Cultural authentication is a concept that was developed by Erekosima (1979), Erekosima and Eicher (1981), and Eicher and Erekosima (1980, 1995) to aid in the description of the transfer of artifacts from one culture to another. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the development of belly dance costume in the United States is an example of cultural authentication and, in so doing, further test and refine the concept of cultural authentication. Contemporary belly dance costume in the United States was described after conducting field research of the belly dance community over a period of ten months. The history of belly dance and its associated costume in America was explored through the review of previous historical research. Belly dance and its associated costume in the United States was then analyzed in terms of cultural authentication by addressing a series of seven questions. These seven questions were formulated to determine whether the four levels of cultural authentication (selection, characterization, incorporation, and transformation) occurred, and whether they occurred in that order. Contemporary belly dance costume in the United States was classified into two categories: replicated and creatively interpreted. The dancer who wears replicated costumes believes that he/she is imitating, to the best of his/her ability, a documented style of dress worn by a specific ethnic group, at a specific time, within the areas of the Near and Middle East. The dancer who wears creatively interpreted costumes believes that while he/she has been inspired by documented styles of dress worn by ethnic groups within the areas of the Near and Middle East, his/her costume is particularly reflective of his/her unique personality and aesthetic preferences. It was concluded that the concept of cultural authentication is exceedingly vague. As currently defined, the concept and its four levels are inadequate to describe how Americans have acquired and used belly dance and its associated costume, what kinds of meanings Americans have attached to belly dance and its associated costume, and how market forces, advanced communication and transportation technologies, and individual and cultural identity issues are continually prompting and facilitating innovations to belly dance and its associated costume. / Graduation date: 1999

Mini unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) have high significance among other UAV&#039 / s, in different categories, due to their ease of production, flexibility of maintenance, decrease in weight due to the elimination of landing gear system and simplicity of use. They are usually built to meet &#039 / hand launching&#039 / and &#039 / belly landing&#039 / criteria in order to have easy flight and easy landing features. Due to the hand take-off and belly landing features there is no need to have a runway and this feature is a very significant advantage in operational use. In an operation, belly landing mini UAV&#039 / s may encounter tough landing areas like gravel, concrete or hard soil. Such landing areas may create landing loads which are impulsive in character. The effect of the landing loads on the airframe of the mini unmanned air vehicle must be completely understood and the mini UAV be designed accordingly in order not to damage the mini UAV during belly landing. Typical impact speeds during belly landing is relatively low (&lt / 10 m/s) and in general belly landing phenomenon can be treated as low velocity impact. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact loads on the composite substructures of a mini UAV due to the belly landing. &#039 / G&uuml / vent&uuml / rk&#039 / Mini UAV which is designed and built in METU Aerospace Engineering Department, is used as the analysis platform. This study is limited to the calculation of stresses and deformation that is caused by the low velocity impact forces encountered during belly landing. The main purpose of this work is to help the designer in making design decisions for a mini UAV that is tolerable to low velocity impact loads. Initial part of the thesis includes analytical treatment of low velocity impact phenomenon. In the simplified analytical approach the loading is assumed as quasistatic and comparisons of such a simplified method of analysis is made with explicit finite element solutions on isotropic and composite plate structures to investigate the applicability of simplified analytical method of analysis. Belly landing analyses of the mini UAV are done by MSC.Dytran, which is an explicit finite element solver. Model building and post processing are done via MSC.Patran. Stress and deformation response of the mini UAV is investigated by performing low velocity impact analysis using sub-structure built-up approach.

The aim of the dissertation is to describe and analyze the practice and meaning of Middle Eastern dance through the study of a number of performers in Stockholm. In particular, this study emphasises the ways in which the performers seek, create and defend values such as femininity, authenticity, empowerment and respectability in and through their dancing. Data for this study consists of field notes from participant observation in dance classes, festivals and gatherings; in-depth interviews and written material, such as leaflets and Internet material. Field notes from a trip to Lebanon with a group of Swedish dancers are also included. The performance of Middle Eastern dance in Stockholm may be seen as a way for Swedish women to find new femininities. They strive to combine a glamorous hyper-femininity with strength and respectability. This is a difficult task. The dancers constantly have to maintain a balance. While enjoying the hyper-femininity of oriental dance they must avoid being too sexy and thereby running the risk of being reduced to the position of sexual objects. To avoid losing control of the situation performing in public the dancers use different tactics. Many try to make the performance a clearly bounded event and make distinctions between themselves as individuals and the personas they embody on stage. This gives the performers a chance to playfully embody hyper-femininity. Other dancers have changed the dance itself, removing all movements and costumes that could be perceived as sexually inviting or aiming to please.

