Poetry and the Common Weal: Conceiving Civic Utility in British Poetics of the Long Eighteenth Century

This dissertation pursues a twofold proposition: writers of the long eighteenth century widely presumed that poetry influenced the “common weal” (the common wellbeing, conceived as a national community); and this expectation guided poetic composition even at the level of strategy or “design.” I demonstrate this claim in a series of three case studies, each of which delineates an elaborate, intertextual dialogue in which rival authors developed divergent strategies for civic reform. My analysis emphasizes the category of poiesis (poetic making), negotiated within discursive conventions of neoclassical genres. Chapters 1 and 2 argue that two verse translators of The Works of Virgil exploited to different ends the convention that epic poetry shaped the “manners.” Whereas John Ogilby conceived the Aeneid as a work that inspired “obedience” to an absolute monarch, John Dryden refashioned Virgil’s poetry to serve a limited monarchy in the wake of the English Revolution. Chapters 3 and 4 argue that two satirists of the age of Walpole tackled the “Mandevillean dilemma,” which encouraged satirists, traditionally scourges of vice, to accommodate the controversial idea that private vices had public benefits. Whereas Edward Young imagined vanity as a passion that facilitated its own reform, Alexander Pope’s Dunciad proved that even published expressions of malice might have virtuous effects. Chapters 5 and 6 argue that two West-Indian georgic writers divergently confirmed the commonplace that georgics modeled good agricultural management. Whereas Samuel Martin appealed to local sugarcane planters as “practical philosophers” who made “interest” and “duty” agree, James Grainger courted a metropolitan audience, ebulliently portraying a form of colonial settlement flawed at its core: riddled with disease, neglected by absenteeism, and tragically dependent on transatlantic trade to sustain its human populations. Taken together, these case studies tell a story in which visions of mixed government gradually supplant visions of monarchical absolutism and criticism of powerful public figures is increasingly theorized as a positive force in the polity. By revising our investigation of the relationship between poetry and “politics” in the long eighteenth century, I suggest, we gain access to a sophisticated communitarian discourse about the role of the arts in sustaining government

Epic

Eighteenth-century epic is often said to have declined after Milton’s accomplishments in Paradise Lost. Because no major eighteenth-century poets wrote sober, “original,” formal verse epics, the period is envisioned as an emblematic instance of generic death. This chapter argues for a reappraisal. After noting recent challenges to this understanding of the genre and the period, I propose an alternate vision of the epic’s Restoration and eighteenth-century development. The period saw not a “decline” of epic but a consequential shift in how the genre was understood: from a notion of epic based on Virgil (epic as a “heroic” handbook for princes) to an understanding of epic centered on Homer (epics as lofty portraits of primitive, distant cultures). This transition informed translations and imitations, sober-spirited poems and mock-heroics, verse and prose pieces, and critical commentaries. Throughout the period, however, the epic remained closely associated with meditations on British “manners.

Can the activity matching ability system contribute to employment assessment? An initial discussion of job performance and a survey of work psychologists views

Employment Assessment (EA) is concerned with enabling individuals to predict their performance in job opportunities. Job performance and its analysis are key concerns for organisational psychology, although progress is required to develop their utility for EA client work. The Activity Matching Ability System (AMAS) assesses job activities and individuals' abilities and may contribute to EA. In order to begin to explore this possibility, and whether other significant factors might improve EA, a survey was run in parallel with a sample of Work Psychologist (WP) interviews (n=238). Interviewee characteristics (age, ethnic background, etc.) and WP estimates of impact of disability and probability of obtaining employment indicated a varied group, younger than other samples. WPs found that AMAS would enhance EA for one fifth of the sample. AMAS could contribute by aiding exploration of physical and cognitive factors, by providing a focus for assessment, by reviewing what individuals can do at work and by helping confidence. They considered EA would be improved by developing assessments of interpersonal skills, team working, job specific skills and aptitudes, and work placements. Cross tabulation of the data indicated that WP views were not significantly associated with any of the factors researched

A Roadmap for the Development of Ivermectin as a Complementary Malaria Vector Control Tool.

