Thesis (Ph. D. in Comparative Literature)--Vanderbilt University, May 2006. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: Since the Enlightenment, humanist philosophy has understood materiality as an inert and determinate world categorically separate from the sphere of consciousness and language. However, after evolving significantly during the 20th century, the natural sciences now recognize the complexity, indeterminacy and agency of matter. A parallel transformation can be observed in contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature and is exemplified in the works of Cristina Peri Rossi and Cecilia Vicuña. Drawing on knowledge which emerges from the natural sciences, the humanities and personal experience, these poets explore multiple dimensions of materiality from the microscopic world of subatomic particles and DNA molecules to the macroscopic world of the body and the structure of the universe. The theoretical orientation of this study emerges from posthumanism, which critiques the epistemological foundations of humanist thought and reconfigures reductionist concepts of matter, discourse, the subject, and agency which are grounded in dualistic ontology. Material feminist theorists explore materiality through interdisciplinary approaches which establish a dialogue between posthumanism, feminist theory and the natural sciences. The material feminist Karen Barad proposes an agential realist ontology which constitutes the principal theoretical framework of this thesis. According to Barad, phenomena are not exclusively social or material but rather material-discursive practices, and the concept of agency is reconfigured as the product of the dynamics of intra-action rather than an as an attribute restricted to the human sphere. Furthermore, this thesis utilizes diverse materials from the areas of literary criticism and scientific research in order to achieve an authentically interdisciplinary interpretation of materiality in the poetry. Peri Rossi and Vicuña express a profound questioning of the fundamental assumptions of humanism and offer perspectives which take into account matter's agency and dynamism. Their poetry presents materiality as a constant process of creation and as an active participant in the unfolding of reality, thereby opening up new horizons of investigation. By interpreting the works of Peri Rossi and Vicuña through the lens of posthumanist theory, this study contributes to a growing body of interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary Spanish and Latin American literature. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Spanish 2013

Formulated as a feminist project, written as a pulp fiction, Architectural Flirtations: A Love Storey begins with our claim that the architectural discipline is centered around a culture of critique, which is based in what bell hooks calls “a system of imperialist, white supremacist, heterosexist, capitalist, patriarchy,” and that the values instilled by this culture not only begin with, but are reinforced and reproduced by, the education of young architects. Sounds serious. Right? In a move toward a more vulnerable, ethical and empowering culture of architecture, the project aims to displace the culture of critique, by questioning and undermining relationships of power and privilege through practices that are explicitly critical, queer feminist, and Campy. In other words, it takes seriously, in an uncertain, improper and playful way, what is usually deemed unserious within the architectural discipline, in order to undermine the usual order of things. All of the (love) storeys take place on March 21st, the spring equinox, in and around a 1977 collaborative row house project called Case Unifamiliari in Mozzo, Italy, designed by Aldo Rossi and Attilio Pizzigoni. Beda Ring, PhD researcher, constructs a Campy renovation of one of these row houses, full of theatricality, humor, and significant otherness; while architectural pedagogue, Brady Burroughs, guides a student group from KTH in an Architecture and Gender course; and Henri T. Beall, practicing architect, attends to the details upstairs. / <p>QC 20161025</p>

This thesis presents the results of a comprehensive multi-wavelength study of the high mass X-ray binary 2S 0114+650. This enigmatic source has previously been proposed to be the first in a new class of super-slow X-ray pulsars, containing a neutron star revolving once every 2.7 h. The 11.6 d orbital period of this system has been well established in both X-ray and optical wavelengths. During the initial stages of the research presented in this thesis we discovered an additional 30.7 d ???super-orbital??? modulation in the X-ray emission from this source. While similar periodicities seen in other X-ray binaries are commonly attributed to the precession of a warped accretion disc, the observational evidence suggests the absence of such a disc in 2S 0114+650. The purpose of this project is thus to determine the nature of the super-orbital modulation and to better constrain the astrophysical parameters of this system. To investigate the long-term variability we analysed ~8.5 yr of archived data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer space telescope. The problem of the spurious ~24 h periods in this data was solved as a by-product of these studies. Follow-up pointed observations were obtained with this satellite in order to examine the spectral and temporal behaviour over the spin, orbital and super-orbital timescales. Independent confirmation of the super-orbital modulation was performed using ~2 yr of data from the INTEGRAL satellite obtained during a long-term monitoring campaign of the Cassiopeia region. The evolution of the spin, orbital and super-orbital periods over ~10 yr was examined using archived data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite. Radio observations were performed with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope to search for any radio emission associated with this source and to determine whether it is variable over the known periodicities. Near infrared observations were performed with the Mt Abu telescope to determine whether a Be star nature can be ruled out for the optical component. Finally, a statistical analysis of the properties of the confirmed super-orbital X-ray binaries was performed in order to search for commonalities between these systems.

