Bare life in second life : Giorgio Agamben's politics in performance

This paper describes and analyzes the necessary misreadings of Giorgio Agamben’s account of ‘bare life’ in a recent performance in Melbourne, Australia. The ‘Bare Life’ project deals with Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers with reference to Agamben’s work on sovereign power and uses the on-line second life world as both a metaphor for the refugee’s desire for a new life, and a literal site of performance. The development showing explored the interactions between live performance and second life avatars in real time. This paper deals with the philosophical, ethical and practical problems that emerged during the development, and argues that the ‘misreading’ is an inevitable, but useful part of finding ways to embody philosophical and political ideas in performance.

Giorgio de Chirico and the idea of enigmatic imagery : the innocence of becoming

My paintings emerge from within a context best explained by reference to Nietzsche's perspectivism. That is an intellectual attitude that deprivileges rationalism and accommodates scepticism or unknowing as an acceptable starting point From this standpoint art/language can be seen as being in a state of becoming rather than as representing a state of being. This thesis aims to demonstrate, not only by a philosophical encounter with Giorgio de Chirico's work: ie. his use of myth, his Nietzschean perspectivism and his enigmatic interpretation of figuration, that the most helpful context and understanding of my work can be realied. De Chirico's art, like Nietzsche's philosophy seeks in its processes to explore the possible unity of Dionysian aesthetic force with the Apollonian. Neither Nietzsche nor de Chirico considered within a post-Socratic world that this unity was realizable. Nevertheless they both share in their respective art forms a need to represent the relentless struggle to enact the disjunction of the two aesthetic forces in a secular world. The artist’s enigmatic imagery is characterized by a consideration of appearance and reality and it is for this reason that the work was selected as a model for investigating the nature of enigma. His use of seemingly straightforward, ordinary images suggests a sense of accessibility, yet at the same time they are irreducible to knowing and my own image-making was greatly expanded by investigating these concerns. I am not arguing that de Chirico was influenced by Nietzsche but instead that Nietzsche's philosophical point of view and his use of poetic language to express these views lay in discovering the qualities and substance of the Dionysian spirit As well as working within a Nietzschean world-view set out in The Birth of Tragedy, de Chirico has also drawn on the Italian unification, specifically the Risorgimento and the lineage of these political and mythical figures were endemic to his art and they interface the with his use of the Apollonian-Dionysian disunity first explored by Nietzsche. The focus of the exegesis will be to present the poetic and philosophical use made of the latter in de Chirico’s art It is anticipated that this philosophical encounter with the aesthetic, social and political world of de Chirico will, not only assist in interpreting his life's work anew, but will also provide a context in which my paintings of enigma might be interpreted.

Lipid characterisation and distribution in the fillet of the farmed Australian native fish, Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii)

The objective of this study was to determine the distribution pattern of lipids and fatty acids in different tissues of farmed Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii).

Differences in lipid content were found amongst different portions of the fillet, being lowest in the dorsal/cranial portion (P1) and highest in the more ventral/caudal portion (P8) (P < 0.05). The latter also recorded the highest amount of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and the lowest in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), arachidonic acid, 20:4n − 6 (ArA), docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n − 3, (DHA) and the n3/n6 ratio. In general, lipid content in the different fillet portions was inversely correlated to PUFA and directly to MUFA. Contents of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n − 3 (EPA) did not show any discernible trends in the different fillet portions, while significant differences in contents of DHA and ArA were observed. This study shows that lipid deposition in Murray cod varies markedly and that different fatty acids are deposited differently throughout the fillet.

Biometric, nutritional and organoleptic changes in intensively farmed Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) purged for different time periods

A period of purging before harvesting is common practice in intensive aquaculture to eliminate any possible off flavours from the fish. The present study was conducted to evaluate the biometrical, nutritional and sensory changes in intensively farmed Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) after 0, 2 and 4 weeks of purging. After the main biometric parameters were recorded, fish were analysed for proximate, fatty acid composition and flavour volatile compounds. A consumer preference test (triangle test) was also conducted to identify sensorial differences that may affect the consumer acceptability of the product.

Fish purged for 2 and 4 weeks had a significant weight loss of 4.1% and 9.1%, respectively, compared to unpurged fish, whilst perivisceral fat content did not change. The concentration of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and highly unsaturated (HUFA) fatty acids were not significantly affected by purging time, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n − 3 and n − 3 HUFA were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in purged fish compared to unpurged fish. Consumers were able to detect differences between the purged and unpurged fish (P < 0.05) preferring the taste of the purged fish. However, consumers were unable to distinguish between fish purged for 2 and 4 weeks.

This study showed that a 2 weeks purging period was necessary and sufficient to ameliorate the final organoleptic quality of farmed Murray cod. With such a strategy the nutritional qualities of edible flesh are improved while the unavoidable body weight loss is limited.

