Sometimes the concrete form and skill of a work of art stand in a non-arbitrary or non-contingent relationship with the social circumstances of its facture. I hypothesise that this form and such skill was used by Diego Velázquez for artistically, socially and politically subversive purposes. In particular, I show how Velázquez used painting techniques to undermine the constitutional theory—or fiction—of the reigning monarch as mystically having two bodies: one ʻpublic’, sacred and immortal—even deified—, representing and incarnating the commonwealth, one ʻprivate’ and one mortal, capable of naturalist portraiture. In Hall XII at the Madrid Prado there hangs on your right as you exit a rather small bust portrait of the Iberian Habsburg monarch, Philip IV. It was painted in about 1653, during a pivotal period that saw a general climatic, economic, social, cultural, religious and political crisis and powerful intellectual developments that still characterise Western societies. The picture contains two essentially naturalistic motifs which can be seen from two different vantage points: a bust of a middle-aged man (ʻMotif I’) and, obliquely ʻat a glance’, a skull (ʻMotif II’). Both serve to subvert the constitutional fiction of the King’s Two Bodies: Motif I invites the beholder to approach closer to admire and work out the artist’s already at the time famously ʻloose’ technique, the use of manchas or borrones. The motif will then dissolve and show itself to be artifice which requires the beholder’s cooperation to make it look like the King. It suggests that the Monarchy similarly is an arti-fact that is manu-factured by artists in cooperation with the subjects. Motif II is in effect a vanitas, underlining the mortal and therefore human and transient nature of the monarch, and by implication of the monarchy itself. With the ambition of satisfying the Popperian test of hypothesis falsification, I have proceeded on the basis of the time-hallowed method of the connoisseur of looking closely at works of art in situ and, broadly understood, Wölfflin’s and Panofsky’s theoretical models, together with fundamentals of human psychology and physiology of perception and cognition, assuming an interaction of innate Gestalten and historically and culturally contingent habitus. I interpret my findings in the context of 17C Iberia, including intellectual contributions like that of Pacheco, Carducci, Castiglioni and Gracián. I rely on the rich historical literature on the period and on Philip IV and Velázquez (and their relationship). I make some comparisons between Velázquez, his fellow court-painters Hans Holbein, jr, and Anthony van Dyck, and an artist far from the courts but so close to Velázquez in technique and maybe personal convictions, Frans Hals. My hypothesis relies on three fundamental auxiliary claims—wagered against falsification—to support the claim that Velázquez was a subversive and to give the context for the subversiveness of the portrait of Philip IV: (1) Velázquez did have the practical freedom to produce this subversive royal portrait; (2) it is likely that he used that freedom for this purpose; and (3) he actively manipulated vision and visuality. I at least make likely all three claims. On the basis of Velázquez’s œuvre more generally—especially in his portraits of the marginalised—I show that he had a significant degree of freedom and that he consistently worked towards artistic, social and even political subversion (though not necessarily revolution) using his deep knowledge of vision, visuality and optics—science at the cutting edge in the 17C. As he appears to have suffered from the stain (mancha) of deficient limpieza de sangre, Velázquez’s own person and career—culminating in a knighthood—amounted in itself to social and political subversion. It is appropriate to characterise the technically resourceful Velázquez-the-painter as ingenioso. In fact, as the clever and skilled painter’s hidalguía was almost certainly proved with dissembling and falsified evidence, the mancha of his artisan antecedents—and possibly also of Jewish ancestry—makes him a true ingenioso hidalgo de la mancha. / A veces, la forma y la habilidad concretas de una obra de arte guardan una relación no arbitraria ni contingente con las circunstancias sociales de su realización. Mi hipótesis es que esa forma y esa habilidad fueron utilizadas por Diego Velázquez con fines artísticas, sociales y políticamente subversivos. En particular, muestro cómo Velázquez utilizó las técnicas pictóricas para socavar la teoría —o ficción— constitucional del monarca reinante como poseedor místico de dos cuerpos: uno «público», sagrado e inmortal —incluso divinizado—, que representa y encarna la mancomunidad, otro «privado» y mortal, susceptible de retrato naturalista.   