Forging Literary History: Historical Fiction and Literary Forgery in Eighteenth-Century Britain

In this essay, I wish to explore a similar dialectic of historical positivism and skepticism in eighteenth-century Britain. Over the course of the century, but particularly in the second half, new and more scientific standards of historical investigation developed, with practitioners expressing a greater confidence about their ability to know the past. During these years, a series of monumental achievements in historiography appeared: David Hume’s History of England (1754–62), Edward Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776), and William Robertson’s History of Scotland (1759), to name just three of the most celebrated. As part of this increased interest in the past and increased optimism about the ability to understand earlier historical periods, a range of new types of writing about the past proliferated, such as antiquarian studies, social and cultural history, literary history, universal history, and conjectural history. While the study of history was developing much more rigorous standards of investigation and historical works were among the bestselling titles of the century, a strain of historical skepticism was gaining force, often finding expression in the writings of the very same people who were doing the confident historical investigation. This philosophical skepticism is perhaps most dramatically illustrated in the writings of major historians such as Hume and Robertson. The works of these philosophical historians were steeped in skepticism about both individual historical details and the possibility of achieving any kind of historical certainty

Tales of Other Times: A Survey of British Historical Fiction 1770-1812

The years 1760–1820 mark a turning point in the history of historiography. Methods for studying the past changed rapidly during this period, as did the forms in which historical knowledge was displayed. Hume famously called these years ‘the historical age’, while Foucault’s Order of Things contends that an epistemic shift from ‘order’ to ‘history’ took place around the year 1800. The historical novel, possibly the most important generic innovation of Romantic-era fiction, is also the most important and underexplored historiographic innovation of these years. Its importance has not often been recognised, however, since, following the nineteenth-century establishment of an autonomous realm of art and the professionalisation of historiography, history and fiction came to appear more and more distinct and their earlier connections forgotten. The novel has come to be studied as a linguistically complex work of the imagination, using the techniques of close reading to uncover its hidden meanings, while works of historiography have more often been studied for the ideas they express than their means of expression

Influences of social and habitat features on selection and use of breeding habitat and pup survival in South American fur seals

Quantitative information is lacking about how fur seals use habitat and how this use influences fitness. Such information is important for understanding the prospects for recovery of declining populations like those of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in Peru. In this study I examined the influences of habitat features and human disturbance on selection of breeding habitat by female fur seals in Peru; and I examined how mortality of pups was influenced by habitat features, female behavior, and the social environment on the beach. Arctocephalus australis in Peru have declined gradually over the past decade, and declined dramatically (72%) due to low food availability during the severe El Nino in 1997--98. Pup mortality has been greater for fur seals in Peru than in other populations of fur seals due to pups becoming injured or separated from their mother when high densities of aggressive females move to limited water-access sites to avoid overheating. In 1999, the seals abandoned some historically important breeding beaches, and did not colonize new beaches. I found that currently used breeding beaches were less likely to have human disturbance and more likely to have offshore islands, stacked rocks, tide pools, and abundant shade than abandoned or unused beaches. At low population numbers, females seemed to select habitat that maximized thermoregulation and minimized disturbance, but was detrimental to survival of pups. Pup mortality remained high (20--46%) following the population decline, despite population densities one third those prior to the decline. Pup mortality was greater at rugged, rocky beaches exposed to heavy surf than at flat, open beaches with abundant tide pools. Females whose pups survived for ≥20 days spent less time exposed to heavy surf and suckling a yearling, and more time suckling their pup than females whose pups died. High percentages (23--52%) of females continued to suckle yearlings, possibly stemming from low food availability. Birth sites and thermoregulatory sites were farther apart at the rugged beach than at the flat beach. This separation was associated with higher rates of movement and pup mortality. Population density did not differ between the two beaches (∼0.3--0.4 females/m2)

The Effect of Clinician Hardiness on Posttraumatic Growth and Trauma based on Vicarious Trauma Exposure

There is a gap in the literature that examines posttraumatic growth outcomes in clinical psychologists. Additionally, few studies have explored personality characteristics that can mitigate negative psychological outcomes and foster growth. This study examined if the same model of Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) would be found in clinical psychologists who work with trauma as those who have experienced a traumatic event. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) indicated moderate model fit. Additionally, the study assessed whether the relationship between cumulative Vicarious Trauma Exposure (VTE) and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), and cumulative VTE and PTG would depend on the moderator hardiness, but no significant interactions were found. Yet, a post-hoc analysis indicated an interaction between weekly VTE and hardiness on PTG such that those who reported higher weekly VTE and hardiness scores tended to report higher growth scores, whereas those who reported lower weekly VTE and hardiness did not tend to differ. Implications for training programs are suggested. Limitations of sample distribution, sample characteristics, and measures are addressed. Future research should include larger sample sizes and additional measures to assess for convergent and construct validity

