200 research outputs found
Fantasising the self: a study of Alasdair Gray's 'Lanark', '1982 Janine', 'Something Leather' and 'Poor Things'
No full textThis thesis explores the use of fantasy in Alasdair Gray's major fictions: Lanark
(1981), 1982 Janine (1984), Something Leather (1990) and Poor Things (1992).
The main purpose is to study the way Alasdair Gray borrows elements from
different forms of fantasy - magical realism, pornography, the Gothic and science
fiction - in order to explore and resolve the internal conflicts of his characters.
In the introduction current definitions of fantasy are surveyed. Also explored is
the concept of magical realism, as one of the objectives of the thesis is to
demonstrate that some of Gray's work, particularly Lanark, presents some of the
characteristics of this branch of Postmodernism.
The first chapter concerns Lanark. The juxtaposition of fantasy and
realism is explored in order to show the fragmentation of the self represented by
the figure of Thaw/Lanark. Also paradoxes and contradictions at the heart of this
work are investigated from the point of view of form and content. Of particular
importance is the conflict between the individual and society.
In the chapter dealing with 1982 Janine, the concept of deidealisation is
introduced to show how Jock deals with the figures in his past, Scotland and
himself Jock's personal conflicts and damaged psyche are explored through his
pornographic fantasies.
In chapter III Something Leather is compared to works by Sade,
particularly their use of sadomasochistic and homosexual fantasies as a form of
social subversion.
Chapter IV discusses Poor Things from the point of view of how characteristics
typical of the Gothic novel are parodied to explore gender issues such as the
construction of female identity by a male Other. Parallelisms between this novel
and Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children and John Fowles' A Maggot are also
explored.
In the conclusion the main concerns and obsessions of Gray's fiction are explored
through a discussion of his shorter fiction
Erratum to: Assessing brain immune activation in psychiatric disorders:clinical and preclinical PET imaging studies of the 18-kDa translocator protein (vol 3, pg 449, 2015)
No full textThe article “Assessing brain immune activation in psychiatric disorders: clinical and preclinical PET imaging studies of the 18-kDa translocator protein”, written by Thalia F. van der Doef, Janine Doorduin, Bart N. M. van Berckel, and Simon Cervenka, was originally published Online First without open access. After publication in volume 3, issue 6, pages 449–460, the author decided to opt for Open Choice and to make the article an open access publication. Therefore, the copyright of the article has been changed t
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No full textThe molecular pathways underlying tumor suppression are incompletely understood. Here, we identify cooperative non-cell-autonomous functions of a single gene that together provide a novel mechanism of tumor suppression in basal keratinocytes of zebrafish embryos. A loss-of-function mutation in atp1b1a, encoding the beta subunit of a Na,K-ATPase pump, causes edema and epidermal malignancy. Strikingly, basal cell carcinogenesis only occurs when Atp1b1a function is compromised in both the overlying periderm (resulting in compromised epithelial polarity and adhesiveness) and in kidney and heart (resulting in hypotonic stress). Blockade of the ensuing PI3K-AKT-mTORC1-NFκB-MMP9 pathway activation in basal cells, as well as systemic isotonicity, prevents malignant transformation. Our results identify hypotonic stress as a (previously unrecognized) contributor to tumor development and establish a novel paradigm of tumor suppression
Towards de-escalation of axillary management after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer
No full textAvenues of honour in Victoria
No full textDeposited with permission of the author. © 1987 Janine HaddowThe cultural landscape of Australia has received less attention than the natural landscape and it is also poses some difficult assessment and evaluation problems for the Australian Heritage Commission. It is my intention to document and analyse the Avenues of Honour of World War One and Two as examples of a form of landscape modification which was embraced by many communities throughout Australia, especially in Victoria.
Section 2 establishes that 'landscape' is much more than scenery and ecology and that people are central to an understanding of the landscape. The methodologies of J.B. Jackson, W. Hoskins, D. Meinig, M. Samuels and D. Cosgrove are discussed and critically evaluated in terms of their contribution to an understanding of the cultural landscape and of their relevance to an appreciation of Avenues of Honour.
