Snakestones: sources, samples and suppliers. An alexipharmic in the European medical market

Focussing on the understudied area of non-herbal materia medica and using a highly interdisciplinary approach, this submission presents new and important conclusions regarding snakestones and their role in the European medical market, which fills multiple gaps in the current knowledge. Among its key findings, it provides the first categorisation of the different types of snakestone and identifies distinctive Scottish, Cornish and Welsh variants of the ‘snakestone bead’ folklore. It considers in depth the history, folklore and purported therapeutic uses of snakestones across Europe. Snakestones are also used as a vehicle by which aspects of the wider history of medicine and pharmacy, and connections with other fields of historical research, are explored. This work considers the role of snakestones in the Early Modern medical market; it examines snakestones themselves from an object-remedy perspective, as well as evaluating the scale and manner of their transmission. Previously unpublished archival evidence affords an opportunity to examine the circumstances in which a single snakestone was transmitted from Indonesia to England, and in so doing, explores the ways in which scientific societies sought information about overseas flora, fauna and phenomena, as well as how they obtained samples for their collections. This thesis also explores the interplay between overseas materia medica as a source of academic study, practical medical use, collection and display. This work provides new and important insights into snakestones as a remedy, complementing and extending existing scholarship surrounding Early Modern pharmaceuticals, as well as into snakebite treatments; the Early Modern medical marketplace; the interplay between natural and supernatural ailments and their treatments; scientific societies and their networks; the circulation of materia medica; and the role of medicine in the history of collecting

A Window to the Soul: Approaches to Text Setting in Steve Reich's "Tehillim".

This thesis investigates Steve Reich's 1981 composition Tehillim, the composer's first mature setting of a text to music. The title is drawn from Reich's citation (in his Writings 1965-2000) of Jana?ek's aphorism that 'speech melodies are windows into people's souls' since Tehillim itself may be seen as a window to Reich's own soul (musical and spiritual) at this point. Reich's study of Biblical Hebrew in the 1970s led to a rediscovery of his Jewish heritage and he has often repeated the claim that the compositional style in Tehillim grows directly from the innate rhythms of the Hebrew text. This thesis considers the extent to which these claims may be justified. Chapter one presents an overview of Reich's views on language and its significance in his output prior to Tehillim. This focuses particularly on the use of speech extracts in his phase pieces Come Out and It's Gonna Rain together with a wider discussion of speech, language and emotion and takes account of the author's interview with the composer (contained in Appendix 1). Chapters two, three, four and five present in turn an analysis of the four movements of Tehillim. Each chapter includes a comparison between Reich's use of the Hebrew texts and the rhythms that emerge from readings of these texts by contemporary Jewish readers. This informs the analysis of the musical elements of Tehillim that Reich identifies as being associated with earlier Western musical practice: extended melodies, imitative counterpoint, functional harmony and orchestration. In chapter six, the findings of this analysis are presented. The results of the analysis show that rhythmic considerations are at the heart of Tehillim and that Reich uses the rhythms of the Hebrew text in a creative, rather than a literalistic, manner. These findings support Reich's perception of his compositional approach in Tehillim. There are two appendices. Appendix 1 contains a transcript of an interview between the author and Steve Reich. Appendix 2 contains Reich's liner notes from the 1982 Recording of Tehillim (ECM New Series 1215 827 411-2)

Praktikum kot del študijskih programov na področju bibliotekarske in informacijske znanosti