The optical resolution of albuterol

The acetonide derivative of (rac)-albuterol has been prepared and used as a substrate in cocrystallisation experiments with several acidic resolving agents~ Successful resolution of the acetonide was achieved with both di-0-benzoyl- and di-0-toluoyltartaric acid, with the (2S,3S)enantiomer of the acid selectively co-crystallising with the desired (R)-albuterol acetonide. High performance liquid chromatography on a chiral stationary phase, and 1H NMR experiments using a chiral shift reagent were used to assess the optical purity of the resolved material. Acid hydrolysis of the resolved acetonide gave rise to the target, (R)-albuterol, which was isolated as an acetate salt. The inferred absolute configuration of the resolved acetonide was assessed by 1H NMR analysis of its (R)-Mosher ester, and confirmed by an X-ray structural determination of its (R)-phenylethylurea derivative. The acetonide derivative of (rac)-albuterol has been prepared and used as a substrate in cocrystallisation experiments with several acidic resolving agents~ Successful resolution of the acetonide was achieved with both di-0-benzoyl- and di-0-toluoyltartaric acid, with the (2S,3S)enantiomer of the acid selectively co-crystallising with the desired (R)-albuterol acetonide. High performance liquid chromatography on a chiral stationary phase, and 1H NMR experiments using a chiral shift reagent were used to assess the optical purity of the resolved material. Acid hydrolysis of the resolved acetonide gave rise to the target, (R)-albuterol, which was isolated as an acetate salt. The inferred absolute configuration of the resolved acetonide was assessed by 1H NMR analysis of its (R)-Mosher ester, and confirmed by an X-ray structural determination of its (R)-phenylethylurea derivative

Impacts of climate change on public health in Australia

Provides information, opinions and recommendations relevant to assessing the potential impacts of climate change on public health in Australia, as well as guidelines for decision-making in responding to these impacts. It aims to: draw attention to the potential impacts of climate change on health in Australia; discuss the policies and issues related to the impacts of climate change on health; present prioritised recommendations to decision-makers on policies and practices which may assist mitigation of and adaptation to the most serious of the identified impacts; provide guidance which will assist appropriate people and agencies to allocate resources to the highest priority problems; and provide a comprehensive list of references which provide reliable evidence about the potential impacts of climate change on health in Australia. The immediate and longer-term impacts of climate change have the potential to affect Australian health and social environments seriously, and as such, demand and deserve attention by Federal and State Governments and agencies within the Australian public health sector. Policymakers are faced with pressing issues of funding and delivering health services for an ageing society with an ever increasing burden of chronic disease and expectations of access to high-technology, high cost interventions. However, the impacts of future climate change on public health may potentially generate very large healthcare costs if current strategies for healthcare are inadequate. Successful advocacy of new policies and practices by credible and influential groups must use language which can be understood by the people who are to be influenced. This advocacy must be supported by reliable evidence. Climate-related catastrophes (droughts, floods, cyclones, other storms, bush fires) occur frequently in Australia. The demonstrably high variability in the incidence and severity of such phenomena present a challenge to scientists to discover and demonstrate any correlations between the catastrophes and the slow changes of climatic indices due to climate change. Public health organisations must start to develop alternative, more effective, practices to manage the complex issues related to climate change while continuing to implement their traditional primary, secondary and tertiary preventive models. A new approach, based on ecological principles, will be required to navigate through the complex and interrelating health causes. The public health sector must strengthen existing approaches for effective climate change adaptation strategies, including assessing regional health risks to identify vulnerable and resilient populations, collecting enhanced surveillance data and developing monitoring indicators. This approach must be based on: providing sound scientific evidence for predicting the likely outcomes and thus to take preventive or responsive action; and reorienting the public health sector towards greater comprehension and use of ecological understandings and approaches. Recommendations Politicians, health bureaucrats and other interested parties must formulate comprehensive, coherent policies to address the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on public health, including allocation of appropriate financial resources as part of a National Plan for Health in Responding to Climate Change. The National Health and Medical Research Council should be tasked with ensuring coordinated, comprehensive funding to support research into the health impacts of climate change. Research organisations and health institutions must collaborate to develop cost-effective, long-term, longitudinal studies on the impacts of climate change on the physical, biological and social environments that will affect Australian’s public health. Advocates must develop proposals which demonstrate cost savings to government over three to six years, or one or two electoral cycles. Little will be achieved in the current fiscal environment if proposed policies and practices will incur significant new budgetary expenses to governments or their agencies. Managing the impacts of climate change on public health will also involve several other sectors, such as water, planning, building, housing and transport infrastructure. Appropriate institutions should work towards a multi-level, interdisciplinary and integrated response to raise the importance of the impacts of climate change on public health. A comprehensive surveillance system would monitor the inter-relationship of environmental, social and health factors. Observational studies are important to monitor recent and present disease patterns and incidence to inform modelling of future disease patterns. They could also provide baselines for environmental health indicators, which can periodically be monitored and measured in order to inform program evaluation. The public health sector must integrate planned, evidence-based adaptations into existing preventive activities. Useful methodologies might include: a risk assessment approach such as Health Impact Assessment (HIA); an appropriate range of Environmental Health Indicators (EHIs); a “Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) framework”; and a systematic ecological health framework. The opposite of vulnerability is resilience – our capacity to respond to challenging or new circumstances. The factors which encourage resilience needs to be better understood. The public health sector must communicate concepts of risk, and develop strategies to encourage greater resilience. To understand how we can minimise vulnerability of individuals and communities to climate change we must identify those populations which are most at risk, including those for whom climate change will act as a stress multiplier for existing public health problems. The health sector must communicate climate change as a human health issue rather than just an “environmental problem”. The focus should be on effective, realistic and sustainable solutions rather than problems characterised as bleak and unresolvable

