379 research outputs found
"I' ll tell you a story that will make you believe" in narratives: the role of metafiction in the novel and in the film Life of Pi
No full textDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Inglês: Estudos Linguísticos e Literários, Florianópolis, 2015.Recentes estudos propõem que adaptações cinematográficas sejam entendidas como fonte de criação, os quais refletem contextos e interpretações diferentes do texto em que são baseadas. Nessa dissertação, propõe-se uma análise comparativa do romance Life of Pi (2001), de Yann Martel e do filme homônimo dirigido por Ang Lee (2012). A análise tem como objetivo identificar a presença e o modo em que a metaficção é construída no romance e no filme, e quais são alguns significados produzidos por ela em ambos os textos, tanto o literário quanto o fílmico. A concepção de metafição se baseia nas definições de Linda Hutcheon e Patricia Waugh. Por metaficção, entende-se a ficção consciente de si, que expõe o processo de escrita ao leitor e o convida a ter um papel ativo na construção do significado. Após uma análise comparativa dos dois textos, conclui-se que a metaficção está presente em ambos, tanto tematicamente como estruturalmente. As reflexões sobre narrativas apresentadas pelos personagens, o uso de vários níveis narrativos e de intertextualidade revelam diferentes usos da metafição em ambos. A diferença mais importante entre o romance e o filme Life of Pi está no uso dos níveis narrativos. Enquanto o romance possui um ?autor? sem nome que apresenta a história aos leitores, o filme possui um diretor implícito que deixa pistas de qual versão da história de Pi é ?real? no contexto da narrativa. Essa diferença dá ao romance um final aberto, em que o leitor deve escolher qual versão da história ele acredita, enquanto o filme possui uma resolução para essa questão. O filme, então, pode ser entendido como um testemunho, uma narrativa de trauma de um sobrevivente de um naufrágio e da experiência de migração, enquanto o livro não apresenta uma decisão em relação às versões da história, deixando o leitor aberto a qualquer possibilidade.Abstract : Recent studies propose that Film Adaptations should be understood as sources of creation, which also reflect a different context and interpretation from the text upon which they were based. In this thesis, I propose a comparative analysis of the novel Life of Pi (2001), by Yann Martel, and the homonymous film directed by Ang Lee (2012). The analysis has the objective of identifying the presence and the way in which metafiction is constructed in the novel and in the film, and what are some of the meanings produced by it in both texts, the filmic and the literary. The concept of metafiction was based on the definitions by Linda Hutcheon and Patricia Waugh. It is understood as the self-conscious fictional text, which exposes the writing process to the readers and invites them to have an active role in the construction of meaning. In the comparative analyses of the two texts, I have proved that metafiction is present in the two texts, both thematically and structurally. The reflections of the characters on narrative itself as well as the use of different narrative levels and intertextual references reveal different uses of metanarrative in both film and novel. The most important difference between the novel and the film Life of Pi is in their uses of different narrative levels. While the novel has an unnamed =author? who presents the story to the readers, the film has an implicit director who leaves =clues? of which version of Pi?s story is ?real? in the context of the narrative. This difference gives to the novel an open end, facein which the readers must choose which version of the story they believe in, while the film presents a resolution to this question. The film, thus, can be understood as a testimony narrative, a narrative of the trauma of a survivor from a shipwreck and from the experience of migration, while the novel does not decide for one of the versions of the story, enabling a more inconclusive reading
Auto-regulating New Media
No full textUsing Foucault's (1977, 1978) notion of panoptic method of governmentality and looking at the case of Singapore's Internet policy, this paper attempts to expand on the idea-and ideals-of 'auto-regulation'(Lee, 2000, pp. 4-5; Lee & Birch, 2000). Auto-regulation, as I shall posit in this paper, provides a way for regulatory enforcement and surveillance to become sufficiently transparent and 'normalised' so that 'the exercise of power may be supervised by society as a whole'(Foucault, 1977, pp.207-208) rather than by a select group of policy and law enforcement officers, or civil society /activist groups
dvdres-oct-2017-00153-File005 – Supplemental material for The association of serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate variability with diabetic retinopathy in Asians with type 2 diabetes: A nested case–control study