Oggigiorno diversi tipi di chiusure sono disponibili sul mercato e, tra queste, le chiusure a vite che sono molto diffuse nei paesi emergenti nel settore viti-vinicolo. L’uso dei tappi a vite, comunque, non è attualmente diffuso in relazione ai vini da invecchiamento o di alta qualità poiché a tale chiusura è associato un ambiente riducente che viene considerato poco idoneo alla conservazione di vini rossi da invecchiamento. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di valutare, tramite analisi chimiche e sensoriali, l’evoluzione del vino tappato con diverse tipologie di chiusure a vite rispetto al sughero tradizionale e la bontà di diverse possibili condizioni di imbottigliamento. Nel corso dei tre anni di attività di dottorato sono state condotte diverse prove per testare capsule in fase di sperimentazione in confronto con chiusure a vite già impiegate in ambito enologico e con tappi sintetici e di sughero. Differenti tipologie di vino, associate a diverse tipologie di imbottigliamento e di tappi, sono state utilizzate. Alcune prove sono state condotte a termine nel breve periodo (9 mesi) mentre altre hanno richiesto tempi più lunghi. In linea generale, i risultati evidenziano, per tutti i vini, che il tempo di conservazione in bottiglia incide in maniera più significativa delle chiusure sull’evoluzione compositiva ed organolettica dei prodotti. Nel caso dei vini bianchi, il breve periodo di maturazione in bottiglia considerato non ha evidenziato differenze di composizione significative imputabili alla chiusura. Nel caso del Barbera Oltrepò Pavese i tempi lunghi di conservazione (36 mesi) hanno evidenziato che la chiusura esercita un effetto di separazione tra i vini. Quando la temperatura di stoccaggio è elevata (ad esempio 45°C) la shelf-life del prodotto si abbrevia in modo più evidente quando il prodotto è giovane. / Nowadays, there are different types of closures available on the market and, behind these, the screwcaps are very diffused in emerging enological countries. Screwcaps, however, are not used for premium or aged wines because their use is linked to a reductive environment in bottle, which is not useful for the maturation of aged red wines. The aim of this work was the evaluation, through chemical and sensorial analysis, of the evolution of wine, bottled with different types of closures and bottling conditions. During the PhD work time, different trails on experimental capsules and classical screwcaps, synthetic closures and cork closures were carried out. Several types of white and red wine, bottled in different conditions and with diverse kinds of closures, were studied. Some of the trials ended in a few months while others were longer. The results showed, for all wines, that the storage period had a significant influence on the wine evolution, more than the closure type had. The closures used for white wines in short periods of storage had no influence on the wine composition. For the Barbera Oltrepò Pavese wine, after the long storage period (36 months), the closure type exhibited a separation effect. The high storage temperature (e.g. 45°C) reduced the shelf-life of the product, particularly in case of young wines.

This thesis presents the results of a comprehensive multi-wavelength study of the high mass X-ray binary 2S 0114+650. This enigmatic source has previously been proposed to be the first in a new class of super-slow X-ray pulsars, containing a neutron star revolving once every 2.7 h. The 11.6 d orbital period of this system has been well established in both X-ray and optical wavelengths. During the initial stages of the research presented in this thesis we discovered an additional 30.7 d ???super-orbital??? modulation in the X-ray emission from this source. While similar periodicities seen in other X-ray binaries are commonly attributed to the precession of a warped accretion disc, the observational evidence suggests the absence of such a disc in 2S 0114+650. The purpose of this project is thus to determine the nature of the super-orbital modulation and to better constrain the astrophysical parameters of this system. To investigate the long-term variability we analysed ~8.5 yr of archived data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer space telescope. The problem of the spurious ~24 h periods in this data was solved as a by-product of these studies. Follow-up pointed observations were obtained with this satellite in order to examine the spectral and temporal behaviour over the spin, orbital and super-orbital timescales. Independent confirmation of the super-orbital modulation was performed using ~2 yr of data from the INTEGRAL satellite obtained during a long-term monitoring campaign of the Cassiopeia region. The evolution of the spin, orbital and super-orbital periods over ~10 yr was examined using archived data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite. Radio observations were performed with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope to search for any radio emission associated with this source and to determine whether it is variable over the known periodicities. Near infrared observations were performed with the Mt Abu telescope to determine whether a Be star nature can be ruled out for the optical component. Finally, a statistical analysis of the properties of the confirmed super-orbital X-ray binaries was performed in order to search for commonalities between these systems.

Thesis (doctoral)--Leopold-Franzens Universität, Innsbruck, 2003.

