Why do we laugh at eight-year-old Butters Stotch when he sings about sodomy in South Park? How does the dominant audience understand Michael Scott to be heterosexual following his announcement that he would have sex with a male employee in the American version of The Office? What are the implications of laughing at Bobby Hill when his father expresses embarrassment over Bobby’s plus size modeling career in King of the Hill? I argue that the above characters are versions of the disruptive male character type common in sitcom satires. The sitcom satire is a hybrid genre that follows the sitcom format and contains satirical content. Using tools from queer theory and cultural studies, this thesis examines how particular examples of disruptive characters function in sitcom satires to reinforce cultural codes regarding gender and sexuality. In the first chapter, I suggest that when the male character disrupts normative gender and sexuality the audience laughs at the surprise and incongruity. I argue that the key feature of this character type is that he consistently disrupts cultural codes in ways that would normally mark him as homosexual yet he is not read as a gay character in the shows examined. I suggest that he is queer insofar as he does not fit neatly into the heterosexual/homosexual binary. Following this, in the second chapter, I explain how techniques used in the narrative; such as other characters' reactions, awkward silences, music selection, and scene changes, provide commentary on the disruption. I argue that characters that disrupt expectations of nonnative gender presentation and heterosexuality create anxiety for a dominant audience; the narrative commentary acknowledges that anxiety. Recognizing a character's disruption of cultural codes allows the dominant audience to relieve the anxiety and to reconcile the character's disruption with his heteronormative identity. Finally, in the third chapter I argue that the disruptive character often displays shame or pride in unexpected circumstances and is represented as ignorant I argue that by comparing normative behavior with disruptive or ignorant behavior, the narratives create the preferred or dominant meaning of the desirability of normative behavior. I conclude that the process of disruption, recuperation, and reinforcement reveals two perspectives. First, if disruptions confirm the desirability of the codes they attempt to subvert, then resisting these codes is difficult. Second. disruptions can reveal the construction of these codes; if these cultural codes were as natural as we are to believe, then our culture would not need to work as diligently to uphold them.

Atualmente doenças ocupacionais manifestadas nas mãos, como hiperqueratinização, escamação, desidratação e fissuras profundas são frequentemente relatadas por profissionais como médicos, enfermeiros, dentistas, mecânicos e donas de casa. O uso frequente de luvas e o contato constante com substâncias químicas como detergentes e sabões são as principais causas. O tratamento é feito pelo uso de corticóides tópicos, o que a longo prazo pode causar aumento das infecções no local de aplicação, devido ao efeito colateral de inibição do sistema imune destes fármacos. Isto exposto, fica evidenciada a importância da profilaxia e boa hidratação como alternativas de tratamento. O emprego de matérias-primas vegetais em formulações cosméticas atende ao apelo de sustentabilidade e biocompatibilidade tão buscado pelas empresas do setor. Óleos como o de andiroba e copaíba são tradicionalmente empregados pois podem apresentar potencial antibiótico e antiinflamatório. As manteigas de cacau e cupuaçu possuem alto teor de ácidos graxos, o que lhes confere potencial poder hidratante. Óleos e manteigas vegetais apresentam ainda potencial na formação de estruturas lamelares, as quais melhoram a estabilidade e aumentam o poder hidratante da formulação onde estão presentes. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um creme à base de matérias primas vegetais, destinado à profissionais acometidos de doenças ocupacionais nas mãos. Foram manipuladas formulações com os óleos de copaíba e andiroba, aditivadas de manteigas de cacau e cupuaçu. Diversos pares de tensoativo foram pesquisados a fim empregar aquele que produzisse melhor estabilidade e permitisse a formação de estruturas lamelares. Quando empregados os tensoativos PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate / Steareth-2 em emulsões com valores de EHL final 7 e 9, foi obtida boa estabilidade preliminar e observada presença de estruturas lamelares. Foi avaliado o comportamento destas frente à evaporação da água e foi observado que mesmo em pequenas concentrações ou após evaporação da água livre do sistema, as estruturas lamelares se mantêm presentes, sugerindo armazenamento de água entre as lamelas. A caracterização por difração de raios-X em alto ângulo (WAXS) permitiu observar que as cadeias carbônicas que compõem a bicamada ao redor dos glóbulos internos da emulsão estão dispostas em um estado ordenado denominado fase gel. A análise por difração de raio-X a baixo ângulo (SAXS) confirmou que os tensoativos estão organizados em multicamadas lamelares intercaladas por camadas de água que se mantiveram estáveis mesmo após três meses de envelhecimento em temperatura