Sonoro cristal: Pedro Soto de Rojas and the Eloquent Galatea

This article considers the early reception of Góngora's Fábula de Polifemo y Galatea by analysing the Baroque mythological fable `Fábula de la Naya' from Pedro Soto de Rojas' Desengaño de amor en rimas (1623). I argue that Soto restores the prominence of Galatea, as depicted in the classical versions of the myth, by placing the Gongorist Polyphemic lament in the mouth of a female protagonist. The self-authored notes which accompany Soto's fable gesture towards an ambitious metapoetic agenda, which places the Naiad at the heart of his directed reading. The fragile eloquence with which this female speaker is invested works against this collection's overall movement towards closure and containment. Soto's Fábula may be read as a sylvan intersection in terms of seventeenth-century literary controversy; Naya, and her union with the conventional Fenixardo, becomes the poetic embodiment of a tense dialogue between poetic tradition and innovation

Adult education and publishing Canadian fiction in a global context: a Foucauldian analysis

This paper draws upon findings from a research study on the relationship between fiction, citizenship, and lifelong learning. It includes interviews with authors from several genres, publishing houses, and arts councils. This paper explores many of the ambivalent outcomes of the shifting power elements in publishing that can simultaneously benefit and disadvantage the publication of a national body of fiction. Although focused on the Canadian context, fiction writers and publishers around the globe face similar challenges. Using a Foucauldian analysis, it considers the importance of fiction and adult learning in shaping discourses of citizenship and critical social learning. (DIPF/Orig.

Mammography screening in Greece: an exploratory survey of women’s views, experiences and behaviours.

Background: Internationally, breast cancer comprises 29% of all cancer incidences. In Greece, 1,500-1,800women die annually from breast cancer out of the 4,000 who are affected. Only 5% are detected at an early diseasestage through mammography screening.Aim: This paper presents findings from a study exploring the factors that influence Greek women’smammography screening behaviour.Methodology: Data were collected in Athens-Greece, during the period March-July 2008, from individuals whowere members of six women’s associations. One hundred and eighty six questionnaires were completed and 33interviews were conducted from a sub-sample. This paper reports the findings from the questionnaire survey.Results: Participants had a variety of demographic characteristics with 85% of them having attendedmammography screening. Only 61% of them intended to continue in the future. Τhe majority of women agreedwith a number of factors which supported their decision to participate in regular mammography screening, such asdoctors’ encouragement and mammogram efficacy to detect breast cancer at an early stage, while anxiety wasidentified as a possible inhibitor to their participation.Conclusion: Women’s mammography screening behaviour and perceptions of mammography screening appearedto be positive in relation to their participation. However, the reasons as to why a large number of women indicatedthey were unlikely to go for mammography screening again is not known, and needs further investigation

Establishing confidence in CCV/ACT technology

Despite significant advancements in controls configured vehicles/active controls technology (CCV/ACT) in the past decade, few applications of this promising technology have appeared in recent aircraft designs. The status of CCV/ACT is summarized, and some of the constraints which are retarding its wider application are described. Suggestions toward establishing an increased level of confidence in the technology are given

Solutions of Inequality Constrained Spline Optimization Problems with the Active Set Method

We solve the problem of finding a near-interpolant curve, subject to constraints, which minimizes the bending energy of the curve. Using B-splines as our tools, we give a brief overview of spline properties and develop several different cases of inequality constrained optimization problems of this type. In particular, we develop the active set method and use it to solve these problems, emphasizing the fact that this algorithm will converge to a solution in finite iterations. Our solution will solve an open problem regarding near-interpolant spline curves. Furthermore, we supplement this with an iterative technique for better choosing data sites so as to further minimize the bending energy of the spline curve, offering an easy solution to the problem of free data sites

HOW BIG IS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? SPATIAL IMPLICATIONS OF MARKET PARTICIPATION BY SMALLHOLDER LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS

Identifying ways to increase market participation by smallholder producers requires identifying variables that influence market access. This is usually achieved using probit estimation. An important phenomenon affecting entry decision-making is the entry decision of a 'similar' household, where similarity is measured in terms of 'location.' When neighborhood influences are significant, it is important to allow for them in discrete decision contexts, such as probit estimation. This paper, therefore, assesses the magnitude of neighborhood influences in smallholder decisions concerning market entry. The empirical model is based on a cross-section of (110) farms situated in northern Philippines, visited (twice) in the 2000-2001 production year (a panel of 220 observations). The vehicle for analysis is a Bayesian formulation of a standard probit model, but one that allows for spatial autoregression in the decision vector. Estimation requires a Metropolis-step addition to a basic Gibbs sampling algorithm and generates useful insights concerning quantities that are important for market-access policy.Livestock Production/Industries,

Investigation and analysis of zinc phthalocyanine films for resonant gas sensor applications

Thin films of Zinc Phthalocyanine (ZnPc) with a range of different substitutes have been investigated as chemical active layers for sensing selected organic vapour such as (Ethanol, Toluene) by a standard Quartz Crystal Resonator (QCR) based sensor with fundamental resonance 10MHz. Adsorption of vapour onto the films surface has been realized by monitoring resonance spectra. An equivalent circuit (BVD circuit) has been used to extract parameters related to film viscosity and thickness by fitting experimental admittance spectra of QCR around resonance frequency. Moreover, film properties and characterization was obtained from QCR measurements in conjunction with suitable data analysis. Validation of film characteristics has been determined using complementary methods such as Ellipsometry, UV- Visible absorption Spectrophotometer and AF