Background: Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease causing detrimental health effects on the domestic dogs with huge economic impact on the owners. The most complicated form of canine babesiosis is caused by a pathogenic Babesia rossi parasite. Canine babesiosis induced by B. rossi still remains the cause of mortality and morbidity in South African dogs, yet, the transcriptomic and genomic information of this parasite species is still not available. The transcriptomic and genomic information is essential in the disease development and processes for the design of effective disease control strategies. Consequently, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of the different genotypes of B. rossi remains limited. A previous study suggested a relationship between the parasite genotype and the disease phenotype. To date, thirteen B. rossi genotypes have been identified and associated with diverse clinical signs in their hosts. Hence the aim of this study was to sequence RNA from samples representing B. rossi genotypes, 19, 29 and 31, in order to have insight on the overall transcriptome of this parasite and to establish if there would be significant differences among the genotypes. Methodology: To screen for B. rossi positive samples, total DNA was extracted from 20 blood samples collected from sick domestic dogs presented at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH). Babesia rossi infections were confirmed using the PCR-Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridization assay. Further confirmation of infection status was done by amplification of the B. rossi Erythrocyte Membrane Antigen 1 (BrEMA1) gene in all the DNA samples using qualitative PCR (qPCR), followed by sequencing of PCR products. Subsequently, total RNA was extracted from the 20 B. rossi-infected blood samples collected from the same dogs in which DNA was extracted. Three samples representing B. rossi genotypes 19, 29 and 31 were selected for transcriptome analysis. RNA sequencing was performed using the Illumina HiSeq 2000 to allow transcriptome analysis. De novo assembly was performed independently for all three transcriptomes using the Trinity software. The unigenes generated from specific transcriptome assemblies were subjected to global functional annotation using Blast2GO version 2.8.0 software, followed by KEGG database for annotation of biological pathways, and DAVID version 6.7, for COG classification to predict and classify their functions. Results: The sample representing B. rossi genotype 31 was excluded in the transcriptome analysis due to low RNA mass, which usually compromises the quality of the library used in RNA sequencing.Thus, a total of 26 747 238 and 25 709 627 paired-end reads were obtained from B. rossi genotypes 19 and 29, respectively. De novo transcriptome assembly produced a total of 3019 unigenes, with an average length of 419 bp and N50 of 362 bp in B. rossi genotype 19, and 2727 unigenes with an average length of 441 bp and N50 of 362 in B. rossi genotype 29. A total of 1193 unigenes were common between B. rossi genotype 19 and 29, while 1828 unigenes were exclusively detected in B. rossi genotype 19; and 1534 were specific to B. rossi genotype 29. Between the two B. rossi genotypes, a total of 4553 unigenes were obtained, representing the overall B. rossi transcriptome. From the overall transcriptome, 12.3% (n=558) of the unigenes could be annotated with 53 different gene ontology (GO) functional categories. About 34% (n=1550) of the unigenes represented in the overall transcriptome mapped to 237 KEGG pathways and only 2.5% (114) could be annotated in the COG database. Conclusion: Although, there were no striking differences in the transcriptomes of B. rossi genotypes 19 and 29, this study presents the first transcriptomic resource for B. rossi, which will highly contribute to our genetic understanding of B. rossi and provide a platform for future gene expression studies. Hypothetical proteins identified in this study will require further characterization as they may have a critical role in the biology and pathogenicity of B. rossi parasite. / Life and Consumer Sciences / M. Sc. (Life Sciences)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:53:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:59:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP / FAPESP:03/01261-0

Orientador: Maria Lygia Quartim de Moraes / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T05:56:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Massini_MarioGuillermo_M.pdf: 1712981 bytes, checksum: 768ad523bac985fb20f1ddea73137e8b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Essa pesquisa tem por objetivo analisar a experiência anarquista da Colônia Cecília, que ocorreu entre os anos de 1890 e 1894, numa região próxima à cidade de Palmeira, Estado do Paraná, Brasil. Procuramos nos concentrar na análise da evolução dos aspectos simbólicos e imaginários, entendidos como elementos fundamentais no momento de pensar sobre a criação de um projeto libertário do tipo que foi impulsionado. Realizamos também uma revisão dos principais desenvolvimentos acontecidos na comunidade e em torno dela, como da trajetória intelectual e política de Giovanni Rossi, mentor do empreendimento. Além disso, foi de nosso interesse destacar as obras artísticas e de ficção, assim como as acadêmicas e científicas, que tiveram como objeto o coletivo anarquista, que contribuíram para dar vida a essa experiência no imaginário coletivo / Abstract: The purpose of the present work is to analyze the anarchist episode in Colonia Cecilia, which happened between 1890 and 1894, in the area near to the city of Palmeira, Estado de Paraná, Brazil. We will focus the analysis in the development of symbolic and imaginary features, understood as essential components when thinking about the creation of a libertarian plan such as the one that was boosted in that occasion. We will also go through the main events that happened in and around the community, as well as Giovanni Rossi's intellectual and political career, who was the mentor of the plan. Moreover, it was our concern to highlight the artistic and fiction works, as well as the academic and scientific ones, which had as objective the anarchist group, and help to conceive that experience in the collective ideology / Mestrado / Teoria Sociologica e Pensamento Social / Mestre em Sociologia