From a gender perspective, this study aims to visually analyze the function of the concept ’gaze’ in the comic novel Vad glad du är som får titta på mig by Swedish artist Nina Hemmingsson. The method contains elements from semiotic analysis combined with a comics analysis for the purpose of acknowledging the importance of the narrative for producing meaning in its different parts, where the sign can be viewed as a starting point for the analysis as well as the end product of a gender strategy. The result of the analysis shows concrete examples of how artistic strategies are played out in a norm-critical feminist context. The theoretical framework aims to show how the artistic expression can be connected to the gender context of art history. The conclusion shows that the gender strategies in this specific work of art are framed by an overall strategy of ambivalence, communicated through different positions of the gendered gaze. This effect is made by the female representations as they show a characteristic expression of the returning empty gaze.

Devant l'intérêt croissant pour l'environnement et la conservation de la biodiversité, comprendre les principaux mécanismes des cycles biogéochimiques ayant lieu dans les écosystèmes coralliens et lagonaires est une priorité. Un modèle 3D couplé physique-biochéochimique a été mis en place sur le lagon de Nouvelle-Calédonie (NC) : un 'hot spot' de biodiversité sous l'influence de divers forçages d'origines naturelles et anthropiques.Les interactions terre-lagon ont été abordées à travers l'étude d'un événement extrême La Nina (2008) qui cause de fortes précipitations, amenant d'importants apports dans le lagon.Les résultats du modèle fournissent une vue synoptique de la réponse biogéochimique-physique du lagon, mettant en évidence que la totalité du lagon fût impacté par les apports des rivières et un hydrodynamisme plus actif, où les concentrations en chlorophylle-a ont été doublées.L'interaction complexe océan-lagon a été abordée à travers la modélisation des processus d'upwelling du Sud Ouest (SO) de la NC. Quatre étés australs ont été simulés, mettant en évidence l'importance des processus d'upwelling qui représentent un important forçage de la production primaire au SO de la NC. Une analyse lagrangienne du transport a montré que les eaux issues de l'upwelling peuvent atteindre le lagon SO sous certaines conditions, un phénomène pouvant avoir des conséquences sur le recrutement larvaire et l'enrichissement du lagon. Le modèle 3D couplé est un outil robuste pour l'étude de cet environnement très variable et complexe. Il peut représenter une aide à la décision des managers ainsi qu'un support d'analyse et de planification d'échantillonnage aux scientifiques. / In view of increasing environmental awareness and biodiversity conservation, understanding the main forcing mechanism driving biogeochemical cycles in coral reefs and lagoon coastal areas is a priority. We used a 3D coupled 'on-line' physical-biogeochemical model on the New Caledonia lagoon : a hot spot of biodiversity under several forcing from climate to human origin.Interactions between land and lagoon were investigated through the study of an extreme event La Niña (2008) that caused heavy rainfalls and large organic and inorganic inputs in the lagoon.Model results provided a synoptic view of the lagoon biogeochemical-physical response, highlighting that the whole lagoon was impacted by river inputs and stronger hydrodynamics were the chlorophyll-a concentration was almost double.The complex interaction between the ocean and the lagoon was investigated through the modeling of the South Western (SW) wind-driven upwelling. Four austral summers (2005-2008) were simulated and results were found to be in good agreement with measured data reported in previous publications, highlighting that upwelling processes represent strong drivers of the primary production in the SW of NC. A Lagrangian transport analysis showed that oceanic upwelled waters were able to reach the South West lagoon under certain conditions, representing an important issue for larvae recruitment and lagoon enrichment. The 3D coupled on-line biogeochemical-physical model was a robust tool to study such complex and highly variable environment. It could represent a support for decision makers to manage coastal areas as well as for scientists to plan sampling strategy or to analyse cruise data.

