89 research outputs found
Correspondence; author(s) include A.R. Harman, Edward W. Wallington; recipient(s) include Alfred Deakin
No full textDoença de Legg-Calvé-Perthes.
No full textTrabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Departamento de Clínica Médica, Curso de Medicina, Florianópolis, 198
Victorian values and the Victorian theatre
No full textI contend that 'morality, respectability, and decorum', were Victorian values trumpeted particularly loudly in Birmingham because of the local dominance of Nonconformism. Nonconformists had materially delayed the granting of a licence to Birmingham's playhouse, and continued actively hostile to its existence. Their influence on the prevailing 'official' moral climate is apparent in the reluctance of the local magistracy to grant music hall licence applications. Theatre managers here, then, laboured under an added imperative to maintain tranquil, well-conducted houses, presenting wholesome fare, and with strong community links.
II
My contention is that the theatre embraced and, occasionally, stimulated technological innovation. I also argue that Birmingham industrialists played a crucial role in materially changing both the functioning and the appearance of playhouses and music halls.
That the revolution in mobility was the overriding factor in the contemporary mushrooming of playhouses and music halls is, I suggest, too apparent to be gainsaid. I focus closely on the transformation of Birmingham's transport links, both externally and within the town, and the readiness of local promoters and managers of theatres to exploit the new opportunities to attract audiences.
III
I suggest that if cultural imperialism operated more subtly than the political brand, imperialism it remained. The relationship with the fledgling United States displayed the classic characteristics of paternalism and condescension, not unmixed with arrogance, on . the part of the metropolitan power, and a general deference, giving way to fits of resentment, pique, and sometimes open rebellion, on the part of the erstwhile colonials. Minstrelsy and the cult of the 'Wild West' represent the beginnings of a reversal of the hitherto one-way cultural traffic, mirroring changes in the transatlantic political balance. I argue that the advent of steam navigation was a key factor in the expanding and vibrant Anglo-American exchange, with Birmingham playing a full role in that exchange
Identifying human and animal faecal contamination in surface and drinking water : new concepts and approaches
No full textWaterborne disease outbreaks caused by various pathogens have been reported from all over the world. They also play an important role in industrialized countries, despite good sanitation and high standards of hygiene. In Switzerland, waterborne disease outbreaks are uncommon but faecal contamination of springs occurs quite frequently in some areas. As a consequence, microbiological quality of drinking water is not constantly sufficient and there is potential for improvement. Based on the hygiene ordinance, cantonal authorities contribute with control actions to the supply of safe water to consumers. Microbiological quality assessment based on current drinking water guidelines do not discriminate between human and animal sources of contamination. However, methods for discriminating between human and animal faecal contamination are needed to identify sources of contamination and to provide specific scientific data as a basis for risk management measures and for the implementation of remedial interventions.
The main goal of this thesis was to establish approaches for the identification of human and animal faecal contamination in surface and drinking water and to develop concepts for future investigations. A number of methods can be used to help identify sources of faecal contamination in water. The general concept is referred to as microbial source tracking (MST). Different methodologies for MST were previously used mainly for analysis of faecal samples and recreational waters such as streams, lakes and beaches. Prior to this study, MST was not applied in Switzerland.
In the present thesis, source tracking approaches never before used in MST as well as methods previously described in scientific literature were tested for their potential to indicate human or animal faecal contamination in Switzerland.
Two bacterial strains (Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron ARABA 84 and B. fragilis ARABA 19) specific for bacteriophages present in human faecal contamination and three strains (B. caccae RBA 63 and RBA 64 as well as B. fragilis KBA 60) specific for bacteriophages indicating animal faecal contamination were isolated from human wastewater and animal faecal specimens. Thereafter they were used to determine the source of surface and spring water faecal contamination.
In addition, the potential of Streptococcus agalactiae was tested as a new human MST indicator. Different methods of detecting these bacteria in domestic and slaughterhouse wastewater were compared. Three DNA extraction methods and five polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were tested to identify the most suitable combination. The most sensitive detection method, a LightCycler real-time PCR assay, detected S. agalactiae in human wastewater but not in animal samples and showed that this bacteria is potentially useful as human MST indicator.
Rhodococcus coprophilus was previously used in MST to indicate animal faecal contamination in water. For the detection of this organism, a culture-dependent method and a conventional as well as a TaqMan real-time PCR assay were previously published. The evaluation of these existing approaches, however, did not reveal any satisfactory result. A novel LightCycler real-time PCR assay was therefore designed and validated in the course of the present thesis. Compared with previously used assays, this new molecular approach showed advantages such as improved sensitivity and specificity and was much faster than the culture-based method.
Sorbitol-fermenting bifidobacteria and phages infecting the Bacteroides host strains GA-17 and GB-124 were previously described to indicate human faecal contamination. Together with the newly developed and validated approaches, these established MST indicators were included in a comparative study and their potential to indicate human or animal faecal contamination in Swiss surface and spring water was tested. Based upon this assessment, sorbitol-fermenting bifidobacteria and phages of the human host strains B. thetaiotaomicron ARABA 84 and B. ovatus GB-124 can be recommended for detecting human faecal contamination in Swiss surface and drinking water.
