Melodram für Sprecher und Orgel, Text: Dietrich Mendt. - Das Werk eignet sich für Aufführungen in einer Kirche während der Advents- und Weihnachtszeit.

Through the process of historical linguistics it is possible to determine approximate dates of authorship and meaning that establish the conventions of a particular genre. To accomplish such a study, elements of phonology, morphology, and syntax are compared and the results create a field of descriptors representative of a style of writing of a period. By using the method on eight well-known Christmas carols, four were determined to have been written prior to the dates previously speculated, possibly originating in the Middle Ages. The remaining four were written based on the conventions set by the earlier medieval carols.

Shortly after Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol was released in 1843, a tradition of adaptation began which has continued seemingly unabated to the present day. Consequently, the tale has become so widely known that one is arguably as likely to have first encountered the iconic miser Scrooge through any number of audio-visual adaptations as through the original work itself. Significant critical attention has been paid to the nature of Scrooge's drastic change from miser to philanthropist. Many would argue that the change, happening both literally and figuratively overnight, is not representative of a genuine psychological transformation. On Christmas day, 2010, Stephen Moffat, Show-runner of the popular sci-fi series Doctor Who, became the latest adapter of the classic tale, with a Christmas themed episode of the series titled Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol. This paper addresses the Scrooge Problem, or the debated legitimacy of Scrooge's transformation. A study of A Christmas Carol and Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol reveals that Dickens in fact represents a genuine transformation based on one primary concept, time as a cyclical journey. This concept accommodates Dickens's belief in the transformative power of childhood memory and the nature of sympathy. Scrooge's transformation is brought to pass in part through his evolving understanding of the nature of time, a phenomenon which becomes even more apparent in Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol.

The focus of this thesis is my performance in the play The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge by Mark Brown. I will research and perform the role of The Ghost of Christmas Past, a role which also plays the parts of Fan and Belle from Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I shall perform in The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, in Partnership with UCF in December 2008 as a part of their 2008-2009 Signature Series season. The main focus of this thesis is the exploration of how to create a performance of a classical character for a modern audience. I hope to maintain the integrity of Dickens's characters written in 1843, while performing in a contemporary script written by Mark Brown in 2004. My performance and research question is how to successfully communicate Brown's version of the story and still keep the spirit of the Dickensian characters as they were first written. I aim to discover and address the problems that may arise in combining the two versions of the characters. I will begin with my belief that contemporary humor and storytelling balanced with the essence of the classic characters that audiences may remember from the novel or other versions of this story will give the most effective, rich performance. Playwright Mark Brown strives for this balance in his script and my research for the role will focus on finding elements in my performance that satisfy both elements. My research will include deep examination of Fan, Belle, and the Ghost of Christmas Past, as they appear in both Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol and in The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge. I will look at different interpretations of the characters in the many stage and film versions of this story that have been created since the original to investigate how others have attempted to update or recreate the roles for their audiences. My research will also include an interview with the playwright for insight about his process of integrating old with new. My written thesis will include the findings of my research and preparation, a detailed rehearsal and performance journal, and extensive analysis of my discoveries, all of which will hopefully lead to a conclusive and useful approach for portraying contemporary characters derived from classical literature.

Thousands of sexual assault cases in the United States are backlogged. This has been a growing issue for years that has increased the difficulty of solving these cases and providing closure to the victims. The analysis process for each case includes the identification of body fluids, presumptive testing, confirmatory testing, and DNA extraction. The only confirmatory method for semen identification is a microscopic visualization of sperm cells. The time spent on microscopic analysis varies depending on the complexity of the samples and the skills of the analyst. While the identification of sperm cells is informative, it can be very time-consuming and labor intensive. Some forensic laboratories choose to skip this step and submit samples directly for DNA analysis. Conducting DNA analysis on unscreened samples can increase the cost of testing when negative samples are analyzed as well as the time it takes to process each case. Automated microscopy has been available for decades and more recently has been paired with artificial intelligence to detect sperm cells on microscope slides. In this research, the MetaSystems automated microscope was used to analyze slides that mimic forensic sexual assault samples. Slides were also examined using traditional microscopy. The automated system quickly provided an accurate quantification of the number of sperm cells present in a sample, which can inform downstream DNA testing. The software was successful in identifying sperm cells treated with Christmas tree and hematoxylin and eosin stains, even among epithelial cells and various contaminants. Results demonstrated that an artificial intelligence-driven forensic sperm cell detection microscope can significantly reduce the time it takes to locate and identify sperm cells and estimate sperm cell quantity compared to a lengthier and more tedious manual search. Drawbacks to the system include the relatively high cost and reduced ability to accurately detect sperm cells amid contaminants that are of similar morphology.