En la sala XII del Museo del Prado de Madrid, a la salida, cuelga a la derecha un retrato de busto bastante pequeño del monarca ibérico de los Austrias, Felipe IV. Fue pintado hacia 1653, durante un periodo crucial en el que se produjo una crisis general climática, económica, social, cultural, religiosa y política, así como una poderosa evolución intelectual que aún caracteriza a las sociedades occidentales. El cuadro contiene dos motivos esencialmente naturalistas que pueden contemplarse desde dos puntos de vista diferentes: el busto de un hombre de mediana edad («Motivo I») y, de forma oblicua «en un vistazo», una calavera («Motivo II»). Ambos sirven para subvertir la ficción constitucional de los Dos Cuerpos del Rey: El Motivo I invita al espectador a acercarse para admirar y elaborar la ya entonces famosa técnica «suelta» del artista, el uso de manchas o borrones. El motivo se disolverá entonces y se mostrará como un artificio que requiere la cooperación del espectador para que se parezca al Rey. Sugiere que la Monarquía también es un arti-ficio fabri-cado por artistas en cooperación con los súbditos. El Motivo II es, en efecto, una vanitas, que subraya la naturaleza mortal y, por tanto, humana y transitoria del monarca y, por implicación, de la propia monarquía.  Con la ambición de satisfacer la prueba popperiana de falsación de hipótesis, he procedido basándome en el método consagrado por el tiempo del conocedor de observar de cerca las obras de arte in situ y, en sentido amplio, en los modelos teóricos de Wölfflin y Panofsky, junto con los fundamentos de la psicología humana y la fisiología de la percepción y la cognición, asumiendo una interacción de Gestalten innatas y habitus históricas y culturalmente contingentes. Interpreto mis hallazgos en el contexto de la Iberia del siglo XVII, incluyendo aportaciones intelectuales como las de Pacheco, Carducho, Castiglioni y Gracián. Me baso en la rica literatura histórica sobre el periodo y sobre Felipe IV y Velázquez (y su relación). Hago algunas comparaciones entre Velázquez, sus pares artistas de la corte Hans Holbein, jr, y Anthony van Dyck, y un artista alejado de la corte pero tan cercano a Velázquez en técnica y quizá en convicciones personales, Frans Hals.   Mi hipótesis se basa en tres afirmaciones auxiliares fundamentales —puestas en contra de la falsificación— para apoyar la afirmación de que Velázquez era un subversivo y para dar el contexto de la subversividad del retrato de Felipe IV: (1) Velázquez tenía la libertad práctica para producir este retrato real subversivo; (2) es probable que utilizara esa libertad para este fin; y (3) manipuló activamente la visión y la visualidad. Yo, al menos, hago probables las tres afirmaciones. Sobre la base de la obra de Velázquez en general —especialmente en sus retratos de marginados— demuestro que tenía un grado significativo de libertad y que trabajó constantemente en pro de la subversión artística, social e incluso política (aunque no necesariamente de la revolución) utilizando sus profundos conocimientos de la visión, la visualidad y la óptica, ciencia de vanguardia en el siglo XVII. Como parece haber sufrido la mancha de sangre carente de limpieza, la persona y la carrera de Velázquez —que culminó con el título de caballero— constituyeron en sí mismas una subversión social y política. Resulta apropiado calificar de ingenioso al pintor Velázquez, técnicamente ingenioso. De hecho, como la hidalguía del hábil e ingenioso pintor se probó casi con toda seguridad con pruebas disimuladas y falsificadas, la mancha de sus antecedentes artesanos —y posiblemente también de ascendencia judía— le convierte en un verdadero ingenioso hidalgo de la mancha.

