166 research outputs found
'F- F- Felt it': Breathing Feminist, Queer and Clown Thinking into the Practice and Study of Sarah Kane’s Cleansed and Blasted
No full textThis thesis uses studio practice, scholarly research, close reading of text, performance observation and conversation with practitioners to establish diverse readings of Sarah Kane’s Cleansed. It includes original material from the 2012 productions of Cleansed in Japan (Kamome-za Fringe Theatre), and in Ireland (Bare Cheek Theatre). It notes practice on Cleansed in gallery spaces (Cast-Off Drama, UK). It offers a dramaturgical approach to workshopping the play from a feminist and queer position, informed by theories of gender and transgender, and the marginalised, loving and delinquent practice of clowning. The research discusses principles of breath, voice and sexuate difference drawing primarily on the philosophies of Luce Irigaray, on the voice practice of Cicely Berry and the clown teaching of Sue Morrison.
The work challenges the ‘in-yer-face’ theatre discourse on Kane arguing that it represents a McDonaldization of its subject matter, and an insidious trivialisation of her texts. It offers new thinking on the opening night of Blasted (1995), suggesting that the ‘furore’ was fuelled by collective male hysteria and superstition; its roots centred in mourning. Analysing Cleansed in relation to Edward Bond’s Saved and Lear, it explores tropes of ghosts, stitching and the silent scream, and argues that Kane militates for gynocentric time and becoming. It analyses the symbol of the perimeter fence as a feature of 1980s Britain, noting the strength of binary associations configured in it with reference to both English football hooliganism (male) and the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp (female). It argues that Kane sets up heteronormative binaries in Cleansed to debate and contest them.
A key conclusion of the thesis is that Cleansed politically addresses and dramatises issues of transgender experience presenting accounts of gender violence, mutability, transitioning, the sharp fractures and silences of gender dysphoria, but also, ultimately, queer desire, love and optimism
Malthi in Media: Peopling an Ancient Village in Virtual Space
No full textSTRIDE Project A Digital Archaeology of Malthi, Greece
Digital applications have increased the possibilities for the visualization of archaeological material. Here are presented two reconstructions of the Bronze Age settlement Malthi, created using Minecraft and Twine, both readily accessible programs. These recreations draw on data from archaeological work at the site and are intended to depict alternative interpretations of the settlement, allowing for the uncertainty inherent in archaeology. They are likewise intended to invite interaction with the site beyond physically visiting, with the goal of increasing participation in the formation of knowledge about Malthi. The approach advocated here is applicable to other projects struggling with ambiguous data.
Additional files:
File name: MalthiTwine_Edited_Final_4Sept23.html Title: Malthi in Twine Author: Nora Sullivan, Annika Lof
File names: Instructions for Opening Zipped Java MC World; Java MC Malthi 1m_2blocks clean.zip Title: Malthi in Minecraft, Unpopulated (Java) Author: Sarah Kam
File names: Instructions for Opening MC Windows Populated Malthi; Populated Malthi.mcworld Title: Malthi in Minecraft, Populated (Windows/Bedrock) Author: Sarah Kam, Aurora Bagle
The ideal daycare: An interior redesign process for Erasmus MC Sophia
No full textThis thesis describes the design process of the ideal daycare for Sophia Kinderziekenhuis as part of Erasmus MC. The hospital finds itself at the start of a renovation process that will possibly give Sophia an entirely new space. This new building will only be ready in 7 years, which is why the result of this project is twofold; a design proposal for an ideal situation in a new building and a shortlist of recommendations to improve the current situation in the short term. The report is structured according to the double diamond process. The discovery will elaborate on the interior design process itself, the current situation at WKZ and SKZ, brainstorm sessions with the staff and interviews with the parents and children. It shows the daycare is extremely noisy, insensitive to privacy, inconveniently arranged, boring, outdated and not stress relieving for any of the users involved. The insights of the discovery are condensed into 6 persona’s and 3 design drivers, which combined form the design vision of the ideal daycare. There are 2 parent-persona’s: Matt and Julie, with a distinction in time spent at the daycare. There are 3 children-persona’s: Ethan, Olivia and Jackie, with a distinction in tolerance for external stimuli. Finally there is a single staff-persona: Sarah, because there are no clear distinctions in value sets between different staff