No último quartel do século XVIII, com a assinatura do Tratado de Santo Ildefonso, diversas comissões são enviadas para a determinação local das fronteiras entre as possessões das coroas de Portugal e da Espanha na América do Sul, através de métodos astronômicos. Entre os ocupantes do cargo de astrônomo das expedições portuguesas encontram-se Francisco José de Lacerda e Almeida (1753-1798), António Pires da Silva Pontes Leme (1750-1805), Bento Sanches Dorta (1739-1795), Francisco de Oliveira Barbosa (1749-?) e José Simões de Carvalho (1752-1805). Naturais do Reino, ou do Brasil, e todos formados no curso matemático da Universidade de Coimbra recém-reformada, esses homens de ciência virão posteriormente, em alguns casos, a ocupar postos importantes na administração do império; serão membros da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, ou, pelo menos, terão proximidade com integrantes das camadas mais poderosas do aparelho de Estado. Ao mesmo tempo, o reformismo ilustrado consolida em Portugal uma imagem das ciências e da instrução como elementos essenciais para um melhor conhecimento dos territórios do império, na expectativa de acréscimo da agricultura, indústria e comércio. À escala europeia, um campo científico com relativo grau de autonomia começa por sua vez a se esboçar, mas ainda são frequentes as reconversões de seus capitais específicos em capitais políticos. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo realizar um estudo prosopográfico daquele grupo de astrônomos demarcadores formados em Coimbra; esperando identificar, pela análise das suas trajetórias, as influências recíprocas entre as vinculações das personagens com os poderes políticos e suas possibilidades de consagração no campo científico / In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, after the signature of the Treaty of San Ildefonso, several delegations were dispatched to locally settle the boundaries between the South American possessions of the Portuguese and Spanish Crowns, employing astronomical methods. Among the astronomers officially appointed to the Portuguese expeditions were Francisco José de Lacerda e Almeida (1753-1798), António Pires da Silva Pontes Leme (1750-1805), Bento Sanches Dorta (1739-1795), Francisco de Oliveira Barbosa (1749-?) and José Simões de Carvalho (1752-1805). Born in Portugal or in Brazil, and graduated in the new mathematical course of the recently reformed University of Coimbra, these men of science would afterwards move to occupy either important positions in the administration of the empire, or become members of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, or at least gain close proximity to high-ranking agents of the state apparatus. At the same time, Portuguese enlightened reformism was consolidating an image of science and education as essential endeavors for a better understanding of the territories of the empire, in the hope of increasing agriculture, industry and trade. At the European level, a scientific field with a relative degree of autonomy was in turn starting to take shape, but reconversions of specific scientific capitals into political ones were still quite frequent. This dissertation intends to perform a prosopographic study about that group of Coimbra-educated, border-settling astronomers, aiming to identify, by the analysis of their trajectories, the reciprocal influences between the actors\' ties to political power-players and their range of possibilities of establishing a reputation in the scientific field

No último quartel do século XVIII, com a assinatura do Tratado de Santo Ildefonso, diversas comissões são enviadas para a determinação local das fronteiras entre as possessões das coroas de Portugal e da Espanha na América do Sul, através de métodos astronômicos. Entre os ocupantes do cargo de astrônomo das expedições portuguesas encontram-se Francisco José de Lacerda e Almeida (1753-1798), António Pires da Silva Pontes Leme (1750-1805), Bento Sanches Dorta (1739-1795), Francisco de Oliveira Barbosa (1749-?) e José Simões de Carvalho (1752-1805). Naturais do Reino, ou do Brasil, e todos formados no curso matemático da Universidade de Coimbra recém-reformada, esses homens de ciência virão posteriormente, em alguns casos, a ocupar postos importantes na administração do império; serão membros da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, ou, pelo menos, terão proximidade com integrantes das camadas mais poderosas do aparelho de Estado. Ao mesmo tempo, o reformismo ilustrado consolida em Portugal uma imagem das ciências e da instrução como elementos essenciais para um melhor conhecimento dos territórios do império, na expectativa de acréscimo da agricultura, indústria e comércio. À escala europeia, um campo científico com relativo grau de autonomia começa por sua vez a se esboçar, mas ainda são frequentes as reconversões de seus capitais específicos em capitais políticos. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo realizar um estudo prosopográfico daquele grupo de astrônomos demarcadores formados em Coimbra; esperando identificar, pela análise das suas trajetórias, as influências recíprocas entre as vinculações das personagens com os poderes políticos e suas possibilidades de consagração no campo científico / In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, after the signature of the Treaty of San Ildefonso, several delegations were dispatched to locally settle the boundaries between the South American possessions of the Portuguese and Spanish Crowns, employing astronomical methods. Among the astronomers officially appointed to the Portuguese expeditions were Francisco José de Lacerda e Almeida (1753-1798), António Pires da Silva Pontes Leme (1750-1805), Bento Sanches Dorta (1739-1795), Francisco de Oliveira Barbosa (1749-?) and José Simões de Carvalho (1752-1805). Born in Portugal or in Brazil, and graduated in the new mathematical course of the recently reformed University of Coimbra, these men of science would afterwards move to occupy either important positions in the administration of the empire, or become members of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, or at least gain close proximity to high-ranking agents of the state apparatus. At the same time, Portuguese enlightened reformism was consolidating an image of science and education as essential endeavors for a better understanding of the territories of the empire, in the hope of increasing agriculture, industry and trade. At the European level, a scientific field with a relative degree of autonomy was in turn starting to take shape, but reconversions of specific scientific capitals into political ones were still quite frequent. This dissertation intends to perform a prosopographic study about that group of Coimbra-educated, border-settling astronomers, aiming to identify, by the analysis of their trajectories, the reciprocal influences between the actors\' ties to political power-players and their range of possibilities of establishing a reputation in the scientific field

No / The NHS needs to make real term cost savings whilst maintaining and, where possible, enhancing the quality of essential services. The performance of maternity services is seen as a touchstone of whether the NHS is delivering quality health services in general. Recent events in relation to increased infant and maternal mortalities demonstrate the necessity of the benefits of continued improved patient safety. The pressing issues which maternity services face are financial, quality and safety.

