Dangerous Feasts and the Social Appetite in Macbeth and Titus Andronicus

Les banquets ont toujours été perçus comme une occasion festive. Cependant, quelques scènes de banquets célèbres dans les pièces de Shakespeare vont sciemment à l’encontre de ce stéréotype. La sociologie envisage les repas festifs comme le lieu de la consolidation des liens personnels, assurant l’ordre social et permettant à chacun d’afficher légitimement son statut. Néanmoins, dans Macbeth, deux banquets conduisent les personnages à leur perte. Au cours du premier, le choix de Duncan de se conformer à son rôle d’hôte, suivant les règles socio-anthropologiques de l’hospitalité, ainsi que son meurtre sont présentés de manière similaire afin de terrifier les spectateurs. Au cours du second, la dramaturgie est rompue, ce qui souligne l’incapacité de Macbeth de faire face à son nouveau rôle de monarque. En offrant à Tamora le cœur de ses enfants, Titus Andronicus accomplit un acte scandaleux parodiant les repas familiaux. Le banquet final ne peut que finir en carnage. Ces trois exemples seront analysés à travers le prisme de la sociologie, à l’aide de la théorie des rôles (de Linton à Goffman, en prenant en compte les dernières études sur le rôle social), de certaines théories récentes sur la nourriture et la nutrition, ainsi que des théories plus anciennes sur la déviance (Becker, Sutherland, Znaniecki).Feasting has forever been known as the time of merrymaking, yet certain well-known banquets of Shakespeare’s plays consciously break the stereotype. Sociology often terms feasts as time and place for the consolidation of personal ties, cementing social order and the generous displaying of status. However, in Macbeth, two feasts build up to an inevitable doom. In the first, Duncan’s freely chosen role of “the guest”, in accordance to socio-anthropological hospitality rules, and his murder are linked in a similar manner to horrify the audience. In the second, there is a breakdown in the maintenance of expressive control which underlines Macbeth’s inability to cope with his new role as a monarch. Titus Andronicus, while serving the hearts of Tamora’s sons, plays out a shocking parody of the traditional family feast. The final banquet is bound to end in carnage. All three examples are analyzed through the scope of sociology, using role theory (from Linton through Goffman to the most recent takes on role-taking), selected modern theories of food and nutrition, as well as the older theories of deviance (Becker, Sutherland, Znaniecki)

Melatonin Membrane Receptors in Peripheral Tissues: Distribution and Functions

Many of melatonin’s actions are mediated through interaction with the G-protein coupled membrane bound melatonin receptors type 1 and type 2 (MT1 and MT2, respectively) or, indirectly with nuclear orphan receptors from the RORα/RZR family. Melatonin also binds to the quinone reductase II enzyme, previously defined the MT3 receptor. Melatonin receptors are widely distributed in the body; herein we summarize their expression and actions in non-neural tissues. Several controversies still exist regarding, for example, whether melatonin binds the RORα/RZR family. Studies of the peripheral distribution of melatonin receptors are important since they are attractive targets for immunomodulation, regulation of endocrine, reproductive and cardiovascular functions, modulation of skin pigmentation, hair growth, cancerogenesis, and aging. Melatonin receptor agonists and antagonists have an exciting future since they could define multiple mechanisms by which melatonin modulates the complexity of such a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes

The Crowdsourced Replication Initiative: Investigating Immigration and Social Policy Preferences. Executive Report.

In an era of mass migration, social scientists, populist parties and social movements raise concerns over the future of immigration-destination societies. What impacts does this have on policy and social solidarity? Comparative cross-national research, relying mostly on secondary data, has findings in different directions. There is a threat of selective model reporting and lack of replicability. The heterogeneity of countries obscures attempts to clearly define data-generating models. P-hacking and HARKing lurk among standard research practices in this area.This project employs crowdsourcing to address these issues. It draws on replication, deliberation, meta-analysis and harnessing the power of many minds at once. The Crowdsourced Replication Initiative carries two main goals, (a) to better investigate the linkage between immigration and social policy preferences across countries, and (b) to develop crowdsourcing as a social science method. The Executive Report provides short reviews of the area of social policy preferences and immigration, and the methods and impetus behind crowdsourcing plus a description of the entire project. Three main areas of findings will appear in three papers, that are registered as PAPs or in process

„Stąpam w powietrzu, jednak nie upadam; / Boje się przecie, ażebym nie upadł." Bohaterowie bajroniczni i kompleks Ikara Henry'ego Murraya.

