Charles Dickens and the private life of the imagination

Bibliography: p. B.1-5.This thesis takes as its point of departure the analysis of a certain formal element which appears in narrative during the nineteenth century. It concentrates especially on the form this element takes in Dickens's works, particularly in Great Expectations, and in so doing it joins a large group of recent writings in which critics have tried to develop more flexible ideas about the formal structure of Dickens's novels than had been current before. This new focus of attention has been important, because Dickens presents the critic with certain problems which can only be overcome if he develops a fairly complex sense of what might constitute the novel form when Dickens is handling it

Closer to the cloud - The impact of cloud technology on the role of management accountants – a research note.

The role of the management accountant - has been the subject of many studies, especially in the area of accounting and organizational change. Some studies have found role changes which are perceived as positive to the management accountants (Goretzki et al, 2013, Burns and Vaivio, 2001; Weber, 2011), while others note potentially less favourable changes (Otley, 2008; Scapens and Jazayeri, 2003; Wagle, 1998). In particular, role changes suggesting a move towards a business partner/ business advisor type role have been noted by many academics (e.g. Goretzki et al., 2013; Weber, 2011; Baldvinsdottir et al., 2009; Byrne and Pierce, 2007; Järvenpää, 2007; Burns and Vaivio, 2001; Granlund and Lukka, 1998) as well as practitioners (Simons, 2012; Boettger, 2012). In such work, several theories such as institutional theory (Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005; Goretzki et al., 2013), legitimacy theory (Goretzki et al., 2013), sociometric theory (Wagner et al., 2011), contingency theory (Byrne and Pierce, 2007), (strong) structuration theory (Coad and Herbert, 2009; Jack and Kholeif, 2008) and actor-network theory (Dechow and Mouritsen, 2005) have been suggested and used as lenses to interpret observed changes (or stability)

Management accounting and management control ‐ Cloud technology effects and a research agenda

Cloud technology is a potential change factor of the management accounting function and the role of the management accountant. The management accounting function today has an inherent interest in the value of work processes and technologies (Lymer and Baldwin, 2012) that include technology development and evaluation (e.g. the decision whether or not to adopt and implement the cloud; cloud risk management), management process interfaces (e.g. issues when basing decisions on condensed information on small screens), resource use and value generation (e.g. shifts in the cost structure when adopting the cloud) and as a result, changes in the role of the management accountant itself. Based on this, we propose four potential research areas where cloud technology might impact management accounting, and thus may be fruitful avenues for future research We apply a systematic literature review to determine the current state of the field in these four areas, and how the management accounting function and the role of the management accountant might influence and be influenced by what cloud technology has to offer. We suggest a research agenda for management accounting research that, as practice is pushing the cloud agenda forward, has the potential to provide insights and ideas from an academic point of view, opening an exciting new field to management accounting research

Traveling water waves — the ebb and flow of two centuries

This survey covers the mathematical theory of steady water waves with an emphasis on topics that are at the forefront of current research. These areas include: variational characterizations of traveling water waves; analytical and numerical studies of periodic waves with critical layers that may overhang; existence, nonexistence, and qualitative theory of solitary waves and fronts; traveling waves with localized vorticity or density stratification; and waves in three dimensions

Early Neoproterozoic Basin Formation in Yukon, Canada: Implications for the make-up and break-up of Rodinia

SUMMARY: Geological mapping and stratigraphic anaylsis of the early Neoproterozoic Fifteenmile Group in the western Ogilvie Mountains of Yukon, Canada, has revealed large lateral facies changes in both carbonate and siliciclastic strata.  Syn-sedimentary NNW-side-down normal faulting during deposition of the lower Fifteenmile Group generated local topographic relief and wedge-shaped stratal geometries. These strata were eventually capped by platformal carbonate after the establishment of a NNW-facing stromatolitic reef complex that formed adjacent to the coeval Little Dal Group of the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories.  Correlations between specific formations within these groups are tested with carbon isotope chemostratigraphy.  As there are no known 830-780 Ma stratigraphic successions south of 62°N, the basin-forming event that accommodated the Fifteenmile and Little Dal Groups of the Ogilvie and Mackenzie Mountains and equivalent strata in the Shaler Supergroup of Victoria Island was restricted to the northwest margin of Laurentia. Therefore, this event does not represent widespread rifting of the entire western margin of Laurentia and instead we propose that these strata were accommodated in a failed rift generated by localized subsidence associated with the emplacement of the coeval Guibei (China) and Gairdner (Australia) large igneous provinces.  The northern margin of Laurentia was reactivated by renewed extension at ca. 720 Ma associated with the emplacement of the Franklin large igneous province.  Significant crustal thinning and generation of a thermally subsiding passive margin on the western margin of Laurentia may not have occurred until the late Ediacaran.RÉSUMÉLe cartographiage géologique et l’analyse stratigraphique du groupe néoprotézoïque Fifteenmile situé à l’ouest des montagnes Ogilvie du Yukon, Canada, ont révélé de grands changements latéraux de faciès à la fois pour les strates carbonatées et silicoclastiques. La mise en place des failles normales syn-sédimentaires inclinées vers le NNW au cours du dépôt du groupe Fifteenmile inférieur, a entrainé la formation locale d’un relief topographique et une prisme des strates. Ces dernières ont finalement été recouvertes de carbonates de plate-forme issus de la mise en place d’un complexe récifal stromatolitique exposé NNW contigu à la formation de même âge du groupe Little Dal des montagnes Ogilvie, en Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Les corrélations existant entre des formations spécifiques de chacun de ces groupes, sont testées grâce à la chimiostratigraphie des isotopes du carbone. Aucunes successions stratigraphiques agées de 830-780 Ma n’étant connues au sud de 62° N, la formation du bassin où sont accumulés les groupes Fifteenmile et Little Dal des massifs Ogilvie et Mackenzie, ainsi que les strates analogues du supergroupe Shaler de l’île Victoria, était restreinte à la bordure nord-ouest de la Laurentie. De ce fait, cet événement ne correspond pas au large rifting s’étendant sur l’entière bordure ouest de la Laurentie et nous proposons à la place, que ces strates ont été localisées au cours d’un rift avorté généré par la mise en place simultanée des larges provinces ignées Guibei (Chine) et Gairdner (Australie). La bordure nord de la Laurentie a été réactivée par une nouvelle phase d’extension à ca. 720 Ma associée à l’emplacement de la province ignée Franklin. L’amincissement crustal et la formation d’une marge passive thermiquement subsidente le long de la bordure ouest de la Laurentie ne se sont certainement pas produits avant l’Édiacarien supérieur

