigated the effect of pH on the formation and on protein encapsulation efficiency (EE) of CSNPs. Results revealed that smaller particles are formed at lower pH and that the size distribution is conjointly influenced by pH and CS/TPP mass ratio. EE of bovine serum albumin (BSA) increased significantly with pH value. The influence of the pH of the crosslinker (TPP) solution was also studied, showing that CSNPs prepared with basic TPP solution (pH 9.5) had larger size, higher yield, and BSA EE compared with those obtained with acidic TPP solution (pH 5.5). Characterization by Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy and SEM as well as the in vitro BSA release analysis revealed that the pH of the TPP solution might influence CSNPs' properties, by changing the conformation of polymer chains. This study analyzes the formation of CSNPs and protein encapsulation mechanisms at different pH values of both the polymer and the crosslinker solutions, suggesting strategies to overcome some of the major drawbacks of CSNPs as protein nanocarriers for therapeutic applications
Powder binders used for the manufacturing of wind turbine rotor blades. Part 1: Characterisation of resin-binder interaction and preform properties
No full textGlass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) are the predominant materials used for wind turbine ro-tor blades. To manufacture blades in a vacuum-assisted resin infusion process (VARI), a binder is needed for fibre fixation and preform stability. Moreover, solubility and mechanical compatibility of the binder and the epoxy resin matrix are important parameters for processa-bility and the mechanical properties of the composite. The present study therefore character-ised and evaluated five chemically different binders with regard to their solubility in a rotor-blade-proven epoxy resin using microscopy, viscometry and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solubility tests enabled a binder-classification into critically soluble (KE-60, Epikote 05390), strongly soluble (Grilon MS), partially soluble (D 2433E), and non-soluble (K-140) binder types. In subsequent mechanical and thermo-mechanical testing of resin-binder plates, the strongly soluble binder Grilon MS showed the best performance, followed by the non-soluble binder K-140 and the partially soluble binder D 2433E. These results suggest that binders developing no interfaces within the resin should be preferred. Furthermore, interply adhesion for these three binders was investigated in a peeling test using fibre preforms. It was found that differences in peel strength might be controlled predominantly by different kinds of binder layer formations, but also to some extent by the different binder-fibre interaction (binder and fibre sizing correlation). Best performance was shown by D 2433E, followed by Grilon MS and K-140. All in all, the soluble binder Grilon MS exhibited the best results in mechanical testing of resin-binder plates and is therefore expected to also show the best mechanical performance in GFRP laminates
Environmental and Parental Influences on Offspring Health and Growth in Great Tits (Parus major)
No full textPMCID: PMC3728352This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Christ and conflict : towards a theology of reconciliation with reference to Northern Ireland
No full textSocieties burdened by the deep social and political divisions created by conflict struggle to move on from patterns of division, tension and mutual suspicion. Attitudes and negative beliefs about political opponents are made permanent parts of the social landscape by violence. Political settlements address the mechanics of governance and the organization of society, however, they fail to deal with the way deeply divided societies have evolved during the period of conflict. The cessation of violence and development of political solutions leaves in its wake many questions about how to tackle the injustices of the past and the reality of a divided society. The exploration of these questions and the attempt to address the challenge of deep divisions is central to any move towards reconciliation. The aim of this thesis is to offer a theological analysis of the political implications of the Christian doctrine of reconciliation. The discussion of reconciliation takes place within the context of Northern Ireland, a society burdened by deep divisions caused by decades of violent political conflict. By exploring a variety of models of reconciliation and attending to the particularities of the theology of reconciliation the analysis will attempt to develop a distinctively Christian interpretation of reconciliation and explain its meaning in the Northern Irish context. A discussion of the questions raised by justice and forgiveness will be given significant attention since these two themes are central to any attempt to address the past and move beyond deep societal divisions to a shared future
Experimental studies on the life cycle of a renal coccidium of lesser snow geese (Anser c. caerulescens)