O objetivo desta tese é compreender as tensões e metamorfoses existentes na análise social realizada por por alguns do principais autores brasileiros da virada do século XIX para o XX, rocurando demonstrar que, indo além das ideologias racistas presentes em suas obras, eles tentavam compreender e explicar a sociedade e a cultura rasileiras, abrindo, assim, novos caminhos e horizontes para outros estudos. Neste sentido, serão analisadas as obras de Sílvio Romero, Nina Rodrigues, Euclides da Cunha e Oliveira Vianna, tomando a perspectiva analítica de comparar como estes autores, clássicos e fundamentais para a compreensão do Brasil, conseguiram superar o racismo que aparecia inerente em suas obras, mostrando uma abordagem crítica em relação à sociedade brasileira e abordando aspectos culturais e sociais do Brasil, até então inéditos / The objective of this thesis is to understand the existing tensions and metamorphoses in the social analysis carried through by for some of the main Brazilian authors of the turn of century XIX for the XX, looking for to demonstrate that, going beyond the racist ideologies gifts in its workmanships, them they tried to understand and to explain the Brazilian society and the culture, opening, thus, to new ways and perspectives for other studies. In this direction the workmanships of Sílvio will be analyzed Romero, Nina Rodrigues, Euclides of Cunha and Oliveira Vianna, taking the analytical perspective to compare as these authors, basic classics and for the understanding of Brazil, had obtained to surpass the racism that appeared inherent in its workmanships, showing a critical boarding 6 in relation to the Brazilian society and approaching cultural and social aspects of Brazil, until then unknown.

O objetivo desta tese é compreender as tensões e metamorfoses existentes na análise social realizada por por alguns do principais autores brasileiros da virada do século XIX para o XX, rocurando demonstrar que, indo além das ideologias racistas presentes em suas obras, eles tentavam compreender e explicar a sociedade e a cultura rasileiras, abrindo, assim, novos caminhos e horizontes para outros estudos. Neste sentido, serão analisadas as obras de Sílvio Romero, Nina Rodrigues, Euclides da Cunha e Oliveira Vianna, tomando a perspectiva analítica de comparar como estes autores, clássicos e fundamentais para a compreensão do Brasil, conseguiram superar o racismo que aparecia inerente em suas obras, mostrando uma abordagem crítica em relação à sociedade brasileira e abordando aspectos culturais e sociais do Brasil, até então inéditos / The objective of this thesis is to understand the existing tensions and metamorphoses in the social analysis carried through by for some of the main Brazilian authors of the turn of century XIX for the XX, looking for to demonstrate that, going beyond the racist ideologies gifts in its workmanships, them they tried to understand and to explain the Brazilian society and the culture, opening, thus, to new ways and perspectives for other studies. In this direction the workmanships of Sílvio will be analyzed Romero, Nina Rodrigues, Euclides of Cunha and Oliveira Vianna, taking the analytical perspective to compare as these authors, basic classics and for the understanding of Brazil, had obtained to surpass the racism that appeared inherent in its workmanships, showing a critical boarding 6 in relation to the Brazilian society and approaching cultural and social aspects of Brazil, until then unknown.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder characterised by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis abnormalities, hyperarousal, anxiety, flashbacks of trauma memories and avoidance. Increasing evidence is now accumulating that the disorder is also associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus and cognitive dysfunction that may have its origin in stress-induced excitotoxicity. Animal studies have indeed highlighted a potential role of the excitotoxic glutamatenitric oxide (NO) pathway in the stress response. Since PTSD appears to be an illness that progresses and worsens over time after an initial severe traumatic event, this study has used an animal model that emphasises repeated trauma to investigate the effect of stress on hippocampal NO synthase (NOS) activity, the release of the nitrogen oxide metabolites of NO (NOx), and also the evoked release of cGMP. Furthermore, the modulation and dependency of these responses on glutamate, NO and cGMP activity using drugs selective for these targets, will also be investigated. Rats (n=10/group) were exposed to repeated stress together with saline or drug administration immediately after the stress procedure and continuing for one week post-stress. The animals were then sacrificed for assay of hippocampal NOS activity, NO, and cGMP accumulation. Animals received either the glutamate-NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine (MEM;5mg/kg ip/d), the neuronal NOS selective inhibitor, 7- nitroindazole monosodium salt (7-NINA;20mg/kg ip/d), the cGMP-specific PDE inhibitor, sildenafil (SIL;10mg/kg ip/d) or the NFkb antagonist, pyrollidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC;70mg/kg ip/d). The latter inhibits the nuclear transcription factor, NFkb, responsible for inducing the expression of iNOS, while it also appears to mediate the glutamatergic actions on NOS expression, Stress significantly increased hippocampal NOS activity, as well as significantly increased hippocampal cGMP and NO, levels. These increases were blocked by pretreatment with either PDTC or 7-NINA, while memantine was without effect. Sildenafil significantly augmented stress induced NO, accumulation, as well as cGMP. although the latter failed to reach significance. 7-NINA and memantine significantly blocked the increase in cGMP evoked by time-dependent sensitisation (TDS)-stress, with PDTC attenuating this response, but not significantly. Additionally, administration of each drug separately for seven days without exposure to stress, did not evoke significant changes in NOx levels, compared to the control group. However, significant increases in cGMP levels, compared to the control group, were found with all four drugs. Repeated trauma therefore activates the NO-cGMP pathway, possibly involving actions on both nNOS and iNOS. The NMDA receptor appears less involved after chronic repeated stress, and may have limited therapeutic implications. Sub-cellular NO-modulation, however, may represent an important therapeutic strategy in preventing the effects of severe stress and in treating PTSD. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmacology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

30 years after the coining of autofiction (Doubrovsky, 1977), there is still no general consensus about its exact meaning. This research set out to discover autofiction, whether there is a need for this term, why the public has taken such an interest in autofiction. Research questions were divided into two major categories: 1. What is autofiction? What is its origin? How has it evolved? Which differences are there, if any, between autobiography and autofiction? Is there a need for the separate genre of autofiction? Why/why not? What are its general characteristics? 2. Do the three analysed women authors – Nothomb, Beyala and Bouraoui – incorporate these elements in their writing? If so, how and why? Is autofictional writing a stage/posture in the personal writing development of an author? Is there any link between the writing of the own persona and the obsession with the public persona? Concentrating on terminological and theoretical issues, extensive literature review was done in the first part of the research. Starting from main literary criticism regarding fiction and autobiography/autofiction, the theoretical side of my research dealt with narrative identity and the true/false dichotomy of fact/fiction. Together with qualitative research about intertextuality as applied by autofictional writers (difference plagiarism and intertextual borrowing) led to a functional definition of autofiction, the basis for the comparative study of the three authors. For the research into their public persona, extensive internet research and analysis of newspaper articles were undertaken to show: 1. how the authors portray themselves; 2. how they are perceived by the media; 3. how this possibly influences their writing style. Autofiction requires analysis of: 1. why authors write 2. about what they write 3. how they incorporate the Self and the world in their writing. Bouraoui compares writing to an almost sexual act of love, the most intimate possible. Writing was the only way she could deal with childhood memories and repressed homosexuality. Beyala writes to communicate with others, while Nothomb considers writing as a means to live more intensely, after anorexia. The specificities and distinctive characteristics of the texts and authors were discovered through narrative analysis (factual research into the authors’ public persona + textual analysis of literary oeuvres). In Chapter 3 (Calixthe Beyala), feminine literary criticism as well as postcolonial theories guided my reading. Chapter 4 (Nina Bouraoui) allowed reflexion on the links between memory, identity, truth and autofictional writing. All chapters included research on Doubrovsky’s link between psychoanalysis and autofiction. In conclusion, there is a strong indication that one should speak of autofictions in the plural. This research explains some of the differences between autobiography and autofiction while underlining the importance of the existence of this new, separate sub-genre. The researcher had an opportunity to reflect on human memory and re-interpretation of facts. Where does the dividing line between truth and falsehood fall when the author puts the reader deliberately on a false track by introducing his/her work as « a novel »? Recent, post-modern writing has deliberately transgressed the fine dividing line between fact/fiction. The present research corroborates this view. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder characterised by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis abnormalities, hyperarousal, anxiety, flashbacks of trauma memories and avoidance. Increasing evidence is now accumulating that the disorder is also associated with shrinkage of the hippocampus and cognitive dysfunction that may have its origin in stress-induced excitotoxicity. Animal studies have indeed highlighted a potential role of the excitotoxic glutamatenitric oxide (NO) pathway in the stress response. Since PTSD appears to be an illness that progresses and worsens over time after an initial severe traumatic event, this study has used an animal model that emphasises repeated trauma to investigate the effect of stress on hippocampal NO synthase (NOS) activity, the release of the nitrogen oxide metabolites of NO (NOx), and also the evoked release of cGMP. Furthermore, the modulation and dependency of these responses on glutamate, NO and cGMP activity using drugs selective for these targets, will also be investigated. Rats (n=10/group) were exposed to repeated stress together with saline or drug administration immediately after the stress procedure and continuing for one week post-stress. The animals were then sacrificed for assay of hippocampal NOS activity, NO, and cGMP accumulation. Animals received either the glutamate-NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine (MEM;5mg/kg ip/d), the neuronal NOS selective inhibitor, 7- nitroindazole monosodium salt (7-NINA;20mg/kg ip/d), the cGMP-specific PDE inhibitor, sildenafil (SIL;10mg/kg ip/d) or the NFkb antagonist, pyrollidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC;70mg/kg ip/d). The latter inhibits the nuclear transcription factor, NFkb, responsible for inducing the expression of iNOS, while it also appears to mediate the glutamatergic actions on NOS expression, Stress significantly increased hippocampal NOS activity, as well as significantly increased hippocampal cGMP and NO, levels. These increases were blocked by pretreatment with either PDTC or 7-NINA, while memantine was without effect. Sildenafil significantly augmented stress induced NO, accumulation, as well as cGMP. although the latter failed to reach significance. 7-NINA and memantine significantly blocked the increase in cGMP evoked by time-dependent sensitisation (TDS)-stress, with PDTC attenuating this response, but not significantly. Additionally, administration of each drug separately for seven days without exposure to stress, did not evoke significant changes in NOx levels, compared to the control group. However, significant increases in cGMP levels, compared to the control group, were found with all four drugs. Repeated trauma therefore activates the NO-cGMP pathway, possibly involving actions on both nNOS and iNOS. The NMDA receptor appears less involved after chronic repeated stress, and may have limited therapeutic implications. Sub-cellular NO-modulation, however, may represent an important therapeutic strategy in preventing the effects of severe stress and in treating PTSD. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Pharmacology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

ix, 213 p. A print copy of this title is available from the UO Libraries, under the call number: KNIGHT PQ673 .C53 2007 / This dissertation is an analysis of the ways in which the remembered past of childhood is inscribed in four francophone novels written at the turn of the twenty-first century: Nina Bouraoui's L'âge blessé and Garçon manqué, Ying Chen's Le champ dans la mer, and Gisèle Pineau's L'espérance-macadam. These texts belong to a substantial corpus of contemporary narratives in which the remembering of childhood experiences plays a central role. Within that corpus we find a new approach to childhood emerging, one in which an unfamiliar past returns through the remembered voice of a wounded child. This voice overwhelms the text, fracturing the narrative through the irruption of images that it cannot contain. This dissertation is a study of the characteristics of this new "aesthetics of rupture." Memories of childhood in these texts are overshadowed by shattering past events that went unrecognized and unacknowledged. As a result of the wounds inflicted upon the child, the adult narrator remembers the past through physical symptoms of pain. Far from suturing the wounds of the past, remembering childhood becomes an incessant confrontational engagement with past traumas. The reader is then able to hear the scream of the wide-eyed child through a process of empathetic identification with the narrator's visceral memories. My introductory chapters provide a historical context to the development of