ambiente. A avaliação reológica mostrou comportamento pseudo-plástico com tixotropia e ligeiro aumento da viscosidade com o tempo, porém, não confirmou boa estabilidade. Por meio dos testes in vivo observou-se que as formulações desenvolvidas promoveram aumento da hidratação a qual foi prolongada em relação à formulação de mercado. / Currently occupational diseases manifested in the hands, as hyperkeratinazation, scaling, dehydration and deep fissures are frequently reported by professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists, mechanics and housewives. The frequent use of gloves and constant contact with chemical such as detergents and soaps are the main cause. The treatment is done by the use of topical steroids, which in the long term may cause increased infections in the application site, due to side effect of inhibiting the immune system of these drugs. This exposed, the importance of proper hydration as prophylaxis and treatment alternatives is evidenced. The use of vegetable raw materials in cosmetic formulations attends the sustainability and biocompatibility appeal so sought by the cosmetics business sector. Oils such as Andiroba and Copaiba are traditionally used for their antibiotic and anti-inflammatory potential. Cocoa and Cupuassu butters have high levels of fatty acids, giving them potential moisturizing power. Vegetable oils and butters have yet a potential in formation of lamellar structures, which improve stability and increase the moisturizing power of the formulations where they are present. This research aimed to develop a cream based on vegetable raw materials destined to professionals suffering from occupational disease in the hands. Formulations were manipulated with Copaiba and Andiroba oils added with Cocoa and Cupassu butter. Several pairs of surfactant were investigated to employ one that produces better stability and allow the formation of anisotropic lamellar structures. When employed the following pair of surfactants PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate / Steareth-2 in emulsions with required HLB of 7 and 9, good preliminary stability was obtained and lamellar structures were observed. We evaluated their behavior against water evaporation and we observed that even in small concentrations or after free water evaporation, lamellar structures are still present, suggesting water storage between the lamellae. Characterization by X-ray diffraction at wide angle (WAXS) elucidated that he carbon chains composing the bilayer around the emulsions internal globules are disposed in an ordered state called gel phase. The analysis by small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS) confirmed that the surfactants are arranged in multilayered lamellae intercalated by layers of water that remained stable even after three months aging at room temperature. The rheological evaluation showed pseudo-plastic behavior with thixotropy and slight increase in viscosity with time, however, not confirmed good stability. The in vivo tests showed that the formulations caused an increase in hydration which was prolonged in relation to the formulation from the market.

Atualmente doenças ocupacionais manifestadas nas mãos, como hiperqueratinização, escamação, desidratação e fissuras profundas são frequentemente relatadas por profissionais como médicos, enfermeiros, dentistas, mecânicos e donas de casa. O uso frequente de luvas e o contato constante com substâncias químicas como detergentes e sabões são as principais causas. O tratamento é feito pelo uso de corticóides tópicos, o que a longo prazo pode causar aumento das infecções no local de aplicação, devido ao efeito colateral de inibição do sistema imune destes fármacos. Isto exposto, fica evidenciada a importância da profilaxia e boa hidratação como alternativas de tratamento. O emprego de matérias-primas vegetais em formulações cosméticas atende ao apelo de sustentabilidade e biocompatibilidade tão buscado pelas empresas do setor. Óleos como o de andiroba e copaíba são tradicionalmente empregados pois podem apresentar potencial antibiótico e antiinflamatório. As manteigas de cacau e cupuaçu possuem alto teor de ácidos graxos, o que lhes confere potencial poder hidratante. Óleos e manteigas vegetais apresentam ainda potencial na formação de estruturas lamelares, as quais melhoram a estabilidade e aumentam o poder hidratante da formulação onde estão presentes. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um creme à base de matérias primas vegetais, destinado à profissionais acometidos de doenças ocupacionais nas mãos. Foram manipuladas formulações com os óleos de copaíba e andiroba, aditivadas de manteigas de cacau e cupuaçu. Diversos pares de tensoativo foram pesquisados a fim empregar aquele que produzisse melhor estabilidade e permitisse a formação de estruturas lamelares. Quando empregados os tensoativos PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate / Steareth-2 em emulsões com valores de EHL final 7 e 9, foi obtida boa estabilidade preliminar e observada presença de estruturas lamelares. Foi avaliado o comportamento destas frente à evaporação da água e foi observado que mesmo em pequenas concentrações ou após evaporação da água livre do sistema, as estruturas lamelares se mantêm presentes, sugerindo armazenamento de água