Section 3 is a detailed documentation of Avenues of Honour. Using the documentation and the case studies of Ballarat and Mt Macedon the distribution patterns of Avenues of Honour are analysed. The diffusion theories of cultural geographers and the work of Australian historical geographers form the basis of the analysis.
Section 4 discusses and establishes the significance of Avenues of Honour as examples of Australian cultural landscapes. To do this a type profile is developed and it becomes the basis for the comparison and assessment of empirical reality. The type profile is developed by applying Weber's theory of the 'ideal type' and refining it through an iterative process using the Delphi technique.
The final section raises some of the unanswered question in this thesis and makes recommendations for future directions in researching Avenues of Honour
Früherkennung von Dysphagien bei Parkinson (IPS)
No full textKontext: Dysphagien stellen bei Parkinson-Syndromen einen negativen prognostischen Prädiktor für die verbleibende Überlebenszeit dar. Sie führen zu Aspirationen, Aspirationspneumonien, Malnutrition und Dehydration und schränken die Lebensqualität der Patienten massiv ein. Die aktuelle Studienlage weist darauf hin, dass die durchschnittliche Überlebensdauer von Parkinson-Patienten mit manifester Dysphagie bei ein bis zwei Jahren liegt und (Aspirations-) Pneumonien eine der häufigsten Todesursachen sind.
Problem: Dysphagien werden in der Regel zu spät erkannt und eine entsprechende Therapie beginnt zumeist erst bei massiveren Schluckstörungen mit Gesundheitsschäden. Standardmäßige Schluckdiagnostiken zur Profilaxe werden bislang nicht durchgeführt und ausreichend valide Screening-Tools, wie etwa Patientenfragebögen zur Evaluierung von Schluckstörungen bei Parkinson-Patienten, fehlen in der klinischen Praxis.
Beitrag: Diese Dissertation stellt den 26-Item-umfassenden Münchener Dysphagie Test – Parkinson’s Disease (MDT-PD) vor, ein Screeningverfahren in Form eines klinischen Patientenfragebogens zur Früherkennung von Schluckstörungen und ihrer Graduierung bei idiopathischem Parkinson-Syndrom (IPS) einschließlich einer bedienerfreundlichen Web- Applikation zur schnellen und örtlich flexiblen Auswertung (Betriebssystemunterstützung: Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android u.a.). Daneben werden zwei Befundungsbögen zur standardisierten klinischen und videoendoskopischen Schluck-Diagnostik vorgestellt, welche klar definierte, ordinale Symptom-Rating-Skalen beinhalten.
Methoden/ Validation: Der innerhalb drei Phasen und einem Pre-Test entwickelte Fragebogen wurde in einer Studie mit 82 IPS-Probanden unter Ausschluss von vordiagnostizierter Schluckstörung, Demenz oder chronischer Depression evaluiert (m=46, w=36; Ø Alter ± Standardabweichung: 70,9 J. ± 8,7 J.; Ø Erkrankungsdauer nach Erstdiagnose: 11,0 J. ± 6,3 J.; Ø H&Y: 3,3; Ø UPDRS III: 29,5 P. ± 13,3 P.). Als Vergleichsparameter kamen die neu konzipierten Symptomschweregradskalen innerhalb der standardisierten klinischen sowie videoendoskopischen Dysphagie-Diagnostik zum Einsatz. Die klinische Untersuchung bestand aus einem Ruhe-, Reflex- und Funktionsprüfungs-Part sowie einer Schluckproben-Testung; bei der instrumentellen Diagnostik wurde sich an das FEES®-Protokoll angelehnt, welches parkinsonspezifisch weiterentwickelt wurde: Neben der Erhebung funktioneller Parameter wurde sowohl die Gefahr für/ der Grad der laryngealen Penetration/ Aspiration innerhalb der Schlucktestung abgebildet als auch beginnende Dysphagie-Symptomatiken wie posteriores Bolus-Leaking und pharyngeale Residuen sowie Speichel-Akkumulation berücksichtigt und graduell unterschieden. In der klinischen sowie videoendoskopischen Diagnostik (Durchführungen im On-drug-state) wurde die Nahrungsaufnahme mit folgenden Konsistenzen, quantitativ deckungsgleich und in alltagsrelevanter Menge, geprüft: dünnflüssig (90 ml Wasser, blau eingefärbt), fest (1⁄2 Scheibe Mischbrot mit Rinde und Aufstrich, ≈8x7x1cm) und trocken/ bröselig (1 Keks, Ø 5cm) sowie die Einnahme von zwei Tabletten (teilbare ProLiveVita-Fit-Blocktablette, ≈19x8x7 mm; Placebo-Hepa-Lichtenstein, Ø 8mm).
