Strategies in Ulysses: Reading and Re-reading the Novel

Taking Leo Bersani’s proposal for a “ruseful naïveté” in reading James Joyce’s Ulysses, this study considers how a theoretical “naïve reader” would read and re-read Ulysses. Such a reader would journey through a first stage of identifying the core story of the novel, which requires resolving narrative complications, and also a second stage of constructing the life stories of the main characters, which requires integrating the huge amount of information not needed to tell the core story. Ulysses is a good example of a novel that demands to be re-read, and as such this study turns to the early novel theorists György Lukács and Mikhail Bakhtin to consider how the reading experience of Ulysses compares with the theory of the novel. Within this structure, and from today’s perspective, Ulysses can be seen to be relatively coherent in that the naïve reader can eventually gain mastery over the preponderance of the text. However, Ulysses certainly changed our concept of reading and re-reading a novel

Román - hra

Tato disertační práce vychází z tvrzení, že studie románu nevyužila pojmenování jedinečných charakteristik románu ze strany myslitelů počátkem dvacátého století. Mým konkrétním úkolem u sestavovaného románu je v jistém smyslu pouhé určení příkladu typu studie, jenž považuji za nezbytný pro další porozumění jak románu, tak příběhu. Snahu naratologie ve dvacátém století chápu jako nutný projekt, který však svých cílů nakonec nedosáhl. Teorie románu se mezitím ve třicátých letech dvacátého století jevila být v lepší pozici pro dosažení užitečné kritiky, ale od té doby nezaznamenala žádný svůj vliv na oblast bádání, jenž mít měla. Disertační práce proto pojednává o různých filozofických pracích, zejména od autorů Gillese Deleuzeho a Maurice Blanchota. Jako sestavované romány jsou v práci podrobně rozebírány tři romány a přestože byly vybrány záměrně, nepředstavují žádný ucelený celek: dílo Ulysses (1922) od Jamese Joyce, které nazývám prvním sestavovaným románem ve smyslu této studie; Gravity's Rainbow (1973) od Thomasa Pynchona, přední postmoderní román a rovněž příklad extrémního sestavovaného románu; a Prisoner's Dilemma (1988) od Richarda Powerse, sestavovaný román ukazující opravdové možnosti románové formy. Účelem této studie není dospět k absolutním závěrům románů, na které se zaměřuje nebo žánru, jenž...This dissertation is based on the claim that the study of the novel has not capitalized on the designation of the novel's unique properties by thinkers early in the twentieth century. My specific determination of the puzzle novel is in a sense merely one example of the kind of study that I see as necessary to further our understanding of both the novel and narrative. I see the effort of narratology in the twentieth century as a necessary project, but ultimately a failure at its own goals. Theory of the novel, meanwhile, seemed better poised to produce useful criticism in the 1930s, but since then has not had the influence on scholarship that it should have had. To deal with this lack, various philosophical works are discussed and used in the dissertation, especially those from Gilles Deleuze and Maurice Blanchot. Three novels are studied in detail as puzzle novels, and although the novels are chosen purposefully, they do not constitute a complete set: Ulysses (1922) by James Joyce, which I call the first puzzle novel in the terms of this study; Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow (1973), the premier postmodern novel, and also an extreme puzzle novel; and Prisoner's Dilemma (1988) by Richard Powers, a puzzle novel that shows the true possibilities of the novel form. This study does not seek to make absolute...Ústav anglistiky a amerikanistikyFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

Material concepts for top of rail friction management – Classification, characterisation and application

The concept of managing and adjustment of friction between the wheel and rail has a long history within the operation of railways systems. In the past, adjustment/management has been limited to gauge face lubrication and the use of sanding equipment. The introduction of the top of rail (TOR) friction modifier (FM) over the last 20 years now allows for the modification of the friction at the top of rail–wheel tread interface. This paper focusses on the concept of TOR friction adjustment. Recent developments have led to a new generation of products, defined here as, TOR lubricants (oil and/or grease-based) and hybrid materials (oil/water mixtures), which are non-drying or slow drying. Definitions and functional difference are detailed and contrasted with that of the water-based drying FM. The water-based TOR-FM once applied rapidly dries, mixes with the existing third-body layer, and allows for the accommodation of shear displacement. TOR lubricants and hybrid materials rely on mixed boundary layer lubrication, contrary to application of the water-based TOR-FM. It has been shown that the adhesion level is highly influenced by the lubricant application rates. The risks and benefits (lateral force reduction, corrugation mitigation, and impact on energy consumption and influence on rolling contact fatigue) are discussed for all product classifications. However, a lack of data exists for the TOR lubricants especially in the area of rolling contact fatigue where laboratory studies have identified the possibility of crack interaction. Whilst it can be seen that TOR lubricants have the ability to provide similar benefits to that of a water-based FM, they exhibit a strong dependency on the application rate which may lend itself to adhesion and RCF issues. Further work is recommended in this area

