Hardy and Eliot: The Eye of Narcissus\u27 Looking-Glass

Hardy was both surprised and offended by the comparisons made between Far from the Madding Crowd (1874) and the novels of George Eliot; indeed, several critics went so far as to ascribe this new work to the acknowledged master in a complimentary manner but this failed to placate the aspiring newcomer. But most galling of all was the response it elicited from Henry James. From the very beginning, James took exception to the formal technique adopted by the writer who would become his greatest rival. He offered the most acerbic and derogatory commentary when he defined Hardy\u27s first major success as a sorry and \u27curious imitation of something better\u27,\u27 that is, of a work of Eliot\u27s. That Hardy was familiar with the work of such an established literary authority as Eliot is certain, though his references to her are few and far between. That he was conscious of the influence she exerted upon his own ideas is more questionable. One thing, however, needs to be emphasized: in no way did Hardy wish to emulate Eliot and actively assumed a position in direct opposition to the realistic creed that both she and James championed. Yet there are two episodes in Far from the Madding Crowd which possess a remarkable correspondence to two Eliotean equivalents, while at the same time maintaining their own individuality and integrity. The first is the similarity between Bathsheba\u27s self-adoration in her hand-mirror and Hetty\u27s own ritualized narcissism, also focusing on a hand-mirror, in Adam Bede (1859). The second is the resemblance between the awful retinal scorching undergone by Boldwood subsequent to his reception of the valentine and that experienced by Dorothea during her honeymoon in Middlemarch (1872). In each instance a profound moral thesis is at work that may, for both artists, discover its origin in a thinker whose theories were admired by both. Ruskin\u27s \u27moral retina, by which, and on which, our informing thoughts are concentrated and represented\u27,3 provides the common focus, though Hardy and Eliot responded to this concept in different ways. The movement towards a moral theory of perception was best demonstrated by the response Ruskin\u27s Modern Painters elicited, the early volumes of 1843 (I) and 1846 (I1) in particular exerting a formative influence on current realistic ideology. Eliot\u27s positive critique of volume Ill, which appeared in the Westminster Review in 1856, generated such a radical reformation of her thoughts that it precluded a repetition of the uncompromising programmatic realism followed in Scenes of Clerical Life. What Eliot found particularly attractive was Ruskin\u27s contention that before the truth could be looked into, mirror-like, nature had to be studied closely; there could be no recourse to simple, unmediated reproduction. He demanded an \u27earnest mental study ... which [could] interpret all that is written upon ... and within\u27 (Works, IV, 187) the scrutinized object, and his insistence on the immanence of the ideal within the real pointed the way to reproducing the observed, substantial fact while simultaneously investing it with moral depth

Hypersaline Potash Mine Tailings and Brine: Microbial Communities and Metal Biosorption Applications

Brine and tailings produced by potash mining operations create hypersaline environments where only highly salt-tolerant organisms are capable of living – generally microbes. Microbial communities within analogous hypersaline environments such as salterns, evaporite deposits, and salt lakes have been characterized in the peer-reviewed literature and individual organisms have been used for various applications in biotechnology such as in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. Bacterial biomass has also been broadly investigated as a metal biosorbent. However, microbial communities in potash mine tailings and brine and their potential applications in environmental technology has not been extensively studied. These unique microbial communities and biomaterials may offer new ways to manage industrial wastes or remediate contaminated sites under highly saline conditions. In this thesis, the microbial communities within brine, coarse tailings, and fine tailings from a Saskatchewan potash mine were examined. Culture-independent high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V4 region) and culture-dependent plating techniques were employed to examine community compositions and salinity tolerance. The brine and tailings materials were all pH neutral, sodium-dominated, and highly saline (370 g/l for brine and > 835 g/kg for tailings). High-throughput sequencing results (206164 total reads) identified a mixed community of archaea and bacteria within the brine pond sample, and bacterially dominated communities in the coarse and fine tailings. Proteobacteria were the most predominant phylum for all samples, making up 41-89% of subsampled sequences, and included high read counts in both classes Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. Twenty-two unique isolates that were relatives of genera observed in the high-throughput sequencing results were identified from spread plates. Isolates included known halophilic and halotolerant Archaea (Haloferax and Halorubrum species) and Bacteria (including Halomonas, Marinobacter, and Dietzia species). Salt tolerance of 0-25% (w/v) NaCl was demonstrated by 13 of the isolates, while all isolates were capable of growth in the presence of at least 15% (w/v) NaCl. The halotolerant bacterial isolate Croceicoccus sp. FTI14, selected for its fast growth in 3% (w/v) NaCl amended media, was evaluated as a potential biosorbent for the removal of dissolved Cu(II) and Cr(VI) from saline groundwater (0.55 M ionic strength). Biosorption performance of the oven-dried and finely ground material was evaluated using batch biosorption experiments at varied ionic strengths, coupled with synchrotron-based scanning X-ray transmission microscopy (STXM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Cu(II) uptake by dried FTI14 was 1.7-7.8 times higher than Cr(VI) uptake and metal uptake decreased when ionic strength of the solution was increased. At pH 4-5 and with 40 mg/l initial metal concentrations, FTI14 removed 40.3 ± 0.7% of the dissolved Cu(II) from deionized water and 19.3 ± 0.1% from saline groundwater solutions. Biosorption isotherms for Cu(II) fit both Langmuir (R2 values of at least 0.80) and Freundlich models (R2 values of at least 0.86), while the Cr(VI) isotherm fit the Freundlich model only (R2 value = 0.97). STXM images showed that the adsorbent was a mixture of whole cells and indistinct biomass as well as demonstrated a spatial association between metal and biomass. FTIR spectra data suggested a change in amide functional groups, potentially the proteins on the biomass surface, after metal exposure. Findings suggest that the removal of metals from salt-impacted water is possible using biosorbents derived from salt-tolerant bacteria. This is the first study to utilize high throughput sequencing to investigate the membership and diversity of microbial communities in potash tailings and brine. It contributes to the broader understanding of halophilic and halotolerant microbes in natural and engineered environments, as well as investigates a potential environmental engineering application of biomaterials derived from them