In Library and Information Science (LIS) courses, practicums serve as a specific bond between theory on the one hand and practical work and the profession on the other. In seeking to prepare graduates for the profession and for professional work, LIS programmes use practicums as a model to enhance the library school curriculum. During the traditional LIS practicum, one already makes use of the many advantages online tools provide, building online portfolios or keeping student work diaries online while undertaking the practical part of one’s practicum. This enables easy and constant communication among all three stakeholders: host institutions, educational institutions, and students. Whilst it is important to engage actively with industry to provide students with opportunities to participate in ‘experiential learning’ and in building practical skills and knowledge, it is also important to ensure this is done in a systematic manner, and with a genuine desire on the part of the employers for a collaborative partnership. Striking similarities regarding practicums and placements between geographically distant countries such as Australia and Slovenia, and the opinions and attitudes that all three stakeholders – students, host institutions and educational institutions – share, indicates that traditional practicums, undertaken in a physical workplace, are still a key component of an LIS education.In Library and Information Science (LIS) courses, practicums serve as a specific bond between theory onthe one hand and practical work and the profession on the other. In seeking to prepare graduates for theprofession and for professional work, LIS programmes use practicums as a model to enhance the libraryschool curriculum. During the traditional LIS practicum, one already makes use of the many advantagesonline tools provide, building online portfolios or keeping student work diaries online while undertakingthe practical part of one’s practicum. This enables easy and constant communication among all threestakeholders: host institutions, educational institutions, and students. Whilst it is important to engageactively with industry to provide students with opportunities to participate in ‘experiential learning’and in building practical skills and knowledge, it is also important to ensure this is done in a systematicmanner, and with a genuine desire on the part of the employers for a collaborative partnership. Strikingsimilarities regarding practicums and placements between geographically distant countries suchas Australia and Slovenia, and the opinions and attitudes that all three stakeholders – students, hostinstitutions and educational institutions – share, indicates that traditional practicums, undertaken in aphysical workplace, are still a key component of an LIS education.V visokošolskih programih s področja bibliotekarstva in informacijske znanosti praktikum služi kot posebna vez med teorijo na eni strani ter praktičnim delom in stroko na drugi strani. Pri pripravi diplomantov za poklic in strokovno delo ti programi uporabljajo koncept praktikuma kot modela za izboljšanje. Tudi pri klasičnem praktikumu so izkoriščene številne prednosti, ki jih zagotavljajo spletna orodja, kot sta na primer izgradnja spletnih portfeljev ali vodenje spletnih dnevnikov dela, medtem ko študent opravlja praktični del praktikuma. To omogoča enostavno in neprekinjeno komunikacijo med vsemi udeleženci procesa – ustanovami gostiteljicami prakse, izobraževalnim ustanovami in študenti. Čeprav je pomembno zagotoviti študentom, da med prakso aktivno sodelujejo v »izkustvenem učenju« in vzpostavljajo praktične spretnosti in znanja, je pomembno tudi to, da je to izvedeno na sistematičen način in ob iskreni želji po sodelovalnem partnerstvu s strani delodajalcev. Presenetljive podobnosti glede izpeljave praktikuma in namestitve študentov med geografsko tako oddaljenimi državama, kot sta Avstralija in Slovenija, ter mnenj in stališč vseh treh udeležencev procesa – študentov, ustanov gostiteljic prakse ter izobraževalnih ustanov – kaže, da je tradicionalni praktikum, ki se izvaja v fizični obliki in na delovnem mestu, še vedno ključni sestavni del izobraževanja s področja bibliotekarstva in informacijske znanosti

« Un géant sans bras ni jambes » : Une critique sur la Cour Pénale Internationale

Résumé :Cet essai critique la Cour Pénale Internationale (CPI). Certes, elle a mis à fin l’impunité des crimes internationaux, néanmoins elle reste rongée par la lenteur et l’inefficacité. L’essai identifie les problèmes de la CPI et met leur origine en évidence. En étudiant les racines de la CPI, sa création ainsi que les enjeux de droit international et de politique internationale, on peut identifier les lacunes qu’il convient de combler. J’ai étudié quelques procès du Tribunal Pénal de l’ex-Yougoslavie et de la CPI ainsi que des livres et de nombreux articles sur le droit pénal international et l’histoire de la CPI. Le but de cet essai n’est pas de contester la CPI, son but est de mettre en évidence quelques problèmes, réparables pour certains d’entre eux. On conclut qu’il faut faire beaucoup plus d’études en droit comparatif international et qu’il faut mettre en évidence les enjeux politiques qui entourent la CPI.Abstract:This essay critiques the International Criminal Court (ICC). Although it has brought the impunity of international crimes to an end, the court is wracked with slowness and inefficiency. This essay identifies the ICC’s problems and brings their origins to light. By studying the roots of the ICC, its creation along with the issues of international law and politics, one can identify the gaps that should be filled. I studied several trials of the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia and of the ICC, as well as books and numerous articles about international criminal law and the history of the ICC. The goal of this essay is not to challenge the ICC; the goal is to bring certain problems, some of them reparable, to light. It is concluded that many more international comparative law studies need to be undertaken, and that the political issues that surround the ICC need to be brought to light