The focus of this study was the exploration of belly dance as a form of female self care. The specific facet of self care explored was female health and well being as impacted on by belly dance. There is a limited amount of existing scholarly studies t hat focus on the value of belly dance in self care. Therefore this study followed a qualitative format which promoted exploration of th is under researched field. This study occurred in a context where women’s lives are busier than ever before as a result of their involvement in both the home and the workplace. Thus there is a need for them to engage in self care activities that effectively restore and replenish body, mind and soul in order to enable them to continue to meet their multiple responsibilities in a functional manner. Facets of self care explored were psychical, mental and social health and well being as impacted on by belly dancing. To achieve this, data collection tools of focus groups and interviews, following a semi-structured format were used. The results showed that belly dance plays a significant and positive role, not only in female self care but in enjoyment as well. Some specific aspects of belly dance found to be useful to female self ca re was its liberating use of the female form, its non-discriminatory aspect that unites all women in enjoyment of the dance, the absence of men, the supportive presence of women, the music, the feminine aspects, a secure environment and the opportunity that belly dance presents for women to pl ay a different role. Conclusions point to women viewing society as androcentric and providing little opportunity for feminine expression. A major conclusion is that women are non-verbally strong, relational beings who are predisposed to the language of dance and music. They are effectively revitalised by dance and music as presented by belly dance. This has implications for social work service delivery to women on multiple levels. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

Objective: Ultrasound is used increasingly in swallowing research because it can be a non-invasive, repeatable and cost effective measure of swallowing dynamics and rehabilitative effects. However unstable head position and transducer movement while imaging may result in measurement error that is substantive enough to bias research results. This study investigated the variation in measures of hyoid displacement and submental muscle size within and across three sessions using two methods of acquisition. Methods: Twenty-four healthy participants over the age of 50 attended three sessions. In each session, five dynamic video clips of hyoid movement and five static images of submental muscles were imaged in 2D ultrasound using two acquisition methods. One method involved manual hand-held stabilisation of the transducer and the other method involved a custom-designed stand for stabilisation of the transducer and participant. Hyoid displacement was measured as a percent change between measures made at rest and at maximal excursion. Additionally, cross sectional area (CSA) measurements were made of the paired geniohyoid and the left and right anterior belly of digastric (ABD) muscles at rest. Results: Out of 720 possible measures of hyoid displacement, 675 measures were analysed. There were no significant order effects of session or trial with changes that were <1% and no greater 4.5% for session and no greater than 1.5% for trial from estimated baseline measures. There was a significant effect of method (p<.01), with a systematic decrease in stand measures that were <9.5% and no greater than 16% from estimated baseline measures. Variance was larger across sessions than within sessions. The stand condition was more variable than the hand-held condition for measures of hyoid displacement. Out of a total of 2160 possible measures of submental muscle size, 555 measures of geniohyoid and 1408 measures of ABD muscles were analysed. There were no significant order effects of session, trial or method in geniohyoid muscle measures. The estimated order effects of session were <3% and no greater than 13%, and trials were <0.4% and no greater than 0.7% from estimated baseline measures. There were no significant order effects of session and method in ABD muscle measures with order effects of session that were <2% and no greater than 5.5%. There were significant effects of trial (p<.01) in both ABD muscles with a small systematic increase that was <0.5% and no greater than 0.8%. Variance was larger across sessions than within sessions in all measures of submental muscle size. The stand condition was less variable than the hand-held condition for all measures of submental muscle size. Conclusion: The results from this study provide guidance to researchers who intend to use repeated measures from ultrasound imaging as an outcome measure in swallowing research. The large variability within and across participants in measures of hyoid displacement and geniohyoid muscle size may require further investigation. When the variations described in this current study are considered in the measures of the ABD muscle size then it can be a valuable measure of rehabilitative techniques.