Henry James and George Eliot: Realism, Reality, and Narrative Form

The narratives of the Victorian writers are infused with detailed expositions of living, felt pictures; it was inevitable given the expectations of their audience. Furthermore, writers-cumcritics such as Henry lames testify to the difficulty of \u27drawling] a hard and fast line on the border-land of explanation and illustration\u27.\u27 lames was central to the protracted Great Debate surrounding \u27The Art of Fiction\u27 which took place in 1884, and the discussion encouraged Robert Louis Stevenson to respond with his \u27A Humble Remonstrance\u27, a gesture which can be interpreted as a tactical manoeuvre to keep the debate open. Andrew Lang\u27s own \u27The Art of Fiction\u27, though not unduly interested in facing the more contentious issues, particularly the relationship between Art and Life, does support the notion that artistic worth can be measured by its capacity to satisfy a particular \u27taste\u27. More importantly, he also brings psychology, realism and pictorialism into close proximity, and states his preference for a novel with a good story, above all the Bostonian nymphs who ever rejected English dukes for psychological reasons. But, to be fair, it is a matter of taste. A novel is a picture of life; many people like the picture to represent still life, or, as the French put it, nature morte.\u27 From the reductive point of view of both WaIter Besant (the initiator of the debate) and Lang, \u27the story is the thing\u27, but this contingency for lames diminishes the novel to \u27an artificial ingenious thing\u27, relegated from its \u27immense and exquisite correspondence with Iife\u27. To counteract this tendency to diminish, lames professes to see enormous potential for \u27adventure\u27 in the Bostonian illusion. The inner, lived experience is transformed into a \u27picture\u27 or \u27portrait\u27 demanding attentive scrutiny: \u27I see dramas within dramas in that, and innumerable points of view. A psychological reason is, to my imagination, an object adorably pictorial\u27 (AF, p.41)

Weak solutions to Allen-Cahn-like equations modelling consolidation of porous media

We study the weak solvability of a system of coupled Allen--Cahn--like equations resembling cross--diffusion which is arising as a model for the consolidation of saturated porous media. Besides using energy like estimates, we cast the special structure of the system in the framework of the Leray--Schauder fixed point principle and ensure this way the local existence of strong solutions to a regularised version of our system. Furthermore, weak convergence techniques ensure the existence of weak solutions to the original consolidation problem. The uniqueness of global-in-time solutions is guaranteed in a particular case. Moreover, we use a finite difference scheme to show the negativity of the vector of solutions.}{Weak solutions; cross--diffusion system; energy method; Leray--Schauder fixed point theorem; finite differences; consolidation of porous medi

The role of learning goals in the design of ILEs: some issues to consider

Part of the motivation behind the evolution of learning environments is the idea of providing students with individualized instructional strategies that allow them to learn as much as possible. It has been suggested that the goals an individual holds create a framework or orientation from which they react and respond to events. There is a large evidence-based literature which supports the notion of mastery and performance approaches to learning and which identifies distinct behavioural patterns associated with each. However, it remains unclear how these orientations manifest themselves within the individual: an important question to address when applying goal theory to the development of a goal-sensitive learner model. This paper exposes some of these issues by describing two empirical studies. They approach the subject from different perspectives, one from the implementation of an affective computing system and the other a classroom-based study, have both encountered the same empirical and theoretical problems: the dispositional/situational aspect and the dimensionality of goal orientation