L'Aventure humaine: spirituality, myth and power in the post-war travel narratives of Louise Weiss

This thesis considers the post-war œuvre of Louise Weiss through the analytical framework of the travel narrative. The primary sources for this study comprise the substantial number of previously unexamined journal articles, photographic collections, monographs, and short documentaries which Weiss wrote following her journeys throughout Asia, North America, Africa, and the Middle East in the twenty-five years after the Second World War. Previously defined by her early career as a journalist, her lifelong advocacy for peace, and her campaigns for women’s suffrage during the interwar period, this study positions Weiss in a new narrative – that of post-war travel writer with a desire to discover a moral code that would mitigate the turbulence and fragility she perceived in the twentieth century. The analysis of this considerable body of source material is approached through the themes of spirituality, myth, and power. These themes, which emerge organically from Weiss's multi-media post-war œuvre, offer a fresh perspective on the French post-war travel narrative and allow a new understanding of both the traveller’s gaze and the notion of displacemen

Using Etherpads as platforms for collaborative learning in a distance education LIS course

This poster presents findings of a scholarship in teaching project which explored the online collaborative learning experiences of distance education (DE) students undertaking an undergraduate information studies program in an Australian university. The School of Information Studies (SIS) at Charles Sturt University is a leader in the provision of library and information studies education by distance. A recent curriculum review of undergraduate and postgraduate courses resulted in greater integration of Web 2.0 technologies to support DE teaching and learning. This included the redesign of the collection management course which serves approximately 100 undergraduate students per year. The aim of this project was to encourage greater communication and collaboration between students in this course to address challenges of isolation and lack of student community reported by previous cohorts. The researchers found the use of Etherpad as a collaborative document sharing platform successfully supported group-based assessment tasks and the development of students’ skills in critical thinking and collaborative practice, leading to an enhanced DE learning experience.published or submitted for publicationis peer reviewe

Real Learning in a Virtual World: A Case Study of the School of Information Studies’ Learning Centre in Second Life / Lyn Hay and Bob Pymm

Following a review of the online delivery of distance education programs within the School of Information Studies (SIS) program at Charles Sturt University, a team of academics worked with an external consultant to design a purpose built SIS Learning Centre in Second Life (SL), a 3D virtual world environment in which people (via their avatars) may act as if in the ‗real‘ world. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a variety of teaching and learning activities in this virtual world environment, examining both student and faculty experiences throughout the teaching sessions, and exploring the affordances provided by the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Findings suggest that most students see this approach as providing a valuable opportunity to interact with each other and with faculty. For academics, the benefits provided by Second Life are acknowledged but the time commitment required to establish and manage the class in this virtual world need to be considered when adopting this approach

Positive mindset and exercise capacity in school-aged children and adolescents with congenital heart disease