No full textSupplemental material, dvdres-oct-2017-00153-File005 for The association of serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate variability with diabetic retinopathy in Asians with type 2 diabetes: A nested case–control study by Xiao Zhang, Neelam Kumari, Serena Low, Keven Ang, Darren Yeo, Lee Ying Yeoh, Allen Liu, Pek Yee Kwan, Wern Ee Tang, Subramaniam Tavintharan, Chee Fang Sum and Su Chi Lim in Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research</p
dvdres-dec-2017-00206-File004 – Supplemental material for Long-term prospective observation suggests that glomerular hyperfiltration is associated with rapid decline in renal filtration function: A multiethnic study
No full textSupplemental material, dvdres-dec-2017-00206-File004 for Long-term prospective observation suggests that glomerular hyperfiltration is associated with rapid decline in renal filtration function: A multiethnic study by Serena Low, Xiao Zhang, Jiexun Wang, Lee Ying Yeoh, Yan Lun Liu, Keven Kue Loong Ang, Wern Ee Tang, Pek Yee Kwan, Subramaniam Tavintharan, Chee Fang Sum and Su Chi Lim in Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research</p
Validation of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale and its association with functioning
No full textIntroduction: The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) includes five domains of negative symptoms suggested by the NIMH Consensus Development Conference (anhedonia, asociality, avolition, blunted affect, and alogia), which could be clustered into two factors — Motivation-Pleasure (MAP) and Emotional Expressivity (EE). Our study aims to examine the psychometric properties of BNSS, and its association with functioning. Methods: 274 individuals with schizophrenia were assessed on the BNSS, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), and Simpson-Angus Extrapyramidal Side Effects Scale (SAS). Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's alpha. Concurrent, discriminant, and construct validity were examined. Factor structure of BNSS was explored using confirmatory factor analyses. Association between GAF and BNSS was examined with GAF as the dependent variable and BNSS Total, MAP and EE, and BNSS five domains as independent variables in three multiple regression models after controlling for covariates. Results:BNSS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.880) and validity. The five-factor model fit the data better than the two-factor model; a second-order model was superior to both models. More severe symptoms on BNSS Total (B = −0.438, p < .001), MAP (B = −0.876, p < .001), Avolition (B = −2.503, p < .001) and Asociality (B = −0.950, p = .001) were associated with lower GAF. Conclusion: Our results lend support to the use of BNSS in clinical practice and in future research into negative symptoms. Composite scores could be computed using either the five-factor or second-order models. Negative symptoms, particularly MAP, avolition and asociality, were associated with functioning.Ministry of Health (MOH)National Medical Research Council (NMRC)Accepted versionThis study is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council under the Centre Grant Programme (Grant No.: NMRC/CG/004/2013)
Microvascular Consequences of Engineered Nanomaterial Inhalation Exposure and Subsequent Reproductive Outcomes
No full textNano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) is a commonly utilized engineered nanomaterial found ubiquitously in consumer products. While benefits of ENM utilization in are undeniable, nanoparticle inhalation has been linked to cardiovascular consequences and altered microvascular responses. Given these outcomes, it is important to explore vulnerable timepoints, such as gestation, as robust vascular adaptations are essential for maternofetal health.
The first aim of this dissertation was to assess myogenic responsiveness following maternal nano-TiO2 inhalation. Fetal aortic responses were evaluated on gestational day (GD) 20 to assess how exposure may impact the F1 generation. Myogenic responsiveness within the uterine radial arteries were unaffected. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was found to be reduced within the fetal aortas of the exposure group.
The second aim was to evaluate the window of gestation that is most susceptible to maternal exposure. Exposure groups were divided into early (EE), mid (ME) and late (LE) and uterine radial artery responses were assessed on GD 20. The EE group showed increased sensitivity to Ang II and exhibited decreased protein level of angiotensin II type 2 receptor. EE resulted in reduced pup mass and placental efficiency, suggesting Ang II vasoconstriction may play a role in poor perfusion, resulting in reduced pup size.