representations of childhood in French and Francophone literature. Chapter III studies the ways in which childhood memories can actualize the past as a set of interruptive and destabilizing images. Theories of the non-representational revelation of the past serve as a starting point to my reading of Bouraoui's L'âge blessé. Chapter IV concentrates on the affective quality of memories so as to understand the narrator's ambivalent affective relationship to the past of childhood in Chen's Le champ dans la mer. Chapter V attempts to capture the ways in which the memory of a child's voice can be heard as a literary scream in Bouraoui's Garçon manqué. Chapter VI is a reading of Pineau's L'espérance-macadam in which I take into account the unseen gaze of the child to consider the role of hope in this text. / Adviser: Karen McPherson

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 3445.pdf: 6266853 bytes, checksum: f08b789defaa8e43a57b93d5d4e11178 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-28 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The study of the plankton community provides better understanding of trophic relationships through their responses in relation to environmental variables of freshwater ecosystems. These responses include the organization of the structure and species composition both in spatial and temporal scale. The study much more important in water scarce northeast Brazil where reservoirs are the main source of potable water supply. This thesis examines aspects related to the ecological relationship between phytoplankton and zooplankton communities in a eutrophic reservoir of Rio Grande do Norte State. The study was conducted during a period significantly affected by climatic change as a consequence of La Niña event (2008-2009), causing heavy rainfall in certain regions. Samples were collected monthly in the Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves reservoir (ARG), Assu, RN, during two distinct phases: Hydrodynamic Instability ( I e II) and Stability. The seasonal relationships between phytoplankton and zooplankton communities were analyzed from the data of morpho functional species data, their biomass, composition, frequency, diversity, richness, evenness, and dominance index. These biotic variables are tested to environmental variables such as water temperature, transparency, turbidity, conductivity, pH and total and inorganic nutrients (nitrate-N, Nnitrite, ammonia-N and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus, total Nitrogen and Phosphorus), measured in situ or by spectrophotometric methods, according with specific methodologies. In addition to descriptive aspect, experimental approach was used to explain certain biotic relationship found in descriptive study. The results demonstrate significant environmental variations and planktonic compositional changes, which are mediated by hydrodynamic forces such as atypical high rainfall, greater influx of river water, water turbulence and complete mixture of water column and heavy nutrient suspension. Phytoplankton species composition was classified according to morphofunctional characteristic and the succession of phytoplankton revealed how the composition and density of cyanobacteria altered during stable and unstable periods. The results also showed considerable reduction in the cyanobacteria biomass and concomitant increase in phytoplankton diversity. During the second period of hydrodynamic instability of planktonic species composition was shifted in favour of predominant species of non-toxic cyanobacterial, followed by members of Chlorophytes and Bacilariophytes along with the higher biomass of copepod nauplii, juvenile copepods and Cladocera. The presence of Chlorophyte and Bacillariophyte species with juvenile copepods and cladoceran indicate the features of better water quality in the ARG reservoir. During the study, we observed a negative correlation between zooplankton groups and Ostracods Calonoid Copepods. The results indicate the predominance of Physiocypria schubarti (Ostracod) over subdued Notodiaptomus cearensis (Clanoid Copepod) in the midst of filamentous cyanobacteria suggesting a mere co-existence of species without competition for food. Moreover, the high abundance of Ostracods in the water column is not a relevant factor that determines a reduction in the biomass of Calanoid Copepods. On the other hand, we can infer that the toxicity of filamentous cyanobacteria may affect some individuals in the population of Calanoid Copepods. / O estudo envolvendo a comunidade planctônica fornece um melhor entendimento das relações tróficas através de suas respostas em relação às variáveis ambientais dos ecossistemas continentais. Estas respostas incluem a organização na estrutura e composição das espécies tanto em escala espacial quanto temporal e são de suma importância no Nordeste do Brasil onde há escassez de água e os reservatórios são a principal