This diploma thesis deals with the reception of the newly established Czechoslovakia by the British press from 1918 to 1922. My task was to find out how often and in what context did Czechoslovakia appear in the press and what was the difference between the image of the republic in each newspaper. Secondarily, my task was to evaluate the success of the Czechoslovak propaganda in Britain. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part presents the context of the emergence of Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-British diplomacy aims and cultural propaganda in the given period. One chapter is dedicated to the history of the British press and includes profiles of the journals examined. The practical part incorporates both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Four broadsheets in total were analysed; The Times, The Manchester Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and a Sunday newspaper The Observer. Quantitative content analysis of The Times was used to determine the frequency, the length and the interest of the mentions of Czechoslovakia as well as the theme of the articles. Based on the quantitative analysis, sample time periods were selected for the qualitative section. The qualitative analysis further deepens the quantitative part and presents the explicit and implicit attributes that Czechoslovakia was...

During the last few years cities are taking the lead against climate change. Theyare aware of the big contribution they can make to mitigate the climate change, so theyare working actively in this field. This thesis’ aim is to study what cities are doing andthe chance they have to be successful. The cities selected for this thesis were Madrid,Barcelona, London, Manchester an Dublin. The method followed to active the aim wasto read all the information available from the selected cities’ Councils about themeasures they are carrying out. Then, transform that information to a way that all thecities’ information can be compared. As a result, it can be seen that there are fewdifferences in their lines of action,excluding some punctual facts. All the cities areworking actively to reduce transport sector’s emissions, to improve the energy use athomes and to increase the importance of the renewable energies. Spanish cities’emissions reduction targets are still not ambitious enough, while London’s are the mostambitious among the studied cities. As a conclusion, it can be said that cities shouldwork together to face the challenge of climate change, because there’s still much to do,targets have to be more ambitious and measures stricter. / Estos últimos años las ciudades están tomando la iniciativa en contra del cambioclimático. Son conscientes de las grandes oportunidades que tienen para mitigarlo, asíque están trabajando activamente en este sentido. El propósito de esta tesis es estudiar loque están haciendo las ciudades para mitigar el cambio climático y las oportunidadesque tienen de tener éxito. Las ciudades seleccionadas para este estudio son Madrid,Barcelona, Londres, Manchester y Dublín. El método para conseguir el propósito fueleer toda la información disponible por parte de los ayuntamientos de las distintasciudades acerca de las medidas que están llevando a cabo. A continuación transformaresa información a unos parámetros comunes a todas las ciudades y compararla. Comoresultado se observa que hay muy pocas diferencias en sus líneas de acción, con algunaexcepción puntual. Todas las ciudades están trabajando activamente para reducir lasemisiones del sector transporte, mejorar el aprovechamiento energético doméstico ypara aumentar la proporción de energías renovables. Las ciudades Españolas todavía notienen objetivos de reducción de emissiones suficientemente ambiciosos, al contrarioque Londres. Como conclusión, las ciudades deberían trabajar unidas en contra delcambio climático, porque todavía queda mucho por conseguir, los objetivos deben sermás abiciosos y las medidas más estrictas. / <p>www.ima.kth.se</p>

