Giovanni Battista De Vecchis and the theory of melodic accent from Zarlino to Zingarelli

This article investigates Niccolo' Zingarelli’s method of text-setting, as documented in Giovanni Battista De Vecchis’s Compendio of Neapolitan teachings (1850). It contextualizes De Vecchis’s instructions by tracing the genealogy of the concept of ‘accent’ as understood by early nineteenth-century composers through successive reinterpretations of an Italian theory of qualitative rhythmopoeia established in the sixteenth century, which accounted for rhythm, metre, and pitch through a threefold division of accent. The article explores its origins, its treatment by Zarlino, its significance in writings by nineteenth-century Italian musicians, and the confusing alternative terminology circulated by Rousseau (1768).The Neapolitan doctrine of text-setting presents a historical example of a ‘drastic’ approach to conceptualizing music, recognizing the priority of unruly human performance over abstract rationalization, in contrast to the ‘gnostic’ theories of Sulzer and Koch, with their emphasis on notated melodies and their subordination of rhythm (as spoken, sung, or played) to quantifiable metric grids

A Capital Opportunity: Creating a New Zealand Jurisprudence in Public and International Law

This is the written form of a lecture delivered at the Law Faculty on 28 April 2010 by Justice Baragwanath as part of a series of lectures delivered the various New Zealand law schools, to mark the judge's retirement from the New Zealand Court of Appeal.  In this lecture the judge argues for the creation of a New Zealand public law that both acknowledges the special nature of New Zealand society and recognises the global context within which all New Zealand law must now fit and to some extent must be judged

The Later Privy Council and a Distinctive New Zealand Jurisprudence: Curb or Spur?

The Privy Council was New Zealand's final court from 1840 until 2004.  Its influence was largely benign, correcting errors of principle and, both in the early days and very recently, affording protection to Māori. But despite important exceptions, its failure to fully acknowledge New Zealand's independent identity, seen most importantly in its refusal during five of its final six decades to acknowledge the true legal effect of the Treaty of Waitangi, delayed the evolution of a distinctive New Zealand jurisprudence. &nbsp

The Development of Microfluidic and Plasmonic Devices for Terahertz Frequencies

The wealth of opportunities associated with the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum have only recently, thanks to advances in technology, begun to be fully recognised and exploited. The advent of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) has led to a wide spectrum of research, spanning chemical, biological and physical systems. However, the relative immaturity of THz techniques results in a variety of inherent problems which limit the potential applications. With an equality existing between the wavelength of THz radiation, and the length scales associated with modern microfabrication techniques, such technology can be exploited to facilitate in finding solutions to these problems. This thesis seeks to address one of these problems, namely the strong absorptions associated with liquid water in the THz region. A simple design idea, that if the optical path length through a fluidic sample were reduced, strong signals could be detected after direct transmission, resulted in a micromachined fluidic cell being devised. The design, fabrication and testing of a microfluidic device inherently transparent to THz radiation, and designed for use in a standard THz-TDS arrangement, is presented. A range of samples, including primary alcohol-water mixtures, commercial whiskies and organic materials are analysed, which, when used in conjunction with data extraction algorithms, allows for accurate dielectric information to be yielded. Further exploitation of micromachining techniques are presented, where a variety of structures, seeking to initiate and utilise a class of surface electromagnetic wave known as surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), are realised. By flanking a single sub-wavelength aperture with sub-wavelength periodic corrugations, extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) can be observed. This technique allows smaller apertures to be used for THz near-field imaging applications, with a view to increase spatial resolution. The first demonstration of THz near-field imaging using sub-wavelength plasmonic apertures in conjunction with a THz quantum cascade laser source, is presented. Detailed investigations into EOT for the case of two-dimensional, sub-wavelength aperture arrays are documented. A qualitative time-of-flight model describing the transmission properties of these structures is presented, resulting from systematic investigations into a variety of geometrical effects. This model has allowed sharp resonances to be engineered in the frequency domain. A hybrid device featuring a combination of sub-wavelength periodic apertures and corrugations is also investigated. Such a structure is not known to have been described previously in the literature, either in the optical or THz domains. The device demonstrates unparallelled transmission efficiencies, termed `super' EOT. Finally, a device combining the microfluidic technology with the highly resonant SPP structures is presented. This device seeks to exploit the innate dependence of SPPs to a metal-dielectric interface, for use as a sensor. By introducing a range of fluids into the device, the change in the metal-dielectric interface induced a change in the frequency response of the resonant structure. The magnitude of the observed frequency shift can be related back to the dielectric properties of the fluid. This result displays how microfabrication techniques can be successfully exploited to create devices for THz applications, seeking to provide solutions to the inherent problems associated with this part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Porous PDMS force sensitive resistors