fonte de abastecimento de água potável. Esta tese examina alguns aspectos referentes à relação ecológica entre as comunidades fitoplanctônica e zooplanctônica em um reservatório eutrofizados do Rio Grande do Norte. O estudo foi conduzido durante um período afetado pelo fenômeno La Niña (2008-2009), o que provocou elevados índices pluviométricos na região, sendo possível o estabelecimento de duas fases distintas: instabilidade hidrodinâmica (I e II) e estabilidade hidrodinâmica. As relações de sucessões sazonais entre as comunidades fitoplanctônica e zooplanctônica foram analisadas a partir dos dados morfofuncionais das espécies, biomassas, composição, frequência e índices de diversidade, riqueza, equitabilidade e dominância. Estas variáveis bióticas foram relacionadas com algumas variáveis ambientais, tais como, temperatura da água, transparência, turbidez, condutividade elétrica, pH e nutrientes inorgânicos e totais (N-nitrato, N-amoniacal, Fósforo Solúvel Reativo, Nitrogênio Total e Fósforo Total), mensurados in situ ou através de métodos espectrofotométricos, de acordo com metodologias específicas. Em adição aos aspectos descritos, abordagens experimentais foram realizadas para explicar algumas relações bióticas encontradas durante o estudo descritivo. Os resultados demonstram significantes variações ambientais e modificações na composição do plâncton, mediadas por forças hidrodinâmicas, tais como elevadas pluviosidades, maior entrada de água do rio, turbulência e mistura na coluna d`água. As espécies do fitoplâncton inseridas em classificações morfo-funcionais revelou revelou como a sucessão, composição e densidade de cianobactérias foram alteradas durante os períodos de estabilidade e instabilidade. Foi observada uma redução na biomassa de cianobactérias e concomitante aumento na diversidade fitoplanctônica durante o segundo período de instabilidade. Além disso, a composição das espécies planctônicas foi deslocada em favor da predominância de cianobactérias não-tóxicas, seguido por membros de Clorofíceas e Bacilariofíceas, assim como elevada biomassa de náuplios de Copepoda, Copepoditos e Cladocera. A presença de espécies de Clorofíceas e Bacilariofíceas, assim como de Copepodas jovens e Cladoceras indicam características de melhoria na qualidade da água do reservatório Armando Ribeiro Gonçalves. Durante o estudo foi observada uma correlação negativa entre os grupos zooplanctônicos Copepoda Calanoida e Ostracoda. Os resultados indicam uma predominância da espécie Physiocypria schubarti (Ostracoda) sobre Notodiaptomus cearensis (Copepoda Calanoida) em meio a uma abundante biomassa de cianobactéria filamentosa e co-existência de alguns indivíduos destas espécies sem que haja competição por alimento. Além disso, a elevada abundância de Ostracoda na coluna d`água não foi um fator determinante na redução da biomassa de Copepoda Calanoida. Por outro lado, podemos inferir que a toxicidade de cianobactérias filamentosas podem afetar alguns indivíduos da população de Copepoda Calanoida.

<p>This is a study of the novel <em>Mes mauvaises pensées</em> (2005) by the French writer Nina Bouraoui. I use an intertextual comparative method, where I read the novel against three intertexts: Marie Cardinal <em>Les mots pour le dire</em> (1975), the David Lynch movie <em>Mulholland Drive </em>(2001) and novels and photographies by Hervé Guibert. Main focus is on the relation between body and language. Using the psychoanalytic theories by Julia Kristeva I examine the melancholy of the narrator in <em>Mes mauvaises pensées</em>. The melancholic subject mourns a Thing which is the unrepresentable archaic mother. Melancholy is connected to the notion of exile; the subject belongs to a lost place in the past which it is still holding on to. The narrator of <em>Mes mauvaises pensées</em> is still living in her childhood, even though she is a grown up woman. I show how the place from where she speaks is the child. The female body and the female sexuality are not represented in the text, there is a missing link between the female body and it’s representation in language – in the symbolic order. According to Kristeva the melancholic denies the loss of the Thing – in the end the mother – and clings to the unrepresentable void. By realizing and acknowledging the loss one can reconstruct the bond to the archaic mother in language. Bouraoui’s failure in writing <em>the feminine</em> into the text is interesting because it puts lights on the conditions of writing the body for women. The theory of l’écriture féminine is an inspiration for the analyses and I contrast it to Judith Butler’s idea of gender performativity. There is a conflict in what constitutes gender and sex between psychoanalysis and queer theory, which is also found in the narrator in Bouraoui’s novel – trying to create herself through pure performativity she never succeeds to act independently of the mother and the female body.</p>