The success of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) paradigm relies on, among other things, developing energy-efficient communication techniques that can enable information exchange among billions of battery-operated IoT devices. With its technological capability of simultaneous information and energy transfer, ambient backscatter is quickly emerging as an appealing solution for this communication paradigm, especially for the links with low data rate requirements. However, many challenges and limitations of ambient backscatter have to be overcome for widespread adoption of the technology in future wireless networks. Motivated by this, we study the design and implementation of ambient backscatter systems, including non-coherent detection and encoding schemes, and investigate techniques such as multiple antenna interference cancellation and frequency-shift backscatter to improve the bit error rate performance of the designed ambient backscatter systems. First, the problem of coherent and semi-coherent ambient backscatter is investigated by evaluating the exact bit error rate (BER) of the system. The test statistic used for the signal detection is based on the averaging of energy of the received signal samples. It is important to highlight that the conditional distributions of this test statistic are derived using the central limit theorem (CLT) approximation in the literature. The characterization of the exact conditional distributions of the test statistic as non-central chi-squared random variable for the binary hypothesis testing problem is first handled in our study, which is a key contribution of this particular work. The evaluation of the maximum likelihood (ML) detection threshold is also explored which is found to be intractable. To overcome this, alternate strategies to approximate the ML threshold are proposed. In addition, several insights for system design and implementation are provided both from analytical and numerical standpoints. Second, the highly appealing non-coherent signal detection is explored in the context of ambient backscatter for a time-selective channel. Modeling the time-selective fading as a first-order autoregressive (AR) process, we implement a new detection architecture at the receiver based on the direct averaging of the received signal samples, which departs significantly from the energy averaging-based receivers considered in the literature. For the proposed setup, we characterize the exact asymptotic BER for both single-antenna (SA) and multi-antenna (MA) receivers, and demonstrate the robustness of the new architecture to timing errors. Our results demonstrate that the direct-link (DL) interference from the ambient power source leads to a BER floor in the SA receiver, which the MA receiver can avoid by estimating the angle of arrival (AoA) of the DL. The analysis further quantifies the effect of improved angular resolution on the BER as a function of the number of receive antennas. Third, the advantages of utilizing Manchester encoding for the data transmission in the context of non-coherent ambient backscatter have been explored. Specifically, encoding is shown to simplify the detection procedure at the receiver since the optimal decision rule is found to be independent of the system parameters. Through extensive numerical results, it is further shown that a backscatter system with Manchester encoding can achieve a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain compared to the commonly used uncoded direct on-off keying (OOK) modulation, when used in conjunction with a multi-antenna receiver employing the direct-link cancellation. Fourth, the BER performance of frequency-shift ambient backscatter, which achieves the self-interference mitigation by spatially separating the reflected backscatter signal from the impending source signal, is investigated. The performance of the system is evaluated for a non-coherent receiver under slow fading in two different network setups: 1) a single interfering link coming from the ambient transmission occurring in the shifted frequency region, and 2) a large-scale network with multiple interfering signals coming from the backscatter nodes and ambient source devices transmitting in the band of interest. Modeling the interfering devices as a two dimensional Poisson point process (PPP), tools from stochastic geometry are utilized to evaluate the bit error rate for the large-scale network setup. / Doctor of Philosophy / The emerging paradigm of Internet-of-Things (IoT) has the capability of radically transforming the human experience. At the heart of this technology are the smart edge devices that will monitor everyday physical processes, communicate regularly with the other nodes in the network chain, and automatically take appropriate actions when necessary. Naturally, many challenges need to be tackled in order to realize the true potential of this technology. Most relevant to this dissertation are the problems of powering potentially billions of such devices and enabling low-power communication among them. Ambient backscatter has emerged as a useful technology to handle the aforementioned challenges of the IoT networks due to its capability to support the simultaneous transfer of information and energy. This technology allows devices to harvest energy from the ambient signals in the environment thereby making them self-sustainable, and in addition provide carrier signals for information exchange. Using these attributes of ambient backscatter, the devices can operate at very low power which is an important feature when considering the reliability requirements of the IoT networks. That said, the ambient backscatter technology needs to overcome many challenges before its widespread adoption in IoT networks. For example, the range of backscatter is limited in comparison to the conventional communication systems due to self-interference from the power source at a receiver. In addition, the probability of detecting the data in error at the receiver, characterized by the bit error rate (BER) metric, in the presence of wireless multipath is generally poor in ambient backscatter due to double path loss and fading effects observed for the backscatter link. Inspired by this, the aim of this dissertation is to come up with new architecture designs for the transmitter and receiver devices that can improve the BER performance. The key contributions of the dissertation include the analytical derivations of BER which provide insights on the system design and the main parameters impacting the system performance. The exact design of the optimal detection technique for a communication system is dependent on the channel behavior, mainly the time-varying nature in the case of a flat fading channel. Depending on the mobility of devices and scatterers present in the wireless channel, it can either be described as time-selective or time-nonselective. In the time-nonselective channels, coherent detection that requires channel state information (CSI) estimation using pilot signals can be implemented for ambient backscatter. On the other hand, non-coherent detection is preferred when the channel is time-selective since the CSI estimation is not feasible in such scenarios. In the first part of this dissertation, we analyze the performance of ambient backscatter in a point-to-point single-link system for both time-nonselective and time-selective channels. In particular, we determine the BER performance of coherent and non-coherent detection techniques for ambient backscatter systems in this line of work. In addition, we investigate the possibility of improving the BER performance using multi-antenna and coding techniques. Our analyses demonstrate that the use of multi-antenna and coding can result in tremendous improvement of the performance and simplification of the detection procedure, respectively. In the second part of the dissertation, we study the performance of ambient backscatter in a large-scale network and compare it to that of the point-to-point single-link system. By leveraging tools from stochastic geometry, we analytically characterize the BER performance of ambient backscatter in a field of interfering devices modeled as a Poisson point process.