Why does the provision of home mechanical ventilation vary so widely?

There is wide variation in the provision of home mechanical ventilation (HMV) throughout Europe, but the provision of home mechanical ventilation can also vary within countries. In 2008, the overall prevalence of HMV in Norway was 19.9/100,000, and there were huge regional differences in treatment prevalence. The aim of this study is to find explanations for these differences. We gathered multidisciplinary respondents involved in HMV treatment from five hospitals in five different counties to six focus group conversations to explore respondents' views of their experiences systematically. We based the analysis on grounded theory. We found that uneven distribution of “enthusiasm” between hospitals seems to be an important factor in the geographical distribution of HMV. Furthermore, we found that the three subcategories, “high competence,” “spreading competence,” and “multidisciplinary collaboration,” are developed and used systematically in counties with “enthusiasm.” This culture is the main category, which might explain the differences, and is described as “wise enthusiasm.” The last subcategory is “individual attitudes” about HMV among decision-making physicians. The most important factor is most likely the uneven distribution of highly skilled enthusiasm between hospitals. Individual attitudes about HMV among the decision makers may also explain why the provision of HMV varies so widely. Data describing regional differences in the prevalence of HMV within countries is lacking. Further research is needed to identify these differences to ensure equality of provision of HMV

Abnormal hypermethylation at imprinting control regions in patients with S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) deficiency

S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (AHCY) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder in methionine metabolism caused by mutations in the AHCY gene. Main characteristics are psychomotor delay including delayed myelination and myopathy (hypotonia, absent tendon reflexes etc.) from birth, mostly associated with hypermethioninaemia, elevated serum creatine kinase levels and increased genome wide DNA methylation. The prime function of AHCY is to hydrolyse and efficiently remove S-adenosylhomocysteine, the by-product of transmethylation reactions and one of the most potent methyltransferase inhibitors. In this study, we set out to more specifically characterize DNA methylation changes in blood samples from patients with AHCY deficiency. Global DNA methylation was increased in two of three analysed patients. In addition, we analysed the DNA methylation levels at differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of six imprinted genes (MEST, SNRPN, LIT1, H19, GTL2 and PEG3) as well as Alu and LINE1 repetitive elements in seven patients. Three patients showed a hypermethylation in up to five imprinted gene DMRs. Abnormal methylation in Alu and LINE1 repetitive elements was not observed. We conclude that DNA hypermethylation seems to be a frequent but not a constant feature associated with AHCY deficiency that affects different genomic regions to different degrees. Thus AHCY deficiency may represent an ideal model disease for studying the molecular origins and biological consequences of DNA hypermethylation due to impaired cellular methylation status

Small-Scale Structure in the SDSS and LCDM: Isolated L* Galaxies with Bright Satellites

We use a volume-limited spectroscopic sample of isolated galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to investigate the frequency and radial distribution of luminous (M_r <~ -18.3) satellites like the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) around ~L* Milky Way analogs and compare our results object-by-object to LCDM predictions based on abundance matching in simulations. We show that 12% of Milky Way-like galaxies host an LMC-like satellite within 75 kpc (projected), and 42 % within 250 kpc (projected). This implies ~10% have a satellite within the distance of the LMC, and ~40% of L* galaxies host a bright satellite within the virialized extent of their dark matter halos. Remarkably, the simulation reproduces the observed frequency, radial dependence, velocity distribution, and luminosity function of observed secondaries exceptionally well, suggesting that LCDM provides an accurate reproduction of the observed Universe to galaxies as faint as L~10^9 Lsun on ~50 kpc scales. When stacked, the observed projected pairwise velocity dispersion of these satellites is sigma~160 km/s, in agreement with abundance-matching expectations for their host halo masses. Finally, bright satellites around L* primaries are significantly redder than typical galaxies in their luminosity range, indicating that environmental quenching is operating within galaxy-size dark matter halos that typically contain only a single bright satellite. This redness trend is in stark contrast to the Milky Way's LMC, which is unusually blue even for a field galaxy. We suggest that the LMC's discrepant color might be further evidence that it is undergoing a triggered star-formation event upon first infall.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures; accepted to Ap