Here we present an elastomeric force sensitive resistor (FSR) made from a porous matrix of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) filled with carbon black. The fabrication process is based on the use of a low cost sacrificial sugar cube scaffold which leads to a highly porous and compressible material. By filling this porous matrix with carbon black we can achieve typical resistance changes from 20 kW to 100 W for an applied 95% compressive strain. This material is suitable for a wide variety of sensing applications which include tactile artificial skin for robotics and solvent detection

Silicon based microfluidic cell for terahertz frequencies

We present a detailed analysis of the design, fabrication and testing of a silicon based, microfluidic cell, for transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. The sensitivity of the device is tested through a range of experiments involving primary alcohol/water mixtures. The dielectric properties of these solutions are subsequently extracted using a Nelder–Mead search algorithm, and are in good agreement with literature values obtained via alternative techniques. Quantities in the order of 2 μmol can be easily distinguished for primary alcohols in solution, even with the subwavelength optical path lengths used. A further display of the device sensitivity is shown through the analysis of commercial whiskeys, where there are clear, detectable differences between samples. Slight absorption variations were identified between samples of the same commercial brand, owing to a 2.5% difference in their alcoholic content. Results from data taken on subsequent days after system realignment are also presented, confirming the robustness of the technique, and the data extraction algorithm used. One final experiment, showing the possible use of this device to analyze aqueous biological samples is detailed; where biotin, a molecule known for its specific terahertz absorptions, is analyzed in solution. The device sensitivity is once again displayed, where quantities of 3 nmol can be clearly detected between samples

Negative refraction and the spectral filtering of terahertz radiation by a photonic crystal prism

We demonstrate how micromachined photonic crystals can be used to negatively refract terahertz frequency light. The photonic crystals, which are constructed from conventional dielectric materials, manipulate the incident beam via interaction with their photonic bands. Consequently, we show that different components of a broadband beam incident on the structure may be positively or negatively refracted, depending upon its frequency and that the structure can be used as an effective spectral filter of THz radiation

Activity-based funding for safety and quality: a policy discussion of issues and directions for nursing-focused health services outcomes research

AIMS: A discussion of the implications and opportunities arising from the Commonwealth of Australia health care reform agenda; linking pricing with quality, with particular reference to directions for nursing‐focused health services outcomes research directed to improve the safety and quality of health care practices. BACKGROUND: National activity‐based funding in Australia is a policy‐focused development. As the relationship between cost and quality becomes apparent, the role of clinicians and their contribution to high quality care has become a pressing issue for leadership, teaching, and research. DESIGN: Discussion paper DATA SOURCES: This paper is based on seven years' experience as a member of a Commonwealth of Australia statutory committee—the Clinical Advisory Committee of the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority—and is supported by relevant literature and theory. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: To date, unravelling the linkage, especially causal relationships, between direct care nursing and patient safety outcomes has not been well established. New activity‐based funding data elements developed for national implementation in Australia provide accessible and meaningful standardised data for measurement of never events, hospital‐acquired complications, and preventable readmissions

Sustainable wine tourism development through the lens of dynamic capabilities and entrepreneurial action: an exploratory four-region perspective

This study contributes to the sustainable wine tourism literature in various ways. First, using a multi-country approach, the study empirically explores the perceived benefits gained from wine tourism, and the ways in which it could be developed sustainably. These dimensions are examined through the lens of the dynamic capabilities approach and entrepreneurial action. Subsequently, a theoretical framework is proposed to enhance understanding of the development of sustainable wine tourism. Unstructured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 56 winery owners and managers. The two theoretical frameworks help understand the various forms in which sensing and seizing can be materialised in opportunities for wine tourism development, and reconfiguring, or moving forward, to identify ways to achieve its sustainability. Stemming from the findings and the adoption of the theoretical contributions, a strategic toolkit is proposed, which provides guidance to various stakeholders in their efforts to develop a sustainable wine tourism industry. © 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group