Higher sun exposure in the first trimester is associated with reduced preterm birth:a Scottish population cohort study using linked maternity and meteorological records

Background: Preterm birth (birth at <37 weeks gestation) is the leading cause of death in children under 5-years-old, and prevention is a global public health issue. Seasonal patterns of preterm birth have been reported, but factors underlying this have been poorly described. Sun exposure is an important environmental variable that has risks and benefits for human health, but the effects of sun exposure on pregnancy duration and preterm birth are unknown.Objectives: To determine the association between available sun exposure and preterm birth.Methods: We performed a population-based data-linkage study of 556,376 singleton births (in 397,370 mothers) at or after 24 weeks gestation, in Scotland between 2000 and 2010. Maternity records were linked to available sun exposure from meteorological records, by postcode. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between available sunshine and preterm birth at <37 weeks gestation. Exploratory analyses included a subgroup analysis of spontaneous and indicated preterm births and a sibling analysis in sib pairs discordant for preterm birth.Results: The rate of preterm birth was 6% (32,958/553,791 live births). Increased available sun exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of preterm birth, with evidence of a dose-response. Compared with the lowest quartile of sun exposure, the highest quartile of sun exposure was associated with a reduced odds ratio (OR) of preterm birth of 0.90 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.88–0.94 p < 0.01) on univariable analysis and OR of 0.91 (95% CI 0.87, 0.93 p < 0.01) after adjustment for second trimester sunlight exposure, parity, maternal age, smoking status, and deprivation category. No association was seen between preterm birth and second trimester available sun exposure or combined first and second trimester exposure. Similar patterns were seen on sibling analysis and within both the indicated and spontaneous preterm subgroups.Discussion: Available sun exposure in the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with a protective effect on preterm birth <37 weeks gestation. This opens up new mechanisms, and potential therapeutic pathways, for preterm birth prevention

SAGITTAL HIP - KNEE COORDINATION DURING A 45 DEGREE CUTTING TASK

Concurrent extension at the hip and flexion at the knee has been suggested as a high risk coordination pattern for the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Nine elite female athletes performed ten 45" cutting tasks before and alter a multi-directional fatiguing protocol. Force and kinematic data were captured. Vector coding was used to calculate sagittal hip - knee coordination for the first 40 ms of foot contact of the dominant limb and percentage time spent in each coordination pattern was extracted. Hip extension - knee flexion was the dominant coordination pattern pre- and post-fatigue ( P less than 0.05)t the time spent in this coordination pattern did not change as a result of fatigue. The hypothesised high risk hip extension - knee flexion was the dominant coordination pattern during the 45' cutting task

INTERPRETATION OF VECTOR CODING VARIABILITY MEASURES: WITHINDAY REPEATABILITY AND BETWEEN-SUBJECT VARIATION IN TREADMILL RUNNING

This study investigated the within-day repeatability and between-subject variation of vector coding variability during treadmill running. The lower-limb kinematics of eight male triathletes running at 12 km/h were captured twice on the same day. Mean coupling angle variability across the stride cycle was computed for 20 couplings using the modified vector coding technique. Between-subject variation was calculated from the first data collection and data from both sessions were used to calculate systematic and typical error. Between-subject variation ranged from 1.4° to 3.7°. Systematic errors between sessions were observed for two couplings and typical errors were between 0.6° and 1.9°. The between-subject variation and within-day repeatability of the measures reported will aid the interpretation of vector coding variability in cross-sectional and intervention studies

Within-day repeatability of coordination variability measures across the running gait cycle

The purpose of this study was to identify the within-day repeatability of coordination variability calculated using a velocity ellipse area method. Twenty participants attended two data collection sessions within 6 hours. At each session, a marker based motion capture system measured kinematics whilst participants ran at 12 km/h on a treadmill. The minimum detectable change in coordination variability was calculated for four commonly researched joint/segment couplings. Of the couplings investigated, thigh flexion/extension – shank flexion/extension and hip flexion/extension – knee flexion/extension were most repeatable. But in the most repeatable coupling, an average change of 75% across the gait cycle would be required between sessions to detect a meaningful change. This indicated poor repeatability and possible causes are discussed