W swoim studium przypadku „The American Icarus", Henry Murray, psychoanalityk i twórca personologii, zdefiniował kompleks Ikara jako konstrukt osobowości, na który składają silna ambicja, lęk przed niepowodzeniem, zachowania mające na celu zwracanie na siebie uwagi (pierwotny narcyzm), pragnienie nieśmiertelności, lekceważenie kobiet oraz kateksja motywów ognia i wody. Takie cechy nie odbiegają daleko od ambitnych, ale targanych wewnętrznymi konfliktami postaci stworzonych przez Byrona. W niniejszej pracy koncepcja Murraya jest wykorzystywana do analizy bohaterów dramatów Byrona: „Manfreda" (1817), „Marina Faliero, Doża Wenecji" (1820) i „Kaina" (1821). Oprócz zestawu cech, które Murray przedstawia w swojej definicji kompleksu Ikara, analizowana jest również symbolika bezpośrednio związane z mitem Ikara, taka jak motywy słońca i lotu.W ramach wstępu do pracy magisterskiej rozważone są: kontekst historyczny dramatów Byrona, klasyczna definicja bohaterów bajronicznych oraz kompleks Ikara Henry'ego Murraya. W kolejnych trzech rozdziałach ma miejsce analiza Kaina, Manfreda i Marina Faliero za pomocą teorii Murraya. W ostatnim rozdziale pracy magisterskiej pokrótce porównano trzy postacie i poczyniono uwagi końcowe.In his work "The American Icarus", Henry Murray, a psychoanalyst and the creator of personality psychology, defined the Icarus complex as a condition which consists of ascensionist tendencies, prospection of failure, attention-seeking behaviour, craving for immortality, disregard for women, and a strong presence of fire and water imagery in one’s life story. Such qualities may remind one of the ambitious but conflicted characters created by Byron. In this thesis, Murray’s concept is used to examine the protagonists of Byron’s dramatic works: "Manfred" (1817), "Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice" (1820), and "Cain" (1821). Besides the set of traits that Murray presents in his definition of the Icarus complex, the imagery directly related to the Icarus myth, such as the motifs of the sun and flight, are also examined.The introduction of this dissertation presents the historical context of Byron’s dramas, a traditional definition of Byronic heroes, and Henry Murray’s Icarus complex. In the three following chapters, Murray’s theory is applied to the analysis of Manfred, Marino Faliero, and Cain. In the concluding chapter, the three characters are compared and contrasted

Psychological assistance in a foreign language from the psychologist's perspective. Detrimental and beneficial factors and their impact on work-related stress and satisfaction.