members. The 3 design drivers are defined as privacy, routine and atmosphere, and each of the three user groups has a different view on each of these drivers. These views combined will form a definition of what the ideal daycare means to them. The development describes three iterations, each one pushing the design forwards in a different way and concluded by a simulation with one of the stakeholders. The first one was about creating maximum improvement with minimal change, which invoked a pivot in the project after the simulation with the architect. The second iteration revolved around ideating on the ideal arrangement of all the spaces, which was simulated with managing partners of the department. The third round focussed on developing different design solutions for each of the area’s, so that they could be combined into concept arrangements for the ideal daycare. These concepts were used for simulation with the daycare staff, who gave feedback on the designs and then made an ideal version of their own. The delivery focuses on the visualisation of a final design proposal. It shows several impressions from an eye-level perspective of what the modern future of Sophia could look like. It applies a nature theme with a large tree that anchors the space, symbolizes health, growth and serenity, and is functional as sound isolation, table and play area. There is a central coffeecounter for the parents, secluded beds for enough rest and a separated staff area.The project is concluded with a set of recommendations for short term improvement. The hospital should invest in - amongst other things - a daily food service, freeing up spaces for an extra treatment room, better chairs, a proper break room with comfortable couches, and sound absorbing furniture. Integrated Product Desig
Removal of AMPA receptors (AMPARs) from synapses is preceded by transient endocytosis of extrasynaptic AMPARs
No full textAn Integrated Biomanufacturing Platform for the Large-Scale Expansion and Differentiation of Neural Progenitor Cells
No full textabstract: Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are defined by the loss of several types of neurons and glial cells within the central nervous system (CNS). Combatting these diseases requires a robust population of relevant cell types that can be employed in cell therapies, drug screening, or patient specific disease modeling. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) have the ability to self-renew indefinitely and differentiate into the various neuronal and glial cell types of the CNS. In order to realize the potential of hNPCs, it is necessary to develop a xeno-free scalable platform for effective expansion and differentiation. Previous work in the Brafman lab led to the engineering of a chemically defined substrate—vitronectin derived peptide (VDP), which allows for the long-term expansion and differentiation of hNPCs. In this work, we use this substrate as the basis for a microcarrier (MC)-based suspension culture system. Several independently derived hNPC lines were cultured on MCs for multiple passages as well as efficiently differentiated to neurons. Finally, this MC-based system was used in conjunction with a low shear rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor for the integrated, large-scale expansion and neuronal differentiation of hNPCs. Finally, VDP was shown to support the differentiation of hNPCs into functional astrocytes. Overall, this fully defined and scalable biomanufacturing system will facilitate the generation of hNPCs and their derivatives in quantities necessary for basic and translational applications.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Biomedical Engineering 201
Author Correction:The power of genetic diversity in genome-wide association studies of lipids
No full textIn the version of this article initially published, Noha A. Yousri (Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar and Department of Computer and Systems Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt) and Steven C. Hunt (Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA and Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar) were not included in the author list. In addition, Hieab H. H. Adams (Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) was shown with an incorrect second affiliation in the HTML and PDF versions of the article. Finally, in the HTML version, Cristen J. Willer was mistakenly listed with an extra affiliation (Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Centre of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders (PACER-HD), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). The authors and affiliations have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article
"After my husband's circumcision, I know that I am safe from diseases": Women's Attitudes and Risk Perceptions Towards Male Circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania.