In the context of stalling progress against malaria, resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides, and residual transmission, mass drug administration (MDA) of ivermectin, an endectocide used for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), has emerged as a promising complementary vector control method. Ivermectin reduces the life span of Anopheles mosquitoes that feed on treated humans and/or livestock, potentially decreasing malaria parasite transmission when administered at the community level. Following the publication by WHO of the preferred product characteristics for endectocides as vector control tools, this roadmap provides a comprehensive view of processes needed to make ivermectin available as a vector control tool by 2024 with a completely novel mechanism of action. The roadmap covers various aspects, which include 1) the definition of optimal dosage/regimens for ivermectin MDA in both humans and livestock, 2) the risk of resistance to the drug and environmental impact, 3) ethical issues, 4) political and community engagement, 5) translation of evidence into policy, and 6) operational aspects of large-scale deployment of the drug, all in the context of a drug given as a prevention tool acting at the community level. The roadmap reflects the insights of a multidisciplinary group of global health experts who worked together to elucidate the path to inclusion of ivermectin in the toolbox against malaria, to address residual transmission, counteract insecticide resistance, and contribute to the end of this deadly disease

Magnetic Hydroxyapatite Bone Substitutes to Enhance Tissue Regeneration: Evaluation In Vitro Using Osteoblast-Like Cells and In Vivo in a Bone Defect

In case of degenerative disease or lesion, bone tissue replacement and regeneration is an important clinical goal. In particular, nowadays, critical size defects rely on the engineering of scaffolds that are 3D structural supports, allowing cellular infiltration and subsequent integration with the native tissue. Several ceramic hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds with high porosity and good osteointegration have been developed in the past few decades but they have not solved completely the problems related to bone defects. In the present study we have developed a novel porous ceramic composite made of HA that incorporates magnetite at three different ratios: HA/Mgn 95/5, HA/Mgn 90/10 and HA/Mgn 50/50. The scaffolds, consolidated by sintering at high temperature in a controlled atmosphere, have been analysed in vitro using human osteoblast-like cells. Results indicate high biocompatibility, similar to a commercially available HA bone graft, with no negative effects arising from the presence of magnetite or by the use of a static magnetic field. HA/Mgn 90/10 was shown to enhance cell proliferation at the early stage. Moreover, it has been implanted in vivo in a critical size lesion of the rabbit condyle and a good level of histocompatibility was observed. Such results identify this scaffold as particularly relevant for bone tissue regeneration and open new perspectives for the application of a magnetic field in a clinical setting of bone replacement, either for magnetic scaffold fixation or magnetic drug delivery

RAGE and ICAM-1 differentially control leukocyte recruitment during acute inflammation in a stimulus-dependent manner

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, RAGE, is involved in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory conditions, which is mostly related to its strong activation of NF-κB but also due to its function as ligand for the β₂-integrin Mac-1. To further dissect the stimulus-dependent role of RAGE on leukocyte recruitment during inflammation, we investigated β₂-integrin-dependent leukocyte adhesion in <it>RAGE^-/-</it>and <it>Icam1^-/-</it>mice in different cremaster muscle models of inflammation using intravital microscopy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We demonstrate that RAGE, but not ICAM-1 substantially contributes to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced leukocyte adhesion in TNF-α-pretreated cremaster muscle venules in a Mac-1-dependent manner. In contrast, fMLP-stimulated leukocyte adhesion in unstimulated cremaster muscle venules is independent of RAGE, but dependent on ICAM-1 and its interaction with LFA-1. Furthermore, chemokine CXCL1-stimulated leukocyte adhesion in surgically prepared cremaster muscle venules was independent of RAGE but strongly dependent on ICAM-1 and LFA-1 suggesting a differential and stimulus-dependent regulation of leukocyte adhesion during inflammation in vivo.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results demonstrate that RAGE and ICAM-1 differentially regulate leukocyte adhesion in vivo in a stimulus-dependent manner.</p

Interplay of Linker Functionalization and Hydrogen Adsorption in the Metal–Organic Framework MIL-101