Niniejsza praca magisterska koncentruje się na tematyce pracy dwujęzycznej z perspektywy osoby pomagającej psychologicznie. Celem rozważań jest poszukiwanie odpowiedzi na pytanie o znaczenie wpływu pracy w języku obcym i ojczystym na stres pracy oraz satysfakcję z pracy psychologów. Obszar udzielania pomocy dwujęzycznej pozostaje słabo przebadany, zatem celem niniejszej pracy magisterskiej jest również zmniejszenie luki w literaturze przedmiotu. Obecnie niejasne wydaje się, czy dwujęzyczność może być traktowana jako zasób pracy psychologa, ze względu na chociażby mniejszą schematyczność myślenia przy użyciu drugiego języka, czy jako czynnik ryzyka wyższego poziomu stresu pracy, chociażby ze względu na koszty poznawcze przeskoków językowych.Do przeprowadzenia badań użyto dwóch ankiet własnych. Jedna z nich dotyczyła satysfakcji z pracy, druga pracy dwujęzycznej. Oprócz ankiet własnych, do przeprowadzenia badań użyto również Kwestionariusza Psychospołecznych Warunków Pracy (PWP) autorstwa Marii Widerszal-Bazyl i Romana Cieślika. Ankietę satysfakcji z pracy oraz Kwestionariusz PWP użyto w analizie ilościowej, a ankietę pracy dwujęzycznej w analizie jakościowej.Wyniki wskazują na istotnie wyższy poziom satysfakcji z pracy oraz istotnie niższy poziom stresu pracy wśród osób pomagających psychologicznie zarówno w języku obcym, jak i języku ojczystym. Co więcej, osoby pracujące dwujęzycznie mają istotnie niższy poziom kontroli. Wyniki badań nie wykazały wpływu czynników językowych, takich jak poziom języka czy ilość lat nauki, na poziom stresu pracy wśród psychologów. Również poziom wsparcia społecznego, jako czynnik wpływający na poziom stresu pracy, nie różnił się między grupami. Tak skrajnie odmienne wyniki badań, w porównaniu do tego, co przyjęte zostało na podstawie dotychczasowej literatury przedmiotu, wskazują na dużą potrzebę kontynuowania badań w ramach tego obszaru badawczego. W ramach analizy jakościowej badania nie wykazały znaczących różnic pomiędzy spostrzeganymi trudnościami pracy w języku obcym, a pracy w języku ojczystym w grupie psychologów dwujęzycznych. Chociaż same trudności są według respondentów zbliżone, psychologowie dwujęzyczni zgłaszają trudności zarówno w podobnych (np. praca z oporem), jak i zupełnie różnych aspektach pracy (zrozumienie slangu, formalność języka). Pozytywny wpływ pracy dwujęzycznej na psychologów skłania jednak do popularyzacji tematyki, a przy tym do bliższego rozważenia w jaki sposób radzić sobie ze specyficznymi trudnościami pracy dwujęzycznej, chociażby w ramach tworzenia szkoleń dla zainteresowanych tematyką.Bilingual work from the perspective of a psychologist is the main focus of this Master’s thesis. The aim of this dissertation is also to examine the impact of working in both one’s mother tongue and foreign language, and the influence it has on work-related stress and job satisfaction among psychologists. The area of bilingual counselling remains poorly researched, so the aim of this thesis is also to reduce the gap in literature on the aforementioned subject. Currently, it seems unclear whether bilingualism should be treated as an advantage in counselling, due to psychologist’s less schematic manner of thinking while using a second language, or as a risk factor for higher level of work-related stress, for example due to language switching, which is cognitively challenging.Two self-created questionnaires were used to conduct the research. One of them measures the level of job satisfaction, the other is concerned with bilingual work. In addition to those two questionnaires, the Psychosocial Working Conditions Questionnaire (PWP) by Maria Widerszal-Bazyl and Roman Cieślik was also used to conduct the research. The job satisfaction survey and the PWP questionnaire were used in the quantitative part, and the bilingual job survey in the qualitative part of the research.The results indicate a significantly higher level of work satisfaction and a significantly lower level of work-related stress among people providing psychological help both in their foreign language and mother tongue. Moreover, bilingual workers have a significantly lower level of control. The results of the research did not reveal a significant influence of linguistic factors (such as the level of language or the number of years of language-learning) on the level of work-related stress among psychologists. What is more, the level of social support as a factor influencing the level of work-related stress was not significantly different in the study group and in the control group. As research results were so starkly different in comparison to what was assumed on the basis of existing literature on the subject matter, it indicates that continued research within the area of bilingual counselling is needed.In the qualitative analysis of the bilingual group, the research did not show any perceived differences between the difficulty of working in a foreign language and working in one’s mother tongue. Although the level of difficulty is similar, bilingual psychologists report difficulties in both similar (e.g. working with resistance) and completely different aspects of their work (e.g. understanding slang, language formality). However, the positive impact of bilingual work on psychologists prompts to popularize the subject, and at the same time to consider more closely how to deal with the specific difficulties of bilingual work, for example by creating training for the interested psychologists

"Bohaterki starożytnej kultury grecko-rzymskiej w twórczości H.D., May Sarton i Louise Glück: poezja jako narzędzie transformacji artystycznej"

Starożytna kultura grecko-rzymska, a szczególnie jej odsłona literacka, historycznie stanowi jedną z największych inspiracji dla artystów różnych dziedzin sztuki. Jej wpływ możemy obserwować do dziś, a starożytne mity nadal są rewidowane, aby lepiej pasować do pozostałych współczesnych narracji literackich. Celem tej pracy licencjackiej jest przedstawienie artystycznej transformacji mitów w poezji H.D., May Sarton oraz Louise Glück. Analizowane wiersze rewidują oraz przekształcają historie starożytnych bohaterek – odpowiednio Eurydyki, Meduzy i Persefony. Celem tej pracy licencjackiej jest również zaprezentowanie dwojakiej natury takich metamorfoz artystycznych, ze względu na transformację zarówno bohaterek starożytnych, jak i samej literatury oraz jej archetypowych narracji. Taka liryczna transformacja umożliwia wyeksponowanie kobiecego punktu widzenia w mitach oraz wzbogacenie kreacji bohaterki.Greco-Roman antiquity has been, as a literary epoch, one of the greatest sources of inspiration for artists in different disciplines. It remains so to this day, with myths constantly being revised to fit into the modern narrative. The purpose of this thesis is to present the creative transformation of myths in the works of H.D., May Sarton, and Louise Glück, which revise and transform the stories of ancient heroines - Eurydice, Medusa, and Persephone respectively. It is also the aim of this thesis to present the dual character of such a creative transformation as on the one hand, the ancient heroines undergo a transformation, and on the other, literature and archetypal stories change with them as well. This poetic shift allows for the formation of the distinctively female point of view, and for the heroine's characterisation to be enriched and improved