Sedan 2007 har ett forskningsprojekt på s.k. ”framtidens kärnkraft”, även kallat för fjärde generationens kärnkraft pågått i Sverige. För den här studien har jag dels antagit ett historiskt perspektiv för att undersöka hur detta projekt har utvecklats och förändrats över tiden. Jag har även använt mig av Faircloughs kritiska diskursanalys som metod och teori för att undersöka vilka argument som har använts (och på vilket sätt som dessa argument har förmedlats) när olika representanter bakom projektet försökte övertyga både Regeringskansliet 2012 och Energikommissionen 2015 om värdet av denna teknik. I den teknikhistoriska undersökningen uppdagades det att mellan åren 2007 - 2017 hade syftet och designen hos den föreslagna reaktorkonstruktionen förändrats avsevärt. Från början hade projektet handlat om att upprätta en forskningsanläggning i Sverige med både tillhörande reaktor, bränsletillverkningsanläggning och upparbetningsanläggning för produktion av plutonium som reaktorbränsle. Projektet fick däremot avslag från regeringen efter att både KVA och Vetenskapsrådet hade ställt sig kritiska till projektets utformning, ur både tekniska och samhällsekonomiska perspektiv. Därefter förändrades projektets utformning till att istället handla om kommersiell elproduktion för den kanadensiska gruvindustrin i Arktis. I den diskursanalytiska undersökningen visade det sig att framställningen av fjärde generationens kärnkraft i det analyserade materialet har vilat bakom en okritisk och positiv inställning till tekniken. Argumenten som har använts har för det mesta handlat om teknikens teoretiska möjligheter, men väldigt lite om realismen i dessa visioner. När åsikter eller värderingar har förekommit, har dessa nästan uteslutande formulerats som vedertagna sanningar, vilket både förstärker och upprätthåller aktörerna som auktoriteter på området. I analysen diskuterar jag även fem olika diskurser som jag identifierade i det analyserade materialet. Dessa diskurser menar jag verkar både reproducerande och omstrukturerande på den rådande diskursordningen, vars syfte har varit att försöka skapa ett förnyat intresse för fjärde generationens kärnkraft som tidigare gick under namnet ”bridreaktor”. / Since 2007 a Swedish research project have been attempting to develop “the next generation” of nuclear power plants, also called the fourth generation of nuclear power. In this study, I have partly adopted a historical perspective in order to investigate how this research project have developed and changed over time. I have also applied the methodology of Faricloughs critical discourse analysis in order to identify what kind of arguments and rhetoric’s that were used by some of the representatives of this project when they tried to convince the Swedish cabinet office in 2012 and the Swedish Energy commission in 2015 of the value of this technology. In the historical investigation, it was discovered that between the years of 2007 and 2017, the purpose and design of the proposed reactor had undergone several transformations and changes. At first, the leaders of the research project had been considering building a research facility in Sweden that would not only include a reactor, but also a fuel fabrication and reprocessing facility for production of plutonium fuel. However, the project was never approved by the Swedish government, after both KVA and Vetenskapsrådet had expressed criticism towards the project, due to both technical and socio-economic considerations. As a result, the direction of the project was transformed into commercial power production for the mining industry in the Canadian Arctic. In the discourse analysis, it became evident that the information and arguments that had been presented in the analysed material had been framed in a strictly positive and uncritical manner. The arguments that were portrayed had mostly addressed the theoretical possibilities of the technology, but very little about the realism of these visions. When opinions or values had been expressed, they had almost exclusively been phrased as inherent truths, which can contribute to both strengthening and upholding their status in society as authority figures. In the discourse analysis, I also discuss five different discourses which I have identified in the material that was analysed. These discourses were then concluded to be both reproducing and restructuring on the current order of Swedish nuclear and energy discourse.