Ergebnisse: Der MDT-PD erfüllt die Testgütekriterien der klassischen Testtheorie. Durch die Receiver-Operating-Characteristics (ROC)-Analyse wurden zwei Cut-Offs für die Gruppengrößen nicht auffällig vs. auffällig (3,65) und nicht auffällig vs. aspirationsgefährdet (4,79) ermittelt. Die Diskriminierungsgüte des (nach den Regressions-Koeffizienten) gewichteten MDT-PD-Summenscores ergibt für die Dysphagie-Einteilungen a) unauffällig vs. auffällig eine Sensitivität (Sens) von 82% sowie eine Spezifität (Spez) von 71% (Kreuzvalidierung: Sens 82%/ Spez 62%/ Cut-off 3,62) und b) nicht auffällig vs. aspirationsgefährdet eine Sensitivität von 90% sowie eine Spezifität von 86% (Kreuzvalidierung: Sens 90%/ Spez 81%/ Cut-off 4,75). Für den Zusammenhang zwischen dem Kriterien-Summenscore und dem gewichteten MDT-PD-Summenscore konnte in den Studiendaten eine starke Korrelation mit einem Spearman-Rho Korrelationskoeffizienten von +0,699 (p<0,001) beobachtet werden. Für die Fragebogen-Items des MDT-PD wurde ein Cronbachs-Alpha von 0,913 berechnet, welches auf eine sehr hohe interne Konsistenz hinweist.
Die standardisierten Diagnostikbögen (klinisch/ endoskopisch) können Dysphagiologen zur Anwendung und Praxistauglichkeits-Prüfung bereit gestellt werden, welche die Test- Hauptgütekriterien der Objektivität und der Skalierbarkeit, in Teiltestungen der Validität und Reliabilität sowie die Nebengütekriterien erfüllen; die Validierung des Gesamt-Diagnostik- Inventars stellt eine Zukunftsarbeit dar; die Interrater-Reliabilitätsprüfung des endoskopischen Befundbogens wurde bereits begonnen.
In den Nebenanalysen ergaben sich moderate positive Korrelationen zwischen Dysphagie und einem höheren Hoehn und Yahr-Grad (Kendall-Tau-b= +0,430 mit p<0,001) sowie einem mittelgradigen UPDRS-III-Wert (p=0,01, Spearman-Rho= +0,479 mit p<0,001); keine statistisch signifikanten Assoziationen ergaben sich für: niedrigen BMI, längere Erkrankungsdauer, Dysarthrophonie und Patientenalter; klinisch relevante Tendenzen in Richtung Dysphagie-Bestehen zeigten sich aber hinsichtlich: verringerter Boluskontrolle, höherem drooling score scale-Wert, kognitiver Beeinträchtigung, schwerer Dysarthrophonie und BMI unterhalb der Altersuntergrenze.