No full textCoccidia-free, artificially reared lesser snow geese and ducks (Anas strepera, A. platyrhynchos and A. discors) were inoculated orally with sporulated oocysts of Eimeria sp. from the ureter of heavily infected juvenile lesser snow geese from Manitoba, Canada. In the experimentally infected geese, oocysts were passed in the faeces beginning on day 9 plus or minus 1 after inoculation and continuing for a further 34 to 35 days; peak oocyst production occurred on days 11 and 12. The morphology of the oocyst is described and illustrated. The experimentally infected geese showed mild diarrhoea, slight anorexia, polydipsia and increased salt gland discharge. The kidneys were enlarged, pale and covered with 1 to 2 mm whitish nodules which contained many oocysts, as did the ureters and lumina of renal tubules. No patent infections were produced in the ducks. Domestic geese infected with similar numbers of oocysts as the lesser snow geese passed few oocysts, beginning on day 11 and continuing for a few days. The likelihood that the parasite is E. truncata needs confirming..RE: 33 ref.; SC: ZA; CA; VE; PA; 0YSource type: Electronic(1) http://upei-resolver.asin-risa.ca?sid=SP:CABI&id=pmid:&id=&issn=0008-4301&isbn=&volume=60&issue=9&spage=2085&pages=2085-2092&date=1982&title=Canadian%20Journal%20of%20Zoology&atitle=Experimental%20studies%20on%20the%20life%20cycle%20of%20a%20renal%20coccidium%20of%20lesser%20snow%20geese%20%28Anser%20c.%20caerulescens%29.&aulast=Gajadhar&pid=%3Cauthor%3EGajadhar%2c%20A%20A%3bCawthorn%2c%20R%20J%3bRainnie%2c%20D%20J%3C%2Fauthor%3E%3CAN%3E19820802362%3C%2FAN%3E%3CDT%3EJournal%20article%3C%2FDT%3
Bellamy on Dirty Hands and Lesser Evils: A Response
No full textThis article offers a response to Alex Bellamy's article 'Dirty Hands and Lesser Evils in the War on Terror'. It outlines deep errors in his claims about 'dirty hands' and 'lesser evils'. Essentially, these errors result from his failure to grapple with the complexity of dirty hands theory, coupled with his uncritical acceptance that dirty hands scenarios are essentially defined as a clash between a public and private morality. Furthermore, we argue that Bellamy's distinction between 'dirty hands' and 'lesser evils' is a spurious one since all dirty hands cases require a choice between lesser evils. In addition, we reject his claim that dirty hands makes no political sense. For illustrative purposes, we then briefly examine one problematic philosophical issue which needs attention if the notion of dirty hands is to be taken seriously. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of the concept of dirty hands by applying it to the issue of torture in the so-called 'war on terror'. © 2009 The Author. Journal compilation © 2009 Political Studies Association
Schooling for 'lesser beings'
No full textUsing Edward Said’s notion of ‘lesser beings’, it is argued that the political culture of schooling for Maori was and still is part of a pervasive Western European intellectual climate and culture which has a quite recent history, and which provided powerful support for the notion of Europe possessing a categorical superiority over all other continents, which in turn justified imperialism or neo-colonialism as civilising missions.
Racism and violence were endemic in colonialism and, despite the claimed moral high ground, were endemic in Aotearoa/New Zealand. War was eulogised in the Native School system more than once. The rise and demise of the World War II Maori War Organisation is illustrative of the rejection of Maori aspirations. There were still no Maori in the senior echelons of the Maori Department in 1972.
The Native, later Maori, School system was overtly designed to 'Europeanise' Maori children and therefore Maori society. Individualism was deeply embedded in English and set-tler thinking, whilst communal, ‘communist’ Maori society was to be destroyed.
The thesis examines images of colonialism, empire and imperialism in fiction and non-fiction, New Zealand and British, for adults and children, and notes the attitudes of think-ers like J S Mill and Darwin, of children’s authors Jules Verne and G H Henty, and of New Zealand author William Satchell. The images continue, pervasive and endemic, in recent adult novels. Science also played a role, as did history.
Ranginui Walker, who is Maori, is the only historian to have written a history of New Zea-land which addressed the issue of waste lands, an issue on which Pakeha historians have a blind spot. New Zealand encyclopedia do not index ‘waste land’ or ‘confiscation’. Only two Waikato histories deal adequately, or even accurately, with confiscation, the central episode in the history of the Waikato. Tourist material is equally illustrative.
The Native Schools section of the Education Department ran the Native Schools like a fiefdom, operating in legislative and regulatory black holes for the first thirty years and for much of the time after that. Teachers were moved around at will.
The practice of James H Pope, the first inspector of Native Schools, is closely and critically examined, and negatively assessed. His official writings were consistently derogatory of Maori, and his decisions in respect of Te Kopua Native School were at times detrimental to the pupils. Pope was a product of his times.
The Te Kopua record is closely scrutinised, and the practice of the Education Department is frequently found wanting. It is probable that the establishment of the school was aimed to destabilise King Country Maori, not to benefit the children. It is a story of Maori co-operation and contribution.
Part Two is a detailed partial biography of Te Kopua, it being argued that until there is a significant corpus of studies of Native Schools a valid history of the Native/Maori School system and of schooling for Maori is not possibl
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