В магистерской диссертации представлена методология пошагового синтеза композиционного сорбента на основе катионообменника и гидроксида титана (IV). Показаны результаты сорбции меди (II) и других тяжелых металлов синтезированным композиционным сорбентом. Для математического моделирования результатов сорбции были использованы изотермы Ленгмюра, Фрейндлиха и Темкина. Установлено, что модель Ленгмюра наиболее точно описывает сорбционный процесс. Определены константы модели Ленгмюра и площадь удельной поверхности композиционного сорбента. Гранулы композиционного сорбента изучены с помощью методов сканирующей электронной микроскопии (СЭМ) и энергодисперсионного микроанализа (ЭДМА). Вычислены коэффициенты распределения меди (II) в гранулах композиционного сорбента и степень сорбции меди (II) из водных растворов CuSO4 различной концентрации. / The methodology of stepwise synthesis of the composite sorbent based on cation exchanger and tin(IV) hydroxide was demonstrated. The sorption results of copper(II) and other heavy metals onto the composite sorbent are presented. Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption isotherms were used in mathematical modeling of the sorption data. The Langmuir model most accurately describes the sorption process. The constants of the Langmuir model and the specific surface area of the composite sorbent were defined. Granules of the composite sorbent were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXMA). The distribution coefficients of copper(II) in the composite sorbent and the sorption degree from CuSO4 aqueous solutions of various concentrations were computed.

Devant des paysans soulevés, les rois de l'époque moderne n'agirent généralement pas comme des tyrans sanguinaires qui sortaient les armes au moindre prétexte. Au contraire, les princes modernes firent preuve de douceur et de clémence envers leur peuple puisqu'ils attachèrent beaucoup de valeur à ces vertus que l'on disait royales. Dans la France de Henri IV, à la fin des guerres de Religion, l'utilisation de la clémence face aux révoltes des Croquants du Sud-Ouest fut indéniable, bien qu'elle ne fût pas la seule méthode employée par le roi pour enrayer ces soulèvements. La faiblesse de l'institution monarchique et l'éloignement de la région touchée forcèrent le roi à négocier les méthodes de règlement avec les autorités locales et la noblesse des provinces. Malgré une certaine répression, les paysans n'en ont pas moins reçu un traitement comparable à celui offert aux nobles qui se sont révoltés dans le cadre des guerres de Religion.

No description available.

We analyse the Swedish central bank, the Riksbank’s, interest setting policy in a Taylor rule framework. In particular, we examine whether or not the Riksbank has reacted to fluctuations in asset prices during the period 1995:Q1 to 2016:Q2. This is done by estimating a forward-looking Taylor rule with interest rate smoothing, augmented with stock prices, house prices and the real exchange rate, using IV GMM. In general, we find that the Riksbank’s interest setting policy is well described by a forward-looking Taylor rule with interest rate smoothing and that the use of factors as instruments, derived from a PCA, serves to alleviate the weak-identification problem that tend to plague GMM. Moreover, apart from finding evidence that the Riksbank exhibit a substantial degree of policy rate inertia and has acted so as to stabilize inflation and the real economy, we also find evidence that the Riksbank has been reacting to fluctuations in stock prices, house prices, and the real exchange rate.

The purpose of this essay was to examine Islamic State’s (IS) self-image and perception of their enemies, and also what kind of propaganda technique that they use in their movies. To do so three questions were formulated: 1. According to Social Identity Theory the ingroup’s social identity is the same as the ingroup’s prototype. How is IS’s prototype portrayed, and thus their social identity, in the movies Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV? 2. According to Social Identity Theory a consequence of group membership is that the ingroup will associate outgroups with stereotypic images. What stereotypic images does IS’s associate outgroups with in the movies Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV? 3. According to Jacques Ellul propaganda can be categorized as either rational or irrational. So, based on his definition of propaganda, what kind of propaganda technique is used in Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV ? In this paper four segments were analyzed from two of IS’s movies: Flames of War and Clanging of the Swords IV. Two theories were used in this essay: Ellul’s theory on rational and irrational propaganda, and also Social Identity Theory. The first theory presents different techniques of argumentation that can be classified as either rational or irrational propaganda. The second theory describes the phenomenon known as prototype and stereotype. The most common propaganda technique used in the movies was that of social evidence, which is a rational strategy of propaganda. This means that the propaganda mainly uses symbols in its arguments, which in this case is the symbol of Allah. IS uses Allah, as well as their leader Al-Baghdadi, to justify their actions. Irrational propaganda is also used quite often. It can be seen in the way IS describes their own group and their enemies. IS always describes themselves with positive attributes and characteristics, while their enemies are described as their complete opposite. The purpose of this is to make the viewer automatically start to associate the ingroup (IS) as good and the outgroups (enemies) as evil. The prototype of IS is that they see themselves as the holy warriors of Allah executing His will on earth. The stereotypic image of IS’s enemies is that they are apostates and enemies of Allah. Their infidelity has provoked Allah, they’re sinners and thus IS considers it to be their duty to punish them.