Konklusion: Ärzten und Therapeuten wird mit dem MDT-PD ein valides, reliables und praxistaugliches Screening-Tool zur präventiven Dysphagie-Risikoabschätzung sowie Graduierung (nicht auffällig, auffällig, aspirationsgefährdet) von Dysphagien bei IPS- Patienten zur Verfügung gestellt; mit der additionalen Auswertungsoption der Web- Applikation (www.mdt-parkinson.de) soll die Implementierung des MDT-PD in den klinischen Alltag vereinfacht werden. Dem Diagnoseergebnis entsprechend, kann eine weiterführende, apparative Schluckdiagnostik sowie ein früher Behandlungsbeginn zur Erhaltung der Lebensqualität und zur Verhinderung gesundheitsgefährdender Konsequenzen eingeleitet werden. Die Übertragbarkeit auf atypische Parkinson-Syndrome muss noch untersucht werden
The Parade of Identity: M. E. Braddon, The Travelling Circus Performer and the (Re)Construction of Self
No full textAccording to modern social psychology, the construction of identity occurs on three distinct levels: individual, relational and collective (Vignoles, Schwartz and Luyckx 3). Previously, psychologists argued that the three levels were self contained concepts and processes: individual identity is based on self-definition and self-agency and thus varies for each person; relational identity is based on interpersonal space within the family or the roles that one plays within a larger system; and collective identity is based on relationships within a group or social categories to which one belongs (3-4). The Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (2011) challenges this prevalent theory though by contending that the ‘multiple aspects of identity ... intersect and interact with each other’ (4); the concept of identity construction is mutable and, thus, the three levels influence each other. In this article, I apply this interconnected identity theory to the travelling circus troupe, M. E. Braddon’s depiction of circus performers in her short story ‘One Fatal Moment’ (1889) and to Braddon’s own multiple actress, author, editor, wife and mother identities. This interpretation reveals that travel and identity theory are inextricably linked for the touring circus performer, the actor and the writer. Furthermore, because the circus troupe crosses the country beginning their act on the streets (continuing it within the circus ring), the performance deconstructs the boundary between reality and façade, not only with reference to the performer’s own identity construction, but, as an extension, to the audience and the reader’s as well
The Parade of Identity: M. E. Braddon, The Travelling Circus Performer and the (Re)Construction of Self
No full textAccording to modern social psychology, the construction of identity occurs on three distinct levels: individual, relational and collective (Vignoles, Schwartz and Luyckx 3). Previously, psychologists argued that the three levels were self contained concepts and processes: individual identity is based on self-definition and self-agency and thus varies for each person; relational identity is based on interpersonal space within the family or the roles that one plays within a larger system; and collective identity is based on relationships within a group or social categories to which one belongs (3-4). The Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (2011) challenges this prevalent theory though by contending that the ‘multiple aspects of identity ... intersect and interact with each other’ (4); the concept of identity construction is mutable and, thus, the three levels influence each other. In this article, I apply this interconnected identity theory to the travelling circus troupe, M. E. Braddon’s depiction of circus performers in her short story ‘One Fatal Moment’ (1889) and to Braddon’s own multiple actress, author, editor, wife and mother identities. This interpretation reveals that travel and identity theory are inextricably linked for the touring circus performer, the actor and the writer. Furthermore, because the circus troupe crosses the country beginning their act on the streets (continuing it within the circus ring), the performance deconstructs the boundary between reality and façade, not only with reference to the performer’s own identity construction, but, as an extension, to the audience and the reader’s as well
Sustaining organisational change: Teacher education in the Solomon Islands.
No full text"Sustainability is the capacity of education reform initiatives to continue" (Webster, Silova, Moyer, & McAllister, 2011, para. 12). In this article we reflect upon the process of organisational strengthening that was a key component of the Partnership between the Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato and the School of Education, Solomon Islands College of Higher Education. We argue that within the New Zealand Aid Programmei funded partnership, the building of mutually respectful relationships, building leadership capacity and the respect for and inclusion of indigenous cultural considerations were key to the organisational change process and its sustainability
Retraining displaced workers : what can developing countries learn from OECD nations?
No full textThe governments of most industrial countries provide financial support for adult training programs intended to retrain displaced workers. The author draws lessons from the experience of six industrial countries (Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, Sweden, and the United States) on how to design and implement such retraining programs in low-income developing nations and middle-income countries. By retraining, the author means both improving job skills and remediating deficiencies in basic education. These are the lessons he emphasizes: Training programs should be independent of the educational system, with its rigid ties to degree requirements and academic schedules; links to employers must be developed and maintained so that trainees have marketable skills on completing the program. Training programs should be designed to minimize trainees'foregone earnings; basic education should be relevant to the jobs the trainees might seek. External providers of education must be made accountable - but with care; the system of accountability should also ensure that the needs of displaced workers most likely to suffer long-term unemployment are met. Not all displaced workers require relatively expansive retraining; some may need only inexpensive job-search assistance services. A permanent, institutionalized training system is preferable to short-term intervention.Labor Standards,Tertiary Education,ICT Policy and Strategies,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Teaching and Learning
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