Lipid characterisation of different tissues and fillet portions of intensively farmed Murray Cod Maccullochella peelii peelii

Although many studies have focused on the lipid and fatty acids composition of farmed fish, no many have investigated their deposition pattern in different portions of the fillet. Previous studies, mainly on salmonids, have shown that lipids distribution varies greatly depending on the species, portion and type of muscle, but nevertheless, there is not accurate description of its deposition pattern in many fish, in particular in warm water, freshwater carnivorous species. Murray cod is the largest Australian native freshwater carnivorous fish and supports a small but well established and fast growing industry. The objective of this study was therefore to determine if there was any difference in lipid and fatty acid in different tissues such as muscle, liver and perivisceral fat and in different portions of the fillet of farmed Murray cod.

Three size fish (small, medium and large), all fed the same commercial diet, were selected from a commercial intensive farm. The left fillet of each fish was sectioned into nine portions, according to muscle lines and main anatomical features. The nine portions as well as whole right fillet, liver and perivisceral fat were analysed for proximate and fatty acid composition (Table 1).

Differences in lipid content were found amongst different portions of the fillet, with the dorsal/cranial portion (P1) recording the lowest and the more ventral/caudal portion (P8) recording the highest (P<0.05) value. The latter also recorded the highest amount of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and the lowest of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), arachidonic acid, 20:4n-6 (ArA), docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3, (DHA) and n3/n6 ratio. In general, lipid content in the different fillet portions was inversely correlated to PUFA and directly to MUFA. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) and eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3 (EPA) did not show any discernible trend and were similar throughout, while significant differences of DHA and ArA content were observed. This study shows that lipid deposition in Murray cod varies remarkably and that different fatty acids are deposited at different rates. The results of this study show how different adjacent portions can be and therefore attention need to be paid when conducting chemical, nutritional and sensorial analyses on Murray cod.

Biometric, nutritional and sensory changes in intensively farmed Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii, Mitchell) following different purging times

A period of purging before harvesting is common practice in intensive aquaculture to eliminate any possible off flavours from the fish. The present study was conducted to evaluate the biometrical, nutritional and sensory changes in intensively farmed Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) after 0, 2 and 4 weeks of purging. After the main biometric parameters were recorded, fish were analysed for proximate, fatty acid composition and flavour volatile compounds. A consumer preference test (triangle test) was also conducted to identify sensorial differences that may affect the consumer acceptability of the product.

Fish purged for 2 and 4 weeks had a significant weight loss of 4.1% and 9.1%, respectively, compared to unpurged fish, whilst perivisceral fat content did not change. The concentration of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and highly unsaturated (HUFA) fatty acids were not significantly affected by purging time, while polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n − 3 and n − 3 HUFA were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in purged fish compared to unpurged fish. Consumers were able to detect differences between the purged and unpurged fish (P < 0.05) preferring the taste of the purged fish. However, consumers were unable to distinguish between fish purged for 2 and 4 weeks.

This study showed that a 2 weeks purging period was necessary and sufficient to ameliorate the final organoleptic quality of farmed Murray cod. With such a strategy the nutritional qualities of edible flesh are improved while the unavoidable body weight loss is limited.

Effects of starvation and water quality on the purging process of farmed Murray cod ( Maccullochella peelii peelii )

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of starvation and water quality during the purging process on the biometric parameters, fatty acids, and flavor volatiles of Murray cod farmed in a recirculation system. Market size Murray cod, at the end of the grow-out stage, were divided into eight treatments. The treatments were either fed/starved (F or S) and kept in clean water (CW: CWF2, CWS2, CWF4, and CWS4) or fed/starved and kept in recycled water (RW: RWF2, RWS2, RWF4, and RWS4) for either 2 or 4 weeks. Fish were sampled at 0, 2, and 4 week intervals. Food deprivation was responsible for a significant (P < 0.05) weight loss compared to that of fed treatments. The same was observed for the condition factor (K), hepatosomatic index (HSI), and dress-out percentage (DP). No significant changes were, however, observed in the visceral fat index (VFI). Saturated fatty acids (SFA) were highest in RWF4 and lowest in CWS4 (P < 0.05), while monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were lowest in CWF4 (P < 0.05). Starvation did not affect the flavor volatile compounds, which were mainly affected by changes in water quality. Specifically, total aldehyde (% w/w) content was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by water quality, but the time of purging was not responsible for any noteworthy differences. This study was able to separate the effects of starvation and water quality, in the purging process, on the final eating quality of farmed market size Murray cod. It is concluded that because of the inevitable weight loss during starvation, Murray cod should be fed during the purging stage but kept in clean water and deprived of food only for the time necessary to empty the gastro-intestinal tract.

Biometric, nutritional and sensory characteristic modifications in farmed Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) during the purging process

Intensively farmed, market-size Murray cod (~ 600 g), were purged (transferred into a clean water system and starved) and sampled at three day intervals for a total of 18 days (D0, D3, D6, D9, D12, D15 and D18). Purged fish lost from 6% (D3) to 14% (D18) body weight, and the weight loss was highly correlated to the number of days of purging/starvation. Condition factor and Hepatosomatic Index decreased significantly (P < 0.05) only after 18 days of purging compared to the control (D0). Fillet lipid content (%) did not vary during the trial. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA: 20:5 n−3) decreased and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA: 22:5 n−3) increased (P < 0.05) during the trial, while docosahexaenoic acid (DHA: 22:6 n−3) did not show any significant variation. Purging contributed positively to the improvement of the volatile flavour compound composition, with a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in total volatile aldehydes and an increase in total volatile hydrocarbons. Since no major differences were found between samples during the last stages of the purging process (D12, D15 and D 18), it is possible to conclude that, under these experimental conditions, 12 days is the minimum duration to obtain an improvement in the volatile compound profile of intensively farmed Murray cod whilst keeping body weight loss to a minimum.