By approaching dialect and standard language from a folk linguistic perspective, this thesis aims to investigate how laypeople perceive, talk about and orient towards dialect and standard language in a dialect area close to the perceived linguistic and administrative centre of Sweden. It consequently focuses on dialect and standard language as socially meaningful entities, rather than as sets of linguistic features, and studies a dialect area as it is understood by those who identify with it. To explore these issues, group interviews, a set of quantitative tests among adolescents and a ‘mental mapping’ task were used. Participants’ descriptions of the local dialect suggest that many of them regard the dialect and the standard language as separate language systems. The standard language, strongly associated with writing, is perceived as formal and artificial. In contrast, dialect is understood simply as speech signalling local belonging. Variation expressing local belonging typically not regarded as dialect by dialectologists, is mentioned by participants more than once. The extent to which dialectal resources are described to be expected depends on the participants’ understanding of place, context and interlocutors. In some contexts, using dialect seems to be a way of overtly signalling one’s belonging to the local community. In this way the dialect is still important, perhaps even as a means of consolidating the local community’s existence. At the same time, however, the prototypical speaker is described as being old, indicating that spoken dialect is not particularly relevant today. By examining dialect and standard language as cultural phenomena in the area at the present time, it is shown how they can be used to construct one’s own group in relation to others, both regionally and locally within the area investigated. Although the local spoken language is considered close to the standard, the mechanisms controlling how language users determine their own dialect boundaries are arguably the same as in more complex dialect areas. Linguistic differences need not be large, or even in current use, to be perceived as distinct and important.

Die Medizintechnik Tiefe-Hirnstimulation ist nicht nur als naturwissenschaftlich-technisches Produkt zu sehen, sondern vor allem auch als kultur-technische Leistung mit historischen Wurzeln. Dieserart Schnittstellenhandlungen nehmen einen festen Platz in der Medizingeschichte ein und sind nicht losgelöst von dieser zu bestimmen. Ein- und zugreifende Praktiken wie Trepanationen und Schädelkulte sind vielfältig verankert und offenbaren einen menschheitsalten Wunsch nach Einflussnahme und Bemächtigung. Hierüber lässt sich der Mensch als verknüpf-, einstell- und gestaltbare Entität im Rahmen 'eutoper' Welt- und Technikbilder sowie deterministischer Menschenbilder darstellen. Mit der Integration aktiver, technischer Elemente in den menschlichen Körper verschieben wir die Grenzverläufe zwischen biologischen und artifiziellen Entitäten. Sowohl die Hardware-Software-Relationen als auch die Körper-Geist-Relationen unterliegen dabei Verknüpfungs- und Gestaltungsprozessen. Aus der Interaktion zwischen menschlichen und nicht-menschlichen Handlungsteilnehmern resultieren neuartige Wechselbeziehungen, welche unter Zuhilfenahme der Embodiment- und Embedded-Theorie nachgezeichnet werden. Den schwerwiegenden Aus- und Nebenwirkungen dieser Interkation wird mit einem empirischen Fallbeispiel nahegekommen. Dass diese Entwicklung hin zu einer konfigurierenden Gestaltungskultur risikobehaftet ist, wird unter Zuhilfenahme des Terminus 'Experimentalsystem' dargelegt. Dabei ist festzuhalten, dass die Tiefe-Hirnstimulation nicht trotz sondern wegen experimenteller Faktoren erfolgreich und faszinierend ist. Neurostimulationen in erster Linie als Konzept zu begreifen bedeutet, den Fokus auf kulturelle Anschichten und Handlungen zu lenken. In welchem Ausmaß wir zu ein- und zugreifenden Gestaltungen unserer Selbst bereit sind, hängt in letzter Konsequenz an unserem menschlichen Selbstverständnis. / Medical technology deep brain stimulation is not only a scientific and technical product, but also a cultural and technical achievement with historical roots. This kind of interface actions occupy a firm place in medical history and cannot be determined separately from it. Interfering practices such as trepanations and cults of the skull are rooted in many different ways and reveal an ancient human desire for influence and empowerment. In this way, man can be represented as a connectable, adjustable and configurable entity within the framework of 'eutoper' world and technology images as well as deterministic human images. By integrating active technical elements into the human body, we are shifting the boundaries between biological and artificial entities. Both the hardware-software-relations as well as the body-spirit-relations are subject to connection and design processes. The interaction between human and non-human action participants results in novel interrelationships, which are traced with the aid of the Embodiment and Embedded Theory. The serious side effects of this interaction are approached with an empirical case study. The fact that this development towards a configuring design culture entails risk is explained with the help of the term 'experimental system'. It should be noted that deep brain stimulation is successful and fascinating not despite but because of experimental factors. Understanding neurostimulation primarily as a concept means focusing on cultural strata and actions. The extent to which we are prepared to embrace and intervene in shaping ourselves depends ultimately on our human self-conception.