Orientador: Edgar Salvadori De Decca / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciencias Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-27T09:48:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Meneguello_Cristina_D.pdf: 30124545 bytes, checksum: 46eae1fe57e3100c234d5c4ca29a4190 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2000 / Resumo: o presente trabalho, ao estudar o revival gótico e o medievalismo presentes na história, na arquitetura e nas artes da Inglaterra do século XIX, examina as estratégias de interpretação do passado histórico presentes na cidade industrial. Analisando o paradigma da cidade de Manchester como a cidade industrial por excelência, este trabalho observa a criação de um discurso sobre o passado local, intensificado quando da edificação da nova prefeitura da cidade e das escavaçóes das ruínas romanas em sua região central. Procede-se a uma análise do movimento neogótico, a partir da historiografia da época e posterior, questionando as idéias de sobrevivência, de revival e de historicismo na arquitetura. Centrando-se nas figuras de A.W.N.Pugin, John Ruskin e William Morris, o presente trabalho observa identidades entre o revival e o movimento Arts and Crafts, especialmente na questão do ornamento e da celebração da habilidade do artífice. Por fim, considerando-se o neogótico e o medievalismo em sua forma mais ampla, oferece-se uma explicação que se move em duas frentes: a criação das cidades de industriais e das cidades-jardim entendidas como um retorno à idéia de comunidade medievalizada que projeta o passado para o futuro; e o surgimento das primeiras sociedades de preservação do patrimônio na Inglaterra, atribuindo significados históricos à sua aversão ao restauro dos edificios e à sua defesa do passado tangível das ruínas, as quais indicam a permanência do passado no presente / Abstract: This doctoral thesis, focusing on the Gothic revival and medievalism in history, architecture and fine arts in nineteenth-century Britain, deals with the strategies for interpreting the historical past in the industrial town. Taking Manchester as the paradigm of the industrial city, the study begins with the historical debate about the local past, in the wake ofthe building of the NewTown Hall and the excavations of the ruíns of the Roman fort located in the city centre. It then approaches the Gothic revival movement, considering contemporary and current historiography and looking into the notions of revival, survival and historicism. It turns to the works of A. W. N. Pugin, J. Ruskin and W. Morris, where similarities are noted between the revival and the Arts and Crafts movement, particularly with respect to the issues of ornament and craftsmanship. Finally, regarding medievalism and the Gothic revival, it suggests a twofold interpretation: first, the creation of company towns and garden-cities can be seen as a return to the idea of the medieval community, where the past is projected into the future; second1y, with respect to the work of the first societies for the preservation of ancient buildings, it considers the historical meanings in their denial of restoration and their view of ruins as embodying the past within the present / Doutorado / Doutor em História

No description available.

Ce mémoire porte sur l'interprétation de la Seconde Guerre des Boers (1899-1902) dans la presse britannique et plus précisément au travers des publications du London Times et du Manchester Guardian. Par l'étude de leurs articles traitant de la guerre, nous retraçons l'opinion véhiculée par ces journaux en lien avec le conflit tout au long de sa durée. À l'aide d'une analyse qualitative et comparative, nous étudions s'il y a une remise en question des idées préétablies dans la presse écrite du début des hostilités en octobre 1899 jusqu'à leur arrêt en mai 1902. Nos résultats indiquent qu'il n'y a aucune réelle évolution de l'opinion transmise par les deux journaux au sujet de la guerre sud-africaine. Le London Times s'affiche de façon évidente aux idéaux du parti conservateur qui appuie cette guerre alors que le Manchester Guardian se campe sur le positionnement antimilitariste du parti libéral. Seul l'argumentaire s'adapte aux différents événements marquants de ce conflit qui influencent les débats dans la presse anglaise, et ce, malgré la nature polémique de ce conflit colonial considéré comme la dernière guerre impérialiste de l'ère moderne.