The third aim was to further evaluate the susceptible time-point of gestational exposure by assessing placental physiology. Placental hemodynamics were not influenced by exposure, nor were Ang II receptor protein level, suggesting that the reduced pup mass within the EE group may be dependent upon uterine vascular function and not placental hemodynamics
ANG MO KIO NEW TOWN : A CASE STUDY IN THE HDB UPGRADING PROGRAMME
No full textBachelor'sBACHELOR OF SCIENCE (ESTATE MANAGEMENT
Vocational profile and correlates of employment in people with schizophrenia : the role of Avolition
No full textObjective: Employment was associated with recovery in individuals with schizophrenia. Our study aimed to delineate the vocational profile and investigate factors associated with likelihood of employment in individuals with schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: 276 community dwelling outpatients with schizophrenia were recruited; 274 completed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). Information on employment status, work outcomes and demographics were collected. Occupation was coded in accordance with the Singapore standard occupational classification. Either BNSS Motivation and Pleasure (MAP) and Emotional Expressivity (EE) or BNSS five-factor (Anhedonia, Asociality, Avolition, Blunted Affect, Alogia) were examined with PANSS factors and demographics in logistic regression with employment status and working full-time as outcome variables. Results: One-hundred and twenty-seven (46.01%) participants were employed; 65 (51.18%) worked full-time. In the model with BNSS MAP-EE, MAP (OR=0.897, CI=0.854-0.941) and presence of physical comorbidity (OR=0.533, CI=0.304-0.937) were associated with reduced likelihood of employment; female sex (OR=0.286, CI=0.128 - 0.637) was associated with working part-time. In the model with BNSS five-factor, Avolition (OR=0.541, CI=0.440-0.666), and PANSS Positive (OR=0.924, CI=0.855-0.997) were associated with reduced likelihood of employment; female sex (OR=0.289, CI=0.126 - 0.662) and Avolition (OR=0.644, CI=0.475 - 0.872) were associated with working part-time. Discussion: Our study described the vocational profile and correlates of employment in a developed urban Asian country. Negative symptoms, particularly MAP and Avolition, positive symptoms, and physical comorbidity reduced an individual’s likelihood of employment, while female sex and Avolition were associated with working part-time. Efforts to identify and address these factors are necessary to encourage employment in individuals with schizophrenia.Ministry of Health (MOH)National Medical Research Council (NMRC)Published versionThis study is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council under the Centre Grant Programme (Grant No.: NMRC/CG/004/2013)
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients : a four-arm randomized trial on the effectiveness of electroacupuncture
No full textPurpose. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and dose-limiting side effect of cytostatic drugs. Since there are no proven therapeutic procedures against CIPN, we were interested to define the role of electroacupuncture (EA) from which preliminary data showed promising results. Methods. In a randomized trial with a group sequential adaptive design in patients with CIPN, we compared EA (LV3, SP9, GB41, GB34, LI4, LI11, SI3, and HT3; n=14) with hydroelectric baths (HB, n=14), vitamin B1/B6 capsules (300/300 mg daily; VitB, n=15), and placebo capsules (n=17). The statistical power in this trial was primarily calculated for proving EA only, so results of HB and VitB are pilot data. Results. CIPN complaints improved by 0.8 +- 1.2 (EA), 1.7 +- 1.7 (HB), 1.6 +- 2.0 (VitB), and 1.3 +- 1.3 points (placebo) on a 10-point numeric rating scale without significant difference between treatment groups or placebo. In addition no significant differences in sensory nerve conduction studies or quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) were found. Conclusions. The used EA concept, HB, and VitB were not superior to placebo. Since, contrary to our results, studies with different acupuncture concepts showed a positive effect on CIPN, the effect of acupuncture on CIPN remains unclear. Further randomized, placebo controlled studies seem necessary. This trial is registered with DRKS00004448
Aberrant expression of angiopoietins-1 and -2 and vascular endothelial growth factor-A in peri-implantation endometrium after gonadotrophin stimulation
No full textBACKGROUND: Ovarian stimulation affects normal endometrial development. The expression of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and the vascular state in the peri-implantation endometrium in women with natural and gonadotrophin-stimulated cycles were compared. METHODS: The expression of these angiogenesis-associated molecules in endometrial biopsies, collected on Day 7 after human chorionic gonadotrophin injection or luteinizing hormone surge in stimulated or natural cycles respectively, or at mid-luteal phase of women undergoing diagnositic laparoscopy, were analysed. RESULTS: Women with gonadotrophin-stimulation had lower Ang-1, but higher Ang-2, mRNA and protein expression (P < 0.05), and increased concentrations of von Willebrand factor (vWF) and blood vessel density than those with natural cycles (P < 0.05). Although stimulated cycles had higher VEGF-A mRNA expression (P = 0.023), VEGF-A protein expression was similar between the groups. Lower Ang-1/Ang-2 but higher Ang-2/VEGF-A mRNA ratios (P = 0.025) were found after gonadotrophin-stimulation. The ratios were negatively (P < 0.001) and positively correlated (P < 0.001) with estradiol levels, respectively. Cyclical changes in Ang-1 and Ang-2, but not in VEGF-A expression were noted. CONCLUSIONS: The decreased Ang-1 concentration and Ang-1/Ang-2 ratio and the increased Ang-2 concentration, with the increased vWF concentration and blood vessel density, in stimulated cycles suggests advanced endometrial angiogenesis after gonadotrophin-stimulation. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved.link_to_OA_fulltex
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