The above-mentioned approaches give evidence of the faecal input sites of contamination. To localize possible faecal input sites, they can be followed by an additional approach described in this thesis. This approach is based on the screening of multiresistant Escherichia coli and on the characterisation of selected isolates by antibiotic resistance profiles and pulsed field gel electrophoresis in order to identify identical strains. Thereby, a well equipped toolbox could be provided not only to discriminate sources of faecal contamination but also to localize possible faecal input sites
BUSINESS FLUCTUATIONS AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING MEASUREMENT: HISTORICAL COMMENTS
No full textThis paper addresses a theme in an historical setting that financial accounting measurement contributes to: (1) retardation of national economic growth by the failure of financial accounting to provide for the replacement of capital goods in its measurement process; and (2) the business cycle owing to the illusory profits reported in financial statements. The author explores the issues and concludes that the arguments against accounting are based upon misunderstandings.retardation of economic growth; national or social accounting; replacement cost accounting; Harrod's 'instability principle'; maintenance of physical capacity; illusory profits.
Knowledge cluster formation as a science policy: lessons learned
No full textRegional science policy aims at the creation of productive knowledge clusters, which are central places within an epistemic landscape of knowledge production and dissemination, K-clusters are said to have the organisational capability to drive innovations and create new industries. The following paper will look at Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam and their path towards a Knowledge-based economy. All governments have used cluster formation as one of their development strategies. Some evidence on the current state of knowledge cluster formation is provided. If the formation of a knowledge cluster has been the government policy, what has been the result? Is there an epistemic landscape of knowledge clusters? Has the main knowledge cluster really materialised? Data collected from websites, directories, government publications and expert interviews have enabled us to construct the epistemic landscape of Peninsular Malaysia and the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Several knowledge clusters of a high density of knowledge producing institutions and their knowledge workers have been identified and described. An analysis of the knowledge output, measured in terms of scientific publications, patents and trademarks show that knowledge clusters have, indeed, been productive as predicted by cluster theory, though the internal working of clusters require further explanation.Science policy; knowledge and development; knowledge-based economy; knowledge clusters; knowledge corridors; Malaysia; Vietnam
Architectural taste and patronage in Newcastle upon Tyne, 1870-1914
No full textThis thesis examines architectural taste and patronage in Newcastle upon Tyne between 1870 and 1914. During this period, the city experienced dramatic expansion as the wealth generated in industry, finance and retail was channelled into commercial and public architecture. The overall aim is to determine whether Newcastle formed a distinctive architectural culture. Newcastle's economic and social profile gave rise to specific patterns of taste and patronage. The thesis explores the cultural networks that shaped the built form of the city, arguing that architectural patronage in Newcastle was dominated by a cultural oligarchy. This group formed an architectural culture, a relatively self-contained community in which particular styles and architects were favoured above others. Newcastle was a major centre of industry, finance and retail, and played a significant role in the national economy. The thesis seeks to reposition Newcastle within the context of the dynamic forces that were reshaping Britain's built environment. As the period progressed, the distinctive patterns of taste and patronage within the city were eroded by the increasingly national economy, the influence of the metropolis and the more active role played by the centralised state. The thesis relates the architectural culture under study to the national mainstream, thus shedding light on the relationship between provincial architecture and the metropolis. The thesis employs a range of methodological strategies in order to bring the different facets of architecture into focus. With clearly defined geographical and temporal boundaries, it seeks to clarify the economic, social and cultural factors that underpin architectural production, thus offering a new insight into architectural patronage
Mining social network data for personalisation and privacy concerns: A case study of Facebook’s Beacon
No full textThis is the post-print version of the final published paper that is available from the link below.The popular success of online social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook is a hugely tempting resource of data mining for businesses engaged in personalised marketing. The use of personal information, willingly shared between online friends' networks intuitively appears to be a natural extension of current advertising strategies such as word-of-mouth and viral marketing. However, the use of SNS data for personalised marketing has provoked outrage amongst SNS users and radically highlighted the issue of privacy concern. This paper inverts the traditional approach to personalisation by conceptualising the limits of data mining in social networks using privacy concern as the guide. A qualitative investigation of 95 blogs containing 568 comments was collected during the failed launch of Beacon, a third party marketing initiative by Facebook. Thematic analysis resulted in the development of taxonomy of privacy concerns which offers a concrete means for online businesses to better understand SNS business landscape - especially with regard to the limits of the use and acceptance of personalised marketing in social networks
Silence and the crisis of self - legitimation in English romanticism
No full textMy thesis depicts the crisis of self-legitimation that has accompanied the onset of modern hermeneutics, with its historicised and organicised version of the Enlightenment's 'universal perspective.' In this it follows the lead of the contemporary hermeneuticist Hans- Georg Gadamer in resuscitating the notion of prejudice, but contrasts it with Hannah Arendt's discussion of the human condition. She implicitly locates the problem in modern hermeneutics, the aporia, in the very philosophy of life that Gadamer embraces as its solution. Gadamer confuses the task of the humanities as a search for truth with what it ought to be, a search for meaning. I begin with his depiction of Kant's attack on the sensus communis; I conclude with an examination of the consequences of this attack on the orientation and interpretative practices of current schools of literary criticism with specific reference to Keats's Ode on a Grecian Urn. In the central chapter, I focus upon Coleridge's attack on Wordsworth's Preface to Lyrical Ballads (1802) in the Bioeraphia Literaria, reading it as a fundamental defence of prejudice based on the very fact that man has been made in imago Dei. The consequent logocentricity of humanity that Coleridge insists upon opposes Wordsworth's emphasis upon a transcendental idea of 'feeling.' This fundamental notion forms the basis of Coleridge's definition of the primary imagination. I argue the distinctiveness of his definition from that of the other Romantics and maintain its necessity to escape the aporia. This point is proved negatively by Shelley's Mont Blanc, which seizes upon the radical consequences of Wordsworth's poetics, presenting both heresy and obscurity in the poem. The word 'crisis' thus reflects the urgency with which I advocate the need to re-adopt Coleridge's emphases in contemporary literary criticism
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