In this thesis, the heat affected zone (HAZ) of Gleeble simulated welds, the weldments and the creep specimens for several types of 9%-12% Cr ferritic steels were studied by focusing on the Type IV cracking in the fine grained zone (FZ). The field emission gun transmission electron microscopy (FEGTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to measure the phosphorus segregation on the grain boundary (GB) and the creep fracture morphologies respectively. Meanwhile the well-developed grain boundary segregation and precipitation (GBSP) model was applied to simulate the experimental results. The experimental results have showed that the HAZ zone was characterised by softening and Type IV cracking. All the high Cr ferritic steel welds gave a microstructure of mainly tempered martensite and M23C6 precipitates after the post weld heat treatment (PWHT). There was no δ-ferrite observed in the HAZ. The Type IV cracking exhibited a mixed cracking mechanism in which the intergranular grain boundary separation is dominant due to the crack initiation by voids and the faster M23C6 growth with the service time. A new model on the mechanism of the Type IV cracking is established. The FEGTEM research has also showed obvious non-equilibrium phosphorus segregation at the grain boundaries, which is affected significantly by the quenching temperature. The phosphorus GB segregation deteriorates the weak grain boundaries. The experimental results were well in agreement with the GBSP modelling.

Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients have the poorest 5-year survival rates of all cancer forms. It is difficult to diagnose at early disease stages, tumour relapse after surgery is common, and current chemotherapies are ineffective. Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (Ca 19-9), the only clinically implemented PDAC biomarker, is insufficient for diagnostic and screening purposes. PDAC tumours are characterised by a voluminous stroma that is rich in extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules such as collagens, hyaluronan (HA) and matricellular proteins. These stromal components have been suggested to promote PDAC cell migration, proliferation, evasion of apoptosis and chemotherapy resistance. Those events are mediated via interactions with adhesion receptors, such as integrins and CD44 receptors expressed on cancer cell surfaces. Micro-RNAs (miRNA) post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in health and disease. At the time of PDAC diagnosis, miRNA levels are altered both in plasma and tumour tissue. Before PDAC diagnosis, tissue miRNA levels are altered in precursor lesions, raising the possibility that plasma miRNAs might aid in early detection. In this thesis, it is hypothesised that stromal components and miRNAs can serve as tissue or blood based biomarkers in PDAC. The aims are: (1) to characterise the expression of stromal components and their receptors in normal and cancerous tissue; (2) to find potential stroma-associated tissue and blood-based biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis estimates; (3) to determine the cellular effects of type IV collagen (Col IV) in PDAC; (4) to determine if plasma miRNAs that are altered in manifest PDAC can be used to diagnose PDAC earlier. Methods The expression patterns of Col IV, Col IV-binding integrin subunits (α1, α2, β1), Endostatin, Osteopontin (OPN) and Tenascin C (TNC) were analysed in frozen PDAC and normal pancreatic tissue. A tissue microarray (TMA) was constructed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary tumours and lymph node metastases. The TMA was used to study the expression levels and associations with survival of the standard CD44 receptor (CD44s), its variant isoform 6 (CD44v6), HA, OPN and Col IV. Circulating levels of HA, Col IV, Endostatin, OPN and TNC were measured in PDAC patients