Procerum root disease (PRD), caused by Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) Wingf., is the most serious problem facing Christmas tree growers of eastern white pine, (Pinus strobus L.). Limited studies have shown an association between PRD affected trees and insect infestations, and L. procerum has been recovered from field collected insects. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate the association of L. procerum with the life cycle of potential insect vectors and determine if the insect associates could transmit the fungus to healthy trees. To study the association of PRD with potential insect vectors, PRD symptomatic trees from 4 Christmas tree plantations were excavated and examined monthly, June - September in 1988 and 1989, and April - September 1990. Potential insect vectors were collected weekly in baited pit-fall traps placed in: 1) paired plots placed in asymptomatic and symptomatic areas of PRD symptomatic plantations, 2) plots in plantations where PRD was absent, 3) plots in the headlands of plantations, 4) plots in forested areas and 5) one plot in an urban setting. Trees in the plots were also inspected for evidence of weevil feeding and for development of PRD. Larvae of two weevil species, Hylobius pales (Herbst.) and Pissodes nemorensis Germ., were recovered from 52, 42, and 43% of PRD symptomatic eastern white pine in 1988, 1989, and 1990, respectively. Hylobius pales and P. nemorensis contaminated with L. procerum were recovered from all plots. The proportion of H. pales contaminated with L. procerum was 73.0% in 1988, 86.5% in 1989 and 72.9% in 1990 while the proportion of P. nemorensis contaminated with the fungus was 17.8, 21.2 and 14.2% in 1988, 1989 and 1990, respectively. Over the three year period of the study, the proportion of PRD infected trees in the symptomatic paired plots rose from 3.6 to 29%. None of the trees in the asymptomatic plots became symptomatic. Transmission of L. procerum was determined by caging field collected and artificially infested H. pales and P. nemorensis on eastern white pine seedlings for 24 hours. To determine if transmission of the fungus during oviposition leads to contamination of the brood,field collected H. pales adults were allowed to feed and oviposit on fresh white pineee bolts. Feeding by artificially infested H. pales adults resulted in transmission of L. procerum 90 and 98% of eastern white pine seedlings in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Field collected H. pales adults transmitted the fungus to 58 and 68% of seedlings in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Artificially infested and field collected P. nemorensis adults transmitted L. procerum to 100 and 28% of the seedlings respectively. All bolts oviposited on by field collected H. pales became colonized by L. procerum and 100% of the weevils that emerged from them were contaminated with the fungus. The results from this study confirms the rules for insect transmission of a plant pathogen. / Ph. D.

A study of the carol form immediately leads into the field of the hymn; each is a form of praise or worship. The hymn is as instinctive as life itself, and as universal as the air man breathes. Hymns to the sun god, to the many Babylonian deities, to the Great Spirit of the American Indian - these are found, along with others in all ancient literature.

In this magister study ,,Christian Christmas and its Practice in Prague" I write about Christmas in Prague. I write about a Christmas traditions, weather sayings and about the ways of celebration Chistmas in Prague. This diploma has two parts. The first part is a theoretical part and the second part is a practical part. In the theoretical part I write about Christian traditions, traditions and weather sayings. For example I write about saint Barbora, Mikulas, Lucy and Stephan. In this magister study I also write about Christmas Eve. This day has a lot of traditons, for example people cut an apple or throw the boot. They also sing Christmas carols and watch the fairy tales in the Czech television. The Czech Christmas has a lot of symbols, for example the Christmas carols, Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, a carp, Christmas candles and Christmas concerts of popular and Christmas music. The new tradition is watching the fairy tales in the televiion or shopping a lot of Christmas gifts. In the practical part of my study I write about a Christmas celebration in Prague in the 21st century. I know that the most important is the Christmas Eve with a Christmas dinner, the Christmas tree, the Christmas traditions and the Christmas gifts. People in the Czech Republic like Christmas because Christmas are a very...

The diploma thesis explores relationship between both czech cine and television fairy tales and the Czech Television, analysing a structure of Christmas programme schedules between years 2004 and 2014. The first part defines fairy tales and their function in the context of literary genre and historical evolution, then it continues to a cinematographic and television adaptations of fairy tales. It also includes the psychological aspect of fairy tales. The second part considers fairy tales as mediated message and reveals possible influence of mass media related to their function. It is based on social construction of reality theory, media systems dependency theory and uses and gratifications theory. The third part refers to the Czech Television as to a public service media with specific targets and attitude to the broadcasting and production of fairy tales. At the same time, it mentions the most assigned directors, most broadcasted fairy tales and explains the way how the Czech Television works with them in the programme schedule. In the fourth part there was a quantitative analysis of Christmas programme schedules of the Czech Television made and so was a comparison of individual seasons, days and dayparts. The end of the work concludes the important role of fairy tales in the Christmas programme...

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