O presente trabalho trata da percepção ocidental em relação à dança oriental a partir de relatos de seis viajantes inglesas que estiveram no Egito entre os anos de 1842 e 1876, período que abrange a dominação imperialista europeia no Oriente Médio. Têm-se como referenciais teóricos o conceito de “Orientalismo”, cunhado por Edward Said, e a crítica posterior realizada por feministas pós-coloniais e decoloniais. Assim, analiso estes relatos a partir de uma perspectiva interseccional, considerando-se os recortes de gênero, raça e classe que influenciaram as representações tecidas por mulheres europeias sobre homens e, sobretudo, mulheres egípcias. Examino de que modo estas representações impactaram tanto nas identidades inglesas quanto egípcias e de que maneira elas transformaram a dança que era praticada no Egito e que, a partir do contato dado no contexto colonial, se transnascionalizou e hoje é percebida como “Dança do Ventre” (em português), “Bellydance” (em inglês), “Danse du Ventre” (em francês) e “Raqs Sharqi” (em árabe). / This research investigates the Western perception of Eastern dance based on the study of the accounts of six British women who traveled to Egypt between 1842 and 1876, a period that encompasses European imperialist domination in the Middle East. The theoretical references include the concept of "Orientalism", coined by Edward Said, and the subsequent criticism by postcolonial and decolonial feminists. Thus, I analyze these reports from an intersectional perspective, considering the categories of gender, race and class that influenced the representations made by European women about men and, above all, Egyptian women. I examine how these representations impacted both English and Egyptian identities and how they transformed the dance that was practiced in Egypt, which, from the contact given in the colonial context, became transnational and is now perceived as “Dança do Ventre” (in Portuguese) “Bellydance” (in English), “Danse du Ventre” (in French) and “Raqs Sharqi” (in Arabic).

abstract: In this study, the researcher develops a documentary-driven methodology to understand the ways four women in the United States use their involvement in the belly dance phenomenon to shape their ongoing individual identity development. The filmmaking process itself and its efficacy as a process to promote self-understanding and identity growth among the participating belly dancers, are also investigated phenomenologically. Methodological steps taken in the documentary-driven methodology include: initial filmed interviews, co-produced filmed dance performances, editorial interviews to review footage with each dancer, documentary film production, dancer-led focus groups to screen the film, and exit interviews with each dancer. The project generates new understandings about the ways women use belly dance to shape their individual identities to include: finding community with other women in private women's spaces, embodying the music through the dance movements, and finding liberation from their everyday "selves" through costume and performance. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Anthropology 2012

The main topic of Femme Fatale as a Cultural Construct: The Fatal Womanhood Phenomenon in a Historical and Transcultural Perspective is to describe, compare and interpret "femme fatale" in the context of the belly dancer, geisha and salonnière phenomena. The thesis objective, and subsequently its main research question, is to perform a comparative analysis of femme fatale as a unique cultural construct that is projected into various roles of a woman in an original manner. Special attention is paid to make note of concrete cultural and historical attributes related to the profession, knowledge, skills and social roles of belly dancers, geishas and salonnières. Among secondary objectives, the thesis intends to take an interdisciplinary stance in order to elaborate the problems of emancipation and sexuality in historical attitudes toward women, and to identify fatal womanhood motives in fine arts. Last, but not least, the plan is to study cultural and aesthetic contribution of women regarded as femmes fatales. The thesis consists of four relatively standalone chapters, each of which take different interdisciplinary angles to analyze the fatal womanhood phenomenon. The first chapter, a historical exposé of the thesis, investigates the femme fatale through the eyes of mythology and religion. The second chapter,...