entre as lamelas. A caracterização por difração de raios-X em alto ângulo (WAXS) permitiu observar que as cadeias carbônicas que compõem a bicamada ao redor dos glóbulos internos da emulsão estão dispostas em um estado ordenado denominado fase gel. A análise por difração de raio-X a baixo ângulo (SAXS) confirmou que os tensoativos estão organizados em multicamadas lamelares intercaladas por camadas de água que se mantiveram estáveis mesmo após três meses de envelhecimento em temperatura ambiente. A avaliação reológica mostrou comportamento pseudo-plástico com tixotropia e ligeiro aumento da viscosidade com o tempo, porém, não confirmou boa estabilidade. Por meio dos testes in vivo observou-se que as formulações desenvolvidas promoveram aumento da hidratação a qual foi prolongada em relação à formulação de mercado. / Currently occupational diseases manifested in the hands, as hyperkeratinazation, scaling, dehydration and deep fissures are frequently reported by professionals such as doctors, nurses, dentists, mechanics and housewives. The frequent use of gloves and constant contact with chemical such as detergents and soaps are the main cause. The treatment is done by the use of topical steroids, which in the long term may cause increased infections in the application site, due to side effect of inhibiting the immune system of these drugs. This exposed, the importance of proper hydration as prophylaxis and treatment alternatives is evidenced. The use of vegetable raw materials in cosmetic formulations attends the sustainability and biocompatibility appeal so sought by the cosmetics business sector. Oils such as Andiroba and Copaiba are traditionally used for their antibiotic and anti-inflammatory potential. Cocoa and Cupuassu butters have high levels of fatty acids, giving them potential moisturizing power. Vegetable oils and butters have yet a potential in formation of lamellar structures, which improve stability and increase the moisturizing power of the formulations where they are present. This research aimed to develop a cream based on vegetable raw materials destined to professionals suffering from occupational disease in the hands. Formulations were manipulated with Copaiba and Andiroba oils added with Cocoa and Cupassu butter. Several pairs of surfactant were investigated to employ one that produces better stability and allow the formation of anisotropic lamellar structures. When employed the following pair of surfactants PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate / Steareth-2 in emulsions with required HLB of 7 and 9, good preliminary stability was obtained and lamellar structures were observed. We evaluated their behavior against water evaporation and we observed that even in small concentrations or after free water evaporation, lamellar structures are still present, suggesting water storage between the lamellae. Characterization by X-ray diffraction at wide angle (WAXS) elucidated that he carbon chains composing the bilayer around the emulsions internal globules are disposed in an ordered state called gel phase. The analysis by small angle X-ray diffraction (SAXS) confirmed that the surfactants are arranged in multilayered lamellae intercalated by layers of water that remained stable even after three months aging at room temperature. The rheological evaluation showed pseudo-plastic behavior with thixotropy and slight increase in viscosity with time, however, not confirmed good stability. The in vivo tests showed that the formulations caused an increase in hydration which was prolonged in relation to the formulation from the market.

The Edinburgh Mathematical Society started out in 1883 as a society with a large proportion of teachers. Today, the member base is mainly academical and there are only a few teachers left. This thesis explores how and when this change came about, and discusses what this meant for the Society. It argues that the exit of the teachers is related to the rising standard of mathematics, but even more to a change in the Society’s printing policy in the 1920s, that turned the Society’s Proceedings into a pure research publication and led to the death of the ‘teacher journal’, the Mathematical Notes. The thesis also argues that this change, drastic as it may seem, does not represent a change in the Society’s nature. For this aim, the role of the teachers within the Society has been studied and compared to that of the academics, from 1883 to 1946. The mathematical contribution of the teachers to the Proceedings is studied in some detail, in particular the papers by John Watt Butters. A paper in the Mathematical Notes by A. C. Aitken on the Bell numbers is considered in connection with a series of letters on the same topic from 1938–39. These letters, written by Aitken, Sir D’Arcy Thompson, another EMS member, and the Cambridge mathematician G. T. Bennett, explores the relation between the three and gives valuable insight into the status of the Notes. Finally, the role of the first women in the Society is studied. The first woman joined without any official university education, but had received the necessary mathematical background from her studies under the Edinburgh Association for the University Education of Women. The final chapter is largely an assessment of this Association’s mathematical classes.