Traceability and discrimination among differently farmed fish : a case study on Australian murray cod

The development of traceability methods to distinguish between farmed and wild-caught fish and seafood is becoming increasingly important. However, very little is known about how to distinguish fish originating from different farms. The present study addresses this issue by attempting to discriminate among intensively farmed freshwater Murray cod originating from different farms (indoor recirculating, outdoor floating cage, and flow through systems) in different geographical areas, using a combination of morphological, chemical, and isotopic analyses. The results show that stable isotopes are the most informative variables. In particular, δ13C and/or δ15N clearly linked fish to a specific commercial diet, while δ18O linked fish to a specific water source. Thus, the combination of these isotopes can distinguish among fish originating from different farms. On the contrary, fatty acid and tissue proximate compositions and morphological parameters, which are useful in distinguishing between farmed and wild fish, are less informative in discriminating among fish originating from different farms.

Inverse opal gas sensors : Zn(II)-doped tin dioxide systems for low temperature detection of pollutant gases

Focusing here on the effects of zinc doping in a nanocrystalline matrix of tin dioxide, inverse opal prototype sensors are presented and extensively studied as superior candidates for gas sensing applications. Courtesy of factors including controlled porosity, enhanced surface to volume ratio and homogeneous dispersion of species in the crystalline lattice assured by the sol–gel technique, prototype sensors were prepared with high dopant ratios in a range of new compositions. Exploiting their high sensitivities to low-gas concentrations at low working temperatures, and thanks to the presented templated sol–gel approach, the prepared sensors open up new frontiers in compositional control over the sensing oxide materials, consequently widening the possibilities available in on-demand gas sensor synthesis.

Inverse opal nanoassemblies : novel architectures for gas sensors the SnO2:Zn case

A novel technique is here presented, based on inverse opal metal oxide structures for the production of high quality macro and meso-porous structures for gas sensing. Taking advantage of a sol-gel templated approach. different mixed semiconducting oxides with high surface area, commonly used in chemical sensing application, were synthesized. In this work we report the
comparison between SnO₂ and SnO₂:Zn. As witnessed by Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM) analyses and by Powder x-ray Diffraction (PX RD), highly ordered meso-porous structures were formed with oxide crystalline size never exceeding 20 nm . The filled templates. in form of thick films, were bound to allumina substrate with Pt interdigitated contacts
and Pt heater, through in situ calcination, in order to perform standard electrical characterization. Pollutant gases like CO and NO₂ and methanol. as interfering gas, were used for the targeted electrical gas tests. All samples showed low detection limits towards both reducing and oxidizing species in low temperature measurements. Moreover, the addition of high molar percentages of Zn( II) affected the beha viour of electrical response improv ing the se lecti vity of the proposed system.

Only Agamben can save us? Against the messianic turn recently adopted in critical theory

In this paper, I offer a strong criticism of Giorgio Agamben’s recent political texts. I argue that these texts bring to fruition a larger, contentious trend in the theoretical academy coupling one-dimensional, pessimistic accounts of modernity with strands of messianism. Since the political prospects of messianism, as Agamben’s analyses show, are very thin indeed, I reflectively question the presuppositions that lead him to this prescriptive juncture. In Part I, recurring to Scholem’s classic analyses of Jewish messianism, I show how Agamben’s messianism borrows more or less directly (in The Open) from kabalistic, antinomian, utopian messianism. Having established this exegetical point, I argue two theses in parts II and III. The first, specifically theoretical thesis is that Agamben is driven into his political messianism by the transcendental logic of his analyses of ‘the political’, one which by its nature occludes meaningfully political distinctions by instead seeking out their ontological grounds. The second, specifically political thesis is that the widespread embrace of ontological messianism by thinkers in the post-Marxian academy is a symptom of, rather than a cure for, the wider malaise of the political left in the first world. If critical theory is serious about engaging with progressive praxis, one thing it must do is recall the difference between politics and prima philosophia, so that it does not continue to seek out ‘redemption’ – or at least an apology – in the bowels of the latter.

Nutritional and organoleptic quality in intensively farmed Murray cod

This research aimed to determine the nutritional and organoleptic changes associated with different purging procedures in farmed Murray cod. Murray cod, a highly valuable species from a nutritional point of view, greatly benefits from a period of purging in clean water before being consumed.

Intelligent energy management in hybrid electric vehicles

The modelling and simulation approach is employed to develop an intelligent energy management system for hybrid electric vehicles. The aim is to optimize fuel consumption and reduce emissions. An analysis of the role of drivetrain, energy management control strategy and the associated impacts on the fuel consumption with combined wind/drag, slope, rolling, and accessories loads are included.