Attenuation of N-glycosylation causes polarity and adhesion defects in the C. elegans embryo

The C. elegans early embryo is highly polarized, requiring sequestration of cytoplasmic polarity factors at the plasma membrane. This compartmentalization aids asymmetric distribution of lipids and proteins, which is partially responsible for the fates of the daughter cells. Since most plasma membrane proteins are glycosylated, we determined the effect of N-glycosylation attenuation on cell polarity. While polarity establishment was not perturbed, the AB/P1 size ratio was more variable in embryos with reduced N-glycosylation than in the mock-treated ones. In addition, among other deficiencies, we observed spindle orientation defects in two-cell embryos. Moreover, cell-cell adhesion was specifically lost at the two-cell stage when N-glycosylation was reduced. This loss-of-adhesion phenotype was rescued by interfering with polarity establishment, indicating that polarity establishment enforces plasma membrane compartmentalization. Consistently, the decreased plasma membrane levels of the adhesion proteins E-cadherin and MAGI-1 in ribo-1(RNAi) embryos were restored in the absence of functional PAR-2. Our data suggest a general role for N-glycosylation in plasma membrane compartmentalization and cell polarity

Teaching Bioethics as a Stand-alone Subject in a New Zealand State Secondary School

This study is based on the contention that there is a lack of theoretical values education, that is, ethical thinking, ethical consideration and understanding of ethical theory, within New Zealand’s schools and communities at a time when societies globally are facing significant ethical, legal, social, environmental, economic and political challenges resulting from rapid technological advances. This project’s principal aim is to explore the cognitive and affective outcomes for students interacting with a specially designed bioethics curriculum presented as a stand-alone subject within the timetable at their urban, decile six, co-educational, state secondary school. It explores the proposal that if the teaching and learning of bioethics is conducted in a student-centred context and includes the teaching of ethical theory, in addition to exploring applied bioethical situations in which learners are encouraged to generate and test their opinions, then it can engage many learners and provide them with a successful way to critique their personal value systems; develop an understanding of values systems that differ from their own; and develop the key academic and social competencies of critical thinking skills, relating to others, managing self, participating and contributing, and understanding language, symbols and text required by the New Zealand curriculum. The study proposes a constructivist view of learning as a multifaceted and continuously evolving developmental process in which new ideas are generated or assimilated based on an individual’s personal values, which have cultural, ethical and spiritual dimensions. Specifically, this investigation examines and describes the teaching and learning of bioethics through two case studies conducted in a state school environment across 78 students aged between 15 and 18 years, with a wide range of interests, backgrounds and academic abilities. This research has adopted a triangulated mixed-methods design in which both qualitative and quantitative data were generated and merged to develop a deep understanding of affective and cognitive outcomes for students participating in the full-year, stand-alone bioethics course. Participating students demonstrated high levels of engagement with the bioethics curriculum and the narrative, discussion-based pedagogy integral to the study. Results show that all participating students, regardless of their academic histories, had a positive affective and cognitive response to the bioethics curriculum. The stand-alone bioethics curriculum taught within the two bounded case study groups proved an effective vehicle for explicit and comprehensive values teaching and learning, incorporating both theoretical–cognitive and character–behavioural aspects. Students’ values appreciation, critical thinking skills, skills of argument, attitudes and behaviour towards others, and philosophical and scientific conceptual understanding, improved through their participation in the full-year, stand-alone bioethics trial. Data and experience acquired through this study will be of relevance to teachers from a wide variety of disciplines including the physical sciences and humanities, and to curriculum managers at individual and national policy levels

The Footnote, in Theory

And, so, when Richard Stern published his private dialogue with himself about the physical appearance of certain writers at the 1986 International PEN conference, Joyce Carol Oates insisted on not only an angry rebuttal-punctuated by constant page referencing to Stern\u27s pig-souled sexism -but photographic evidence-a kind of footnote in itself-dismissing his physical characterization of her. When Susan Gubar published What Ails Feminist Criticism? her essay provoked an immediate, critical, and heavily documented response from Robyn Weigman, several letters to the editor, and Gubar\u27s own footnoted rejoinder. Jane Gallop\u27s defense of a sexual act she engaged in with one of her students and Paul de Man\u27s controversial writings in a Belgian newspaper in the thirties (which, incidentally, resulted in a marked decline in the number of times he was cited in our pages) generated similar feelings of anger, disgust, and betrayal, all accompanied by footnotes. This journal, in fact, argues that passion is not diminished when it is superscripted. In point of fact this apparent function may nearly always be associated with such diverse functions as the manifestation of relations of allegiance or dependence, of strategies of affiliation, of annexation or of defence (this is the role, for example, of guarantee references, ostentatious references or alibi-references)