Advancing ABC transporter biology: from cannabinoid interactions to neurobehavioural function

Chapter 1 reviews the scientific literature and justifies the 3 main aims of this thesis. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are membrane bound efflux proteins located at several important biological barriers throughout the body. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), are two widely studied ABC transporters and are both expressed throughout the intestine, liver and at the blood brain barrier (BBB). These transporters move a range of substrate drugs across plasma membranes to reduce intracellular concentrations. Many central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics, including several antipsychotics and anticonvulsants, as well as a range of chemotherapeutics, antibiotics and endogenous hormones are substrates of these transporters. Both P-gp and BCRP mediate multidrug resistance in cancer, where their overexpression results in reduced intracellular accumulation of anti-cancer drugs, which reduces their cytotoxic actions. This phenomenon promotes treatment failure in cancer therapy, but is also being increasingly recognised in mediating drug resistance in the treatment of schizophrenia and epilepsy. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. In recent years, there has been a world-wide shift toward acceptance of the medicinal use of cannabis. Like 10 other countries, Australia has recently passed federal legislation allowing the manufacture and distribution of medical cannabis. The two main phytocannabinoids found in cannabis, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), interact with ABC transporters and modulate their expression. THC is the most abundant cannabinoid component in street cannabis and gives rise to its psychoactive effects. Whereas CBD is much less abundant in the plant, is not psychoactive, and has antipsychotic, anticonvulsant, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions. For example, recent phase III clinical trials reported CBD to reduce seizures in treatment- resistant childhood epilepsy rates. Screening novel therapeutics against ABC transporters is becoming common practice in CNS drug development to ensure optimal brain disposition. P-gp and BCRP contribute to drug resistance as they are found on brain endothelial cells and strongly limit the brain disposition of substrate drugs. There is currently no definitive research addressing whether CBD is a substrate of ABC transporters. The phytocannabinoid THC is a substrate of both P-gp and BCRP, and these transporters limit brain THC concentrations and its consequent pharmacodynamic actions. Considering the structural similarity of THC and CBD, it is possible that CBD might also be an ABC transporter substrate. Chapter 2 of this thesis aimed to assess whether P-gp and Bcrp impacts the brain transport of CBD by comparing CBD tissue concentrations in wild-type (WT) mice versus mice devoid of ABC transporter genes. P-gp knockout, Bcrp knockout, combined P-gp/Bcrp knockout and WT mice were injected with CBD, before brain and plasma samples were collected at various time-points. CBD results were compared with the positive control risperidone and 9-hydroxy risperidone, antipsychotic drugs that are established ABC transporter substrates. Brain and plasma concentrations of CBD were not greater in P-gp, Bcrp or P-gp/Bcrp knockout mice than WT mice. In comparison, the brain/plasma concentration ratios of risperidone and 9-hydroxy risperidone were profoundly higher in P-gp knockout mice than WT mice. These results suggest that CBD is not a substrate of P-gp or Bcrp and may be free from the complication of these transporters reducing brain uptake. Such findings provide favourable evidence for the therapeutic development of CBD in the treatment of various CNS disorders. In Chapter 3 we continued to examine cannabinoid and ABC transporter interactions, but this time by examining whether THC reduces the neurobehavioural effects of antipsychotics via an ABC transporter-mediated mechanism. Cannabis use increases rates of psychotic relapse and treatment failure in schizophrenia patients. Clinical studies suggest that cannabis use reduces the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs, however there has been no direct demonstration of this in a controlled study. The present study demonstrates that exposure to the principal phytocannabinoid THC reverses the neurobehavioural effects of the antipsychotic drug risperidone in mice. THC exposure did not influence D2 and 5-HT2A receptor binding, the major targets of antipsychotic action, however lowered the brain concentrations of risperidone and its active metabolite, 9-hydroxy risperidone. As risperidone and its active metabolite are excellent substrates of P-gp, we hypothesized THC might increase P-gp expression at the BBB and thus enhance efflux of risperidone and its metabolite from brain tissue. Further, we demonstrated that THC exposure increased P-gp expression in various brain regions important to risperidone’s antipsychotic action. We then showed that THC exposure did not influence the neurobehavioural effects of clozapine. Clozapine shares a very similar antipsychotic mode of action to risperidone, but unlike risperidone is not a P-gp substrate. Our results imply that clozapine or non-P-gp substrate antipsychotic drugs may be better first-line treatments for schizophrenia patients with a history of cannabis use. Not all individuals exposed to a traumatic event develop PTSD, therefore the search for PTSD susceptibility genes is an area of intense research focus. P-gp via its localisation at the BBB regulates the brain uptake of corticosteroid stress hormones that are involved in PTSD pathophysiology. Moreover, P-gp is found on microglia, the brain’s immune cells, which are activated in response to stress and have an emerging role in psychiatric disorders. Chapter 4 aims to examine whether P-gp moderates the behavioural and microglial response to stress in an animal model of PTSD. P-gp knockout mice displayed an unusual, frantic anxiety response to intraperitoneal injection stress in the light-dark test. They also tended to display reduced conditioned fear responses compared to wild-type (WT) mice in a paradigm where a single electric foot-shock stressor was paired to a context. Foot-shock stress reduced social interaction and decreased microglia density in the amygdala which was not varied by P-gp genotype. Independently of stressor exposure, P-gp deficient mice displayed increased depression-like behaviour, social withdrawal, facilitated sensorimotor gating, reduced acoustic startle reactivity, and increased locomotor activity. In addition, P-gp deletion increased microglia density in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and the microglia exhibited a reactive, hypo-ramified morphology. In conclusion, this research shows that germline P-gp deletion affected various behaviours of relevance to psychiatric conditions such as PTSD, schizophrenia and depression. We also report for the first time that P-gp deletion and foot-shock stress independently affected microglia in the hippocampus and amygdala respectively. Finally, Chapter 5 summarises the main findings of the thesis in regards to ABC transporter biology and examines future directions with implications for medicinal cannabinoids, drug treatment strategies and CNS disorders