IntroductionPatients with congenital heart disease (CHD) have variable degrees of peak oxygen consumption (VO2) that can be improved with supervised fitness training. The ability to exercise is affected by anatomy, hemodynamics, and motivation. Motivation is in part related to mindset, or personal attitudes and beliefs, and a more positive mindset around exercise has been associated with better outcomes. It is unknown whether variations in measured peak VO2 in patients with CHD are related to having a positive mindset.MethodsPatient's ages 8–17 years with CHD were administered quality of life and physical activity questionnaires at the time of their routine cardiopulmonary exercise test. Those with severe hemodynamic burden were excluded. Patients were grouped based on disease classification. Mindset was evaluated via validated questionnaires including a PROMIS Meaning and Purpose (MaP) survey and an Anxiety survey. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to estimate the magnitude of the association between percent predicted peak oxygen consumption (pppVO2) and questionnaire scores overall and within CHD subgroups.ResultsEighty-five patients participated; median age was 14.7 years, 53% were female, 66% had complex CHD, 20% had simple CHD, and 14% had single ventricle heart disease. Mean MaP scores were significantly lower in all CHD groups compared to population norms (p < 0.001). As a group, MaP scores were positively associated with the amount of reported physical activity (p = 0.017). In patients with simple CHD, MaP scores were positively associated with pppVO2 (p = 0.015). The association was even stronger for MaP:Anxiety, with worse ratios associated with lower pppVO2 (p = 0.005). Patients with complex and single ventricle CHD did not show a similar association.ConclusionsPatients with CHD, regardless of severity, had lower meaning and purpose scores than the general population, and these scores were associated with amount of reported physical activity. In the simple CHD subset, having a more positive mindset was associated with higher peak VO2 and a more negative mindset with lower peak VO2. This relationship was not seen with more significant CHD. While underlying CHD diagnoses are not modifiable, mindset and peak VO2 are, and consideration should be given to measuring both as each may be a target for intervention

Peptide-Dependent Recognition of HLA-B*57:01 by KIR3DS1

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) play an important role in the activation of natural killer (NK) cells, which in turn contribute to the effective immune control of many viral infections. In the context of HIV infection, the closely related KIR3DL1 and KIR3DS1 molecules, in particular, have been associated with disease outcome. Inhibitory signals via KIR3DL1 are disrupted by downregulation of HLA class I ligands on the infected cell surface and can also be impacted by changes in the presented peptide repertoire. In contrast, the activatory ligands for KIR3DS1 remain obscure. We used a structure-driven approach to define the characteristics of HLA class I-restricted peptides that interact with KIR3DL1 and KIR3DS1. In the case of HLA-B*57:01, we used this knowledge to identify bona fide HIV-derived peptide epitopes with similar properties. Two such peptides facilitated productive interactions between HLA-B*57:01 and KIR3DS1. These data reveal the presence of KIR3DS1 ligands within the HIV-specific peptide repertoire presented by a protective HLA class I allotype, thereby enhancing our mechanistic understanding of the processes that enable NK cells to impact disease outcome. IMPORTANCE Natural killer (NK) cells are implicated as determinants of immune control in many viral infections, but the precise molecular mechanisms that initiate and control these responses are unclear. The activating receptor KIR3DS1 in combination with HLA-Bw4 has been associated with better outcomes in HIV infection. However, evidence of a direct interaction between these molecules is lacking. In this study, we demonstrate that KIR3DS1 recognition of HLA-Bw4 is peptide dependent. We also identify HIV-derived peptide epitopes presented by the protective HLA-B*57:01 allotype that facilitate productive interactions with KIR3DS1. Collectively, these findings suggest a mechanism whereby changes in the peptide repertoire associated with viral infection provide a trigger for KIR3DS1 engagement and NK cell activation

Structural plasticity of KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 enables altered docking geometries atop HLA-C

The closely related inhibitory killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3, regulate the activation of natural killer cells (NK) by interacting with the human leukocyte antigen-C1 (HLA-C1) group of molecules. KIR2DL2, KIR2DL3 and HLA-C1 are highly polymorphic, with this variation being associated with differences in the onset and progression of some human diseases. However, the molecular bases underlying these associations remain unresolved. Here, we determined the crystal structures of KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 in complex with HLA-C*07:02 presenting a self-epitope. KIR2DL2 differed from KIR2DL3 in docking modality over HLA-C*07:02 that correlates with variabilty of recognition of HLA-C1 allotypes. Mutagenesis assays indicated differences in the mechanism of HLA-C1 allotype recognition by KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3. Similarly, HLA-C1 allotypes differed markedly in their capacity to inhibit activation of primary NK cells. These functional differences derive, in part, from KIR2DS2 suggesting KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 binding geometries combine with other factors to distinguish HLA-C1 functional recognition