and healthy individuals, and compared with conventional tumour markers (Ca 19-9, CEA, Ca 125 and TPS). The functional roles of Col IV were studied in PDAC cell lines by: (1) growth on different matrices (2) blocking Col IV binding integrin subunits, (3) blocking the Col IV domains 7s, CB3 and NC1, and (4) by down regulation of PDAC cell synthesis of Col IV using siRNA transfection. Plasma miRNAs alterations were screened for in samples from patients with manifest disease, using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). To find early miRNA alterations, levels of those miRNAs that were altered at diagnosis were measured in prediagnostic plasma samples. Results High tissue expression of both the standard CD44 receptor (CD44s) and its variant isoform CD44v6 as well as low expression of stromal OPN were associated with poor survival. In addition, high CD44s and low OPN predicted poor survival independent of established prognostic factors. Circulating Col IV, Endostatin, OPN, TNC and HA were increased in preoperative samples from PDAC patients. Preoperatively, higher levels of serum-HA and plasma-Endostatin were associated with shorter survival. Postoperatively, higher levels of Col IV, Endostatin and OPN were associated with shorter survival. On the contrary, only one of the conventional tumour markers was associated with survival (Ca 125). Col IV stimulated PDAC cell proliferation and migration and inhibited apoptosis in vitro, dependent on the collagenous domain (CB3) of Col IV and the Col IV binding integrin subunit β1. Reduced endogenous Col IV synthesis inhibited these effects, suggesting that PDAC cells synthesise Col IV to stimulate tumour-promoting events via a newly discovered autocrine loop. 15 miRNAs were altered in early stage PDAC patients and the combination of these markers outperformed Ca 19-9 in discriminating patients from healthy individuals. However, none of the miRNAs were altered in prediagnostic samples, suggesting that plasma miRNA alterations appear late in the disease course. Conclusions Up regulated stromal components in PDAC tumours are detectable in blood samples and are potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in PDAC. High circulating levels of Col IV, Endostatin, OPN and HA predict poor survival, as well as high expression of CD44s and CD44v6 and low expression of OPN in tumour tissue. PDAC cells synthesise Col IV, which forms BM-like structures close to cancer cells and promote tumour progression in vitro via an autocrine loop. Several plasma-miRNAs are altered in PDAC, but are not useful for early discovery.

Ve své diplomové práci se jsem se pokusil popsat politickou situaci v Itálii v první třetině 14. století se zaměřením na působení významných osobností Lucemburského rodu v této oblasti. Pro zpracování jsem zvolil léta 1308-1313, 1330-1333 a rok 1337. Zaměřil jsem se hlavně na osobu Jindřicha IV. Lucemburského, jeho nástup k moci, volbu říšským králem a následnou cestu za císařskou korunou. V práci rozebírám reformy, které Jindřich použil při správě Italských měst během cesty na Řím. Dále se zaměřuji na odezvu, kterou jeho působení vyvolávalo u příslušníků dvou hlavních politických směrů v Itálii, tedy u guelfů a ghibelinů, i u francouzského krále Filipa IV. a u papeže Klimenta V. pobývajícího tou dobou v Avignonu. Dále se zaobírám pokusem českého krále Jana Lucemburského a jeho syna Karla o založení Lucemburské signorie na území Lombardie, Toskánska a Emilia Romagna a jejich neúspěšné snahy o udržení tohoto území pod Lucemburskou nadvládou. A Karlovo krátkodobým pokusem o získání území v severní Itálii v roce 1337. Opět se věnuji vlivu jejich působení na politiku měst zmíněných oblastí. Také se okrajově zaměřuji na vliv Jindřicha Lucemburského na spisovatele Danta Alighieriho a jeho dílo "De Monarchia" s Jindřichovo tažením do Říma jako předlohou pro vznik tohoto díla.