Wielokryterialny model decyzyjny wprowadzenia elektrycznych zasobnikowych zespołów trakcyjnych na częściowo zelektryfikowanej linii Gdynia - Hel

In this article, a multi-criteria study of the use of independently powered electric multiple units on the partially electrified Gdynia Główna - Hel railway was carried out. The use of (currently used) diesel and, as an alternative, electric and electric multiple units with an electric energy storage was considered. The analysis was carried out on the basis of three criteria for assessing the route service options, i.e. environmental, economic, operational and economic investment criteria. A multi-criteria decision model was developed for the analysis and a comparative analysis of the considered options for servicing the Gdynia Główna - Hel route was carried out. As part of the environmental criterion, it was found that the most environmentally friendly is the use of storage units. As part of the operational economic criterion, it was shown that the storage units have the lowest operating costs. The analysis, as part of the investment cost criterion, showed that the lowest investment costs are characteristic of route operation with the use of combustion units. The highest investment costs are related to the route operation by classic electric units, which is associated with the complete electrification of the line.Przeprowadzono wielokryterialne studium zastosowania zasobnikowych zespołów trakcyjnych na częściowo zelektryfikowanej linii Gdynia Główna - Hel. Rozpatrzono zastosowanie używanych obecnie spalinowych oraz jako alternatywę, elektrycznych i elektrycznych zespołów trakcyjnych z zasobnikiem (magazynem) energii elektrycznej. Analizę przeprowadzono w oparciu o trzy kryteria oceny wariantów obsługi trasy, tj. kryterium środowiskowe, ekonomiczne eksploatacyjne oraz ekonomiczne inwestycyjne. Do analizy opracowano wielokryterialny model decyzyjny i przeprowadzono analizę porównawczą rozpatrywanych wariantów obsługi trasy Gdynia Główna - Hel. W ramach kryterium środowiskowego stwierdzono, iż najprzyjaźniejszym dla środowiska naturalnego jest zastosowanie zasobnikowych zespołów trakcyjnych. W ramach kryterium ekonomicznego eksploatacyjnego wykazano, że najniższymi kosztami eksploatacji charakteryzują się pojazdy zasobnikowe. Analiza w ramach kryterium kosztu inwestycji wykazała, że najniższymi kosztami inwestycji cechuje się obsługa trasy przy zastosowaniu zespołów spalinowych. Najwyższe koszty inwestycji związane są z obsługą trasy przez klasyczne zespoły elektryczne, co wiąże się z całkowitą elektryfikacją linii