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da densidade sobre o desempenho e o comportamento de leitões na fase de creche. Um total de 560 leitões desmamados (peso médio de 5,75 ± 0,9 kg e idade média de 20,92 ± 0,8 dias) foram aleatoriamente alojados em quatro tratamentos com diferentes densidades: T0,33, T0,28, T0,23 e T0,18 (0,33, 0,28, 0,23 e 0,18 m²/animal respectivamente). As baias continham 20 animais e a ração foi fornecida à vontade. As lesões de cauda e orelha foram graduadas em escores de 0 a 4 e o número de lesões de briga foram avaliados semanalmente. Dezesseis baias foram filmadas em três momentos (1ª, 4ª e 6ª semana de alojamento) para avaliação da frequência de brigas e de belly nosing. Foi observado um efeito linear da densidade sobre o ganho de peso diário (GPD; P=0,049), um efeito quadrático sobre o peso aos 42 dias (P=0,030) e uma tendência de efeito quadrático para o consumo médio diário (CMD; P=0,075). Não houve efeito da densidade na conversão alimentar (CA) e no coeficiente de variação (CV) do peso aos 42 dias. Foi observado um maior número de leitões apresentando lesões severas de orelha no grupo T0,18 quando comparado ao T0,33 (P = 0,019) e T0,28 (P = 0,056). Um maior número de animais com lesões moderadas ou severas foi observado no grupo T0,18 (P < 0,05) do que nos demais grupos para lesões de orelha, e do que T0,33 para lesões de cauda. Houve um efeito linear da densidade sobre a frequência de brigas, com uma maior ocorrência nos grupos com menos espaço. Contudo, não foi observado efeito sobre o número de lesões de briga ou de casos de belly nosing. Em conclusão, o aumento da densidade afetou negativamente o desempenho dos leitões, além de aumentar a ocorrência de comportamentos indesejáveis. / The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of space allowance on performance and behavior of nursery pigs. At weaning 560 pigs (5.75 ± 0.9 kg of body weight and 20.92 ± 0.8 days of age) were randomly assigned in four treatments with different stocking densities: T0.33, T0.28, T0.23 and T0.18 (0.33, 0.28, 0.23 and 0.18 m²/pig respectively). Pens were standardized to have the same group size (20 pigs/pen) and feed was provided ad libitum. Tail and ear biting lesions and the fighting lesions were weekly observed. Sixteen pens were videotaped in three different moments (1st, 4th and 6th housing week) and the frequency of fights and belly nosing were recorded. A linear effect was observed of stocking density on average daily gain (ADG; P=0.049), a quadratic effect and a quadratic tendency of effect were observed on body weight at 42 days after weaning and on average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P=0.030; P=0.075, respectively). There was no effect of stocking density on the gain:feed ratio or weight coefficient of variation (CV) at day 42. Higher graduation of severe ear lesions was observed in pigs from T0.18 when compared to T0.33 (P = 0.0196) and T0.28 (P = 0.056). A higher number of pigs with moderate or severe tail and ear lesions was observed in T0.18 (P > 0.05). Moreover, it was observed a linear effect of density on the frequency of fights, with higher occurrence in groups housed in restricted spaces. However, no effect of stocking density was observed on fight lesions or belly nosing among treatments. In conclusion, increased density negatively affected the performance of piglets and increased the occurrence of unsuitable behaviors.

O presente trabalho trata da percepção ocidental em relação à dança oriental a partir de relatos de seis viajantes inglesas que estiveram no Egito entre os anos de 1842 e 1876, período que abrange a dominação imperialista europeia no Oriente Médio. Têm-se como referenciais teóricos o conceito de “Orientalismo”, cunhado por Edward Said, e a crítica posterior realizada por feministas pós-coloniais e decoloniais. Assim, analiso estes relatos a partir de uma perspectiva interseccional, considerando-se os recortes de gênero, raça e classe que influenciaram as representações tecidas por mulheres europeias sobre homens e, sobretudo, mulheres egípcias. Examino de que modo estas representações impactaram tanto nas identidades inglesas quanto egípcias e de que maneira elas transformaram a dança que era praticada no Egito e que, a partir do contato dado no contexto colonial, se transnascionalizou e hoje é percebida como “Dança do Ventre” (em português), “Bellydance” (em inglês), “Danse du Ventre” (em francês) e “Raqs Sharqi” (em árabe). / This research investigates the Western perception of Eastern dance based on the study of the accounts of six British women who traveled to Egypt between 1842 and 1876, a period that encompasses European imperialist domination in the Middle East. The theoretical references include the concept of "Orientalism", coined by Edward Said, and the subsequent criticism by postcolonial and decolonial feminists. Thus, I analyze these reports from an intersectional perspective, considering the categories of gender, race and class that influenced the representations made by European women about men and, above all, Egyptian women. I examine how these representations impacted both English and Egyptian identities and how they transformed the dance that was practiced in Egypt, which, from the contact given in the colonial context, became transnational and is now perceived as “Dança do Ventre” (in Portuguese) “Bellydance” (in English), “Danse du Ventre” (in French) and “Raqs Sharqi” (in Arabic).