Global coverage of cetacean line-transect surveys : status quo, data gaps and future challenges

Knowledge of abundance, trends and distribution of cetacean populations is needed to inform marine conservation efforts, ecosystem models and spatial planning. We compiled a geo-spatial database of published data on cetacean abundance from dedicated visual line-transect surveys and encoded >1100 abundance estimates for 47 species from 430 surveys conducted worldwide from 1975-2005. Our subsequent analyses revealed large spatial, temporal and taxonomic variability and gaps in survey coverage. With the exception of Antarctic waters, survey coverage was biased toward the northern hemisphere, especially US and northern European waters. Overall, <25% of the world’s ocean surface was surveyed and only 6% had been covered frequently enough (≥ 5 times) to allow trend estimation. Almost half the global survey effort, defined as total area (km2) covered by all survey study areas across time, was concentrated in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Neither the number of surveys conducted nor the survey effort had increased in recent years. Across species, an average of 10% of a species’ predicted range had been covered by at least one survey, but there was considerable variation among species. With the exception of three delphinid species, <1% of all species’ ranges had been covered frequently enough for trend analysis. We use a data-rich species, sperm whale, as an example to illustrate the challenges of using available data from line-transect surveys for the detection of trends or for spatial planning. Finally, we propose and contrast several field and analytical methods to fill in data gaps to improve future cetacean conservation management efforts.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Around the table: Are multiple-touch surfaces better than single-touch for children's collaborative interactions?

This paper presents a classroom study that investigated the potential of using touch tabletop technology to support children's collaborative learning interactions. Children aged 7-10 worked in groups of three on a collaborative planning task in which they designed a seating plan for their classroom. In the single-touch condition, the tabletop surface allowed only one child to interact with the digital content at a time. In the multiple-touch condition, the children could interact with the digital content simultaneously. Results showed that touch condition did not affect the frequency or equity of interactions, but did influence the nature of children's discussion. In the multiple-touch condition, children talked more about the task; in the single-touch condition, they talked more about turn taking. We also report age and gender differences

The comparative value of feline virology research: can findings from the feline lentiviral vaccine be translated to humans?

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a lentivirus of domestic cats that shares several similarities with its human counterpart, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Their analogies include genomic organization, lymphocyte tropism, viral persistence and induction of immunodeficiency. FIV is the only lentivirus for which a commercial vaccine is registered for prevention in either human or veterinary medicine. This provides a unique opportunity to investigate the mechanisms of protection induced by lentivirus vaccines at the population level and might contribute to the development of efficacious HIV vaccines. As well as having comparative value for vaccine studies, FIV research has shed some light on the relationship between lentiviral tropism and pathogenesis. Recent studies in our laboratory demonstrated that the interaction between FIV and its primary receptor changes as disease progresses, reminiscent of the receptor switch observed as disease progresses in HIV infected individuals. Here we summarise findings illustrating that, in addition to its veterinary significance, FIV has comparative value, providing a useful model to explore lentivirus–host interactions and to examine potential immune correlates of protection against HIV infection

Employees’ perceptions of the impact of work on health behaviours

Research examining the impact of work on health behaviours has rarely provided a complete picture of the impact across health behaviours. Twenty-four employees were interviewed about their smoking, drinking, exercise and eating. Themes included the impact of the work environment, including policy, convenience and workplace cultural norms; business events effecting one’s routine, and again convenience and workplace cultural norms; being busy at work effecting time and energy for healthy behaviour; and work stress leading to health behaviours being used as coping responses on bad and good days. The impact of work is similar across health behaviours and is primarily detrimental

Nutrient-Deprived Retinal Progenitors Proliferate in Response to Hypoxia: Interaction of the HIF-1 and mTOR Pathway.

At a cellular level, nutrients are sensed by the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR). The response of cells to hypoxia is regulated via action of the oxygen sensor Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 (HIF-1). During development, injury and disease, tissues might face conditions of both low nutrient supply and low oxygen, yet it is not clear how cells adapt to both nutrient restriction and hypoxia, or how mTOR and HIF-1 interact in such conditions. Here we explore this question in vivo with respect to cell proliferation using the ciliary marginal zone (CMZ) of Xenopus. We found that both nutrient-deprivation and hypoxia cause retinal progenitors to decrease their proliferation, yet when nutrient-deprived progenitors are exposed to hypoxia there is an unexpected rise in cell proliferation. This increase, mediated by HIF-1 signalling, is dependent on glutaminolysis and reactivation of the mTOR pathway. We discuss how these findings in non-transformed tissue may also shed light on the ability of cancer cells in poorly vascularised solid tumours to proliferate.Wellcome Trust (Grant ID: 100329/Z/12/Z)This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from MDPI via http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jdb402001