This thesis takes as its starting point the use of extracts from the works of historical authors who wrote in England in the early to mid twelfth-century. It focuses upon the ways in which their works began to be incorporated into three particular texts in the later twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. Through the medium of individual case studies – De Abbatibus (Abingdon), CCCC 139 (Durham) and The London Collection three elements are explored (i) how mediaeval writers used extracts from the works of others in ways which differed from modern practices with their concerns over charges of plagiarism and unoriginality (ii) how the structural and narrative roles which the use of extracts played within the presentation of these texts (iii) how the application of approaches developed in the twentieth century, which transformed how texts are now analysed, enabled a re-evaluation and re-interpretation of their use of source material with greater sensitivity to their original purposes This analysis casts fresh light upon the how and why these texts were produced and the means by which they fulfilled their purposes and reveals that despite their disparate origins and individual perspectives these three texts share two common features: (i) they follow a common three stage pattern of development (ii) they deal with similar issues: factional insecurities and concerns about the quality of those in power over them – using an historical perspective The analysis also reveals the range of techniques which were at the disposal of the composers of these texts, dispelling any notion that they were either unsophisticated or naïve in their handling of their source materials. Together these texts demonstrate how mediaeval authors used combinations of extracts as a means of responding quickly and flexibly to address particular concerns. Such texts were not regarded as being set in stone but rather as fluid entities which could be recombined at will in order to produce new works as required.

科学研究費補助金 研究種目:基盤研究(C)(2) 課題番号:08610252 研究代表者:加藤 鉦治 研究期間:1996-1998年度

This thesis argues that there is an enigma at the heart of Webster's The Duchess of Malfi; a disjunction between the critical history of the play and its reception in performance. Historical disquiet about the status of the play among academics and cultural commentators has not prevented its popularity with audiences. It has, however, affected some of the staging decisions made by theatre companies mounting productions. Allied to other practical factors, these have impacted significantly – and occasionally disastrously – upon performances. It is argued that Webster conceived the play as a meditation on degree and, in aiming to draw out the maximum relevance from the social satire, deliberately created the multi-faceted performative role of Bosola to work his audience in a complex and subversive manner. The role's purpose was determined in response to the structural discontinuity imposed upon the play by the physical realities of staging within the Blackfriars' auditorium. But Webster also needed an agent to serve the plot's development and, in creating the role he also invented a character, developed way beyond the material of his sources. This character proved as trapped as any other in the play by the consequences of his own moral choices. Hovering between role and character, Webster's creation remains liminally poised on ‘the dangerous edge of things.' Part One explores the contexts in which Webster created one of the most ambiguous figures in early modern drama - subverting stock malcontent, villain and revenger - and speculates on the importance of the actor, John Lowin in its genesis. It includes a subsequent performance history of the role. Part Two presents the detailed analysis of a range of professional performances from the past four decades, attempting to demonstrate how the meaning of the play has been altered by decisions made regarding the part of Bosola.

No / Aims and objectives To (1) investigate the organisation, provision and practice of oral care in typical UK stroke units; (2) explore stroke survivors', carers' and healthcare professionals' experiences and perceptions about the barriers and facilitators to receiving and undertaking oral care in stroke units. Cerebrovascular disease and oral health are major global health concerns. Little is known about the provision, challenges and practice of oral care in the stroke unit setting, and there are currently no evidence-based practice guidelines. Design Cross-sectional survey of 11 stroke units across Greater Manchester and descriptive qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Methods A self-report questionnaire was used to survey 11 stroke units in Greater Manchester. Data were then collected through two focus groups (n = 10) with healthcare professionals and five semi-structured interviews with stroke survivors and carers. Focus group and interview data were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework approach. Results Eleven stroke units in Greater Manchester responded to the survey. Stroke survivors and carers identified a lack of oral care practice and enablement by healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals identified a lack of formal training to conduct oral care for stroke patients, inconsistency in the delivery of oral care and no set protocols or use of formal oral assessment tools. Conclusion Oral care post-stroke could be improved by increasing healthcare professionals' awareness, understanding and knowledge of the potential health benefits of oral care post-stroke. Further research is required to develop and evaluate the provision of oral care in stroke care to inform evidence-based education and practice.