Functionalization of metal–organic frameworks results in higher hydrogen uptakes owing to stronger hydrogen–host interactions. However, it has not been studied whether a given functional group acts on existing adsorption sites (linker or metal) or introduces new ones. In this work, the effect of two types of functional groups on MIL-101 (Cr) is analyzed. Thermal-desorption spectroscopy reveals that the −Br ligand increases the secondary building unit’s hydrogen affinity, while the −NH2 functional group introduces new hydrogen adsorption sites. In addition, a subsequent introduction of −Br and −NH2 ligands on the linker results in the highest hydrogen-store interaction energy on the cationic nodes. The latter is attributed to a push-and-pull effect of the linkers

Mechanisms and models for industry engagement in collaborative research in commercial fisheries

Data and insights from fishers are essential sources of information to advance understanding of fishery and ecosystem dynamics. Incorporating fisher and industry knowledge holds prospects for improving marine science and fisheries management. We address cooperative research in the context of collaboration between fishers, scientists, industries, universities, and agencies to develop applied research to understand marine ecosystems, inform fishery management, enhance sustainability, govern resource use, and investigate social-economic dynamics. We leverage the insights of more than 100 research scientists, fisheries managers, industry representatives, and fishers to outline actionable recommendations for effective approaches and mechanisms to integrate industry data, perspectives, and insights in fisheries science. We also highlight opportunities and address challenges and limitations to such collaboration

Identification of genetic variants associated with Huntington's disease progression: a genome-wide association study

Background Huntington's disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene, HTT. Age at onset has been used as a quantitative phenotype in genetic analysis looking for Huntington's disease modifiers, but is hard to define and not always available. Therefore, we aimed to generate a novel measure of disease progression and to identify genetic markers associated with this progression measure. Methods We generated a progression score on the basis of principal component analysis of prospectively acquired longitudinal changes in motor, cognitive, and imaging measures in the 218 indivduals in the TRACK-HD cohort of Huntington's disease gene mutation carriers (data collected 2008–11). We generated a parallel progression score using data from 1773 previously genotyped participants from the European Huntington's Disease Network REGISTRY study of Huntington's disease mutation carriers (data collected 2003–13). We did a genome-wide association analyses in terms of progression for 216 TRACK-HD participants and 1773 REGISTRY participants, then a meta-analysis of these results was undertaken. Findings Longitudinal motor, cognitive, and imaging scores were correlated with each other in TRACK-HD participants, justifying use of a single, cross-domain measure of disease progression in both studies. The TRACK-HD and REGISTRY progression measures were correlated with each other (r=0·674), and with age at onset (TRACK-HD, r=0·315; REGISTRY, r=0·234). The meta-analysis of progression in TRACK-HD and REGISTRY gave a genome-wide significant signal (p=1·12 × 10−10) on chromosome 5 spanning three genes: MSH3, DHFR, and MTRNR2L2. The genes in this locus were associated with progression in TRACK-HD (MSH3 p=2·94 × 10−8 DHFR p=8·37 × 10−7 MTRNR2L2 p=2·15 × 10−9) and to a lesser extent in REGISTRY (MSH3 p=9·36 × 10−4 DHFR p=8·45 × 10−4 MTRNR2L2 p=1·20 × 10−3). The lead single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TRACK-HD (rs557874766) was genome-wide significant in the meta-analysis (p=1·58 × 10−8), and encodes an aminoacid change (Pro67Ala) in MSH3. In TRACK-HD, each copy of the minor allele at this SNP was associated with a 0·4 units per year (95% CI 0·16–0·66) reduction in the rate of change of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) Total Motor Score, and a reduction of 0·12 units per year (95% CI 0·06–0·18) in the rate of change of UHDRS Total Functional Capacity score. These associations remained significant after adjusting for age of onset. Interpretation The multidomain progression measure in TRACK-HD was associated with a functional variant that was genome-wide significant in our meta-analysis. The association in only 216 participants implies that the progression measure is a sensitive reflection of disease burden, that the effect size at this locus is large, or both. Knockout of Msh3 reduces somatic expansion in Huntington's disease mouse models, suggesting this mechanism as an area for future therapeutic investigation