No full textWhile male circumcision reduces the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission and certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), there is little evidence that circumcision provides women with direct protection against HIV. This study used qualitative methods to assess women's perceptions of male circumcision in Iringa, Tanzania. Women in this study had strong preferences for circumcised men because of the low risk perception of HIV with circumcised men, social norms favoring circumcised men, and perceived increased sexual desirability of circumcised men. The health benefits of male circumcision were generally overstated; many respondents falsely believed that women are also directly protected against HIV and that the risk of all STIs is greatly reduced or eliminated in circumcised men. Efforts to engage women about the risks and limitations of male circumcision, in addition to the benefits, should be expanded so that women can accurately assess their risk of HIV or STIs during sexual intercourse with circumcised men
Author Correction:The power of genetic diversity in genome-wide association studies of lipids (Nature, (2021), 600, 7890, (675-679), 10.1038/s41586-021-04064-3)
No full textCorrection to: Nature Published online 9 December 2021 In the version of this article initially published, Noha A. Yousri (Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar and Department of Computer and Systems Engineering, Alexandria University, Egypt) and Steven C. Hunt (Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA and Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar) were not included in the author list. In addition, Hieab H. H. Adams (Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) was shown with an incorrect second affiliation in the HTML and PDF versions of the article. Finally, in the HTML version, Cristen J. Willer was mistakenly listed with an extra affiliation (Princess Al-Jawhara Al-Brahim Centre of Excellence in Research of Hereditary Disorders (PACER-HD), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). The authors and affiliations have been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.</p
A Robust Vitronectin-Derived Peptide Substrate for the Scalable Long-Term Expansion and Neuronal Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell (hPSC)-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells (hNPCs)
No full textabstract: Several debilitating neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury, are characterized by the damage or loss of neuronal cell types in the central nervous system (CNS). Human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can proliferate extensively and differentiate into the various neuronal subtypes and supporting cells that comprise the CNS. As such, hNPCs have tremendous potential for disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine applications. However, the use hNPCs for the study and treatment of neurological diseases requires the development of defined, robust, and scalable methods for their expansion and neuronal differentiation. To that end a rational design process was used to develop a vitronectin-derived peptide (VDP)-based substrate to support the growth and neuronal differentiation of hNPCs in conventional two-dimensional (2-D) culture and large-scale microcarrier (MC)-based suspension culture. Compared to hNPCs cultured on ECMP-based substrates, hNPCs grown on VDP-coated surfaces displayed similar morphologies, growth rates, and high expression levels of hNPC multipotency markers. Furthermore, VDP surfaces supported the directed differentiation of hNPCs to neurons at similar levels to cells differentiated on ECMP substrates. Here it has been demonstrated that VDP is a robust growth and differentiation matrix, as demonstrated by its ability to support the expansions and neuronal differentiation of hNPCs derived from three hESC (H9, HUES9, and HSF4) and one hiPSC (RiPSC) cell lines. Finally, it has been shown that VDP allows for the expansion or neuronal differentiation of hNPCs to quantities (>1010) necessary for drug screening or regenerative medicine purposes. In the future, the use of VDP as a defined culture substrate will significantly advance the clinical application of hNPCs and their derivatives as it will enable the large-scale expansion and neuronal differentiation of hNPCs in quantities necessary for disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine applications.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Bioengineering 201
Jews and gender in British literature 1815-1865.
No full textPhDThis thesis examines the variety of relationships between Jews and gender in early
to mid-nineteenth century British literature, focussing particularly on representations
of and by Jewish women. It reconstructs the social, political and literary context in
which writers produced images and narratives about Jews, and considers to what
extent stereotypes were reproduced, appropriated, or challenged. In particular it
examines the ways in which questions of gender were linked to ideas about religious
or racial difference in the Victorian period.
The study situates literary representations of Jews within the context of
contemporary debates about the participation of the Jews in the life of the modern
state. It also investigates the ways in which these political debates were gendered,
looking in particular at the relationship between the cultural construction of
femininity and English national identity.
It first considers Victorian culture's obsession with Rebecca, the Jewess created in
Walter Scott's influential novel Ivanhoe (1819). It examines Rebecca's refusal to
convert to Christianity in the context of Scott's discussion of racial separatism and
modern national unity.
Evangelical writers like Annie Webb, Amelia Bristow and Mrs Brendlah were
prolific literary producers, and preoccupied with converting Jewish women.
Particularly during the 18'40s and 1850s, evangelical writing provided an important
forum for the construction and consolidation of women's national identity.
Grace Aguilar's writing was an attempt to understand Jewish identity within the
terms of Victorian domestic ideology. In contrast, Celia and Marion Moss, in their
historical romances, offered narratives of female heroism and national liberation,
drawing on the contemporary debate about slavery.
Benjamin Disraeli's construction of a "tough version of Jewish identity was a
response both to the contemporary stereotype of the feminised Jew and to the debate
about Jewish emancipation. It also drew on the virile ideology of the Young England
movement of the 1840s
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