'Thou glorious kingdome, thou chiefe of empires': Persia in seventeenth-century travel literature

Bringing together a range of little-considered materials, this article assesses the portrayal of Persia in seventeenth-century travel literature and drama. In particular it argues that such texts use their awareness of Islamic sectarian division to portray Persia as a good potential trading partner in preference to the Ottoman Empire. A close reading of John Day, William Rowley and George Wilkins��� The Travailes of the Three English Brothers (1607) demonstrates how the play develops a fantasy model of how relations between Persia and England might function. The potential unity between England and Persia, imagined in terms of both religion and trade, demonstrates how Persia figured as a model ���other England��� in early modern literature.

'Thou glorious kingdome, thou chiefe of empires': Persia in seventeenth-century travel literature

This article discusses a series of texts by or about travellers to Safavid Persia in the early seventeenth century, and in particular the literature surrounding the Sherley brothers. It looks at the ways in which, in order to encourage support for the voyages they described, English travel writers emphasised the potential for closer Anglo-Persian relations. In doing so, such narratives took advantage of a developing awareness of sectarian division within Islam in order to differentiate Persia from the Ottoman Empire. The article then examines how The Travailes of the Three English Brothers (1607) by Day, Rowley and Wilkins, built on the possibilities suggested by the travel writings, and specifically their recognition of Islamic sectarian division, to develop an idealised model of how relations between Persia and England might function. More broadly, these texts demonstrate travellers��� interest in looking for potential correlation between Christian and Muslim identities during this period.

Des liaisons dangereuses? R��seaux donn��s, r��seaux suppos��s et r��seaux d��guis��s d���une nonne v��nitienne au XVIIe si��cle

This article deals with Tarabotti's own family, her religious family within her nunnery and her ideal family, the so-called "R��publique des lettres". Despite her permanent denial about her parents and siblings, she has ties with them all: she benifitted from her sister Camilla's and her mother's wills, she had a friendly relationship with one of her brothers-in-law, she took pity of her two sisters who remained spinsters. The same occurred with her religious family, where she developed close friendships with at least two of them. Moreover, her sisters in religion often belonged to patrician, well-off families and it is possible to argue that Tarabotti managed to expand her relationships with very important people via her sisters in religion. But the family she truly cherished, was her family d'election, the one she had been free to choose and to pursue: her literary family. However, this latter one was not a very recomandable family for a nun: therefore she kept silent with the most relevant elements of it, namely with the French priest and astronomer Ismael Boulliau who acted as the go-between for her last book, published abroad two years after her death. The article provides evidence to such connections, ties and knots, explaining at least in part Tarabotti's extraordinary success in life as a proto-feminist and political writer.

Shoot zinc (Zn) concentration varies widely within Brassica oleracea L. and is affected by soil Zn and phosphorus (P) levels

The low availability of zinc (Zn) in soils and crops affects dietary Zn intake worldwide. This study sought to determine if the natural genetic variation in shoot Zn concentrations (Zn(shoot)) is sufficient to pursue a crop improvement breeding strategy in a leafy vegetable crop. The gene-pool of Brassica oleracea L. was sampled using a large (n = 376) diversity foundation set (DFS), representing almost all species-wide common allelic variation, and 74 commercial varieties (mostly F(1)). The DFS genotypes were grown at low and high soil phosphorus (P) levels under glasshouse and field conditions, and also in a Zn-deficient soil, with or without Zn-fertilisation, in a glasshouse. Despite the large variation in Zn(shoot) among genotypes, environment had a profound effect on Zn(shoot) The heritability of Zn(shoot) was significant, but relatively low, among 90 doubled-haploid (DH) lines from a mapping population. While several quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with Zn(shoot) occurred on chromosomes C2, C3, C5, C7, and C9, these were generally weak and conditional upon growth conditions. Breeding for Zn(shoot) in B. oleracea is therefore likely to be challenging. Shoot P concentrations increased substantially in all genotypes under low soil Zn conditions. Conversely, only some genotypes had increased Zn(shoot) at low soil P levels. Sufficient natural genetic variation may therefore exist to study some of the interactions between Zn and P nutrition.

Bio-fortification of potato tubers using foliar zinc-fertiliser

Worldwide, many people are zinc (Zn)-deficient. Dietary Zn intake can be increased by producing crops with higher concentrations of Zn in their edible portions. This can be achieved by applying Zn-fertilisers to varieties with an increased ability to acquire Zn and to accumulate Zn in their edible portions. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important food crop and is, therefore, a target for bio-fortification with Zn. Field trials incorporating a core collection of 23 potato genotypes, performed over 4 years (2006 ��� 2009), indicated significant genotypic effects on tuber Zn concentration and suggested that tuber Zn concentration was influenced by environmental effects, but also found that genotype environment (G E) interactions were not significant. Tuber Zn concentrations averaged 10.8 mg kg���1 dry matter (DM), and the ratio between the lowest and the highest varietal tuber Zn-concentration averaged 1.76. Tuber Zn concentrations could be increased by foliar Zn-fertilisation. Tuber yields of ���Maris Piper��� were unaffected by foliar applications of < 1.08 g Zn plant���1. The relationship between tuber Zn concentration and foliar Zn application followed a saturation curve, reaching a maximum at approx. 30 mg Zn kg���1 DM at a foliar Zn application rate of 1.08 g plant���1. Despite a 40-fold increase in shoot Zn concentration compared to the unfertilised controls following foliar Zn fertilisation with 2.16 g Zn plant���1, only a doubling in tuber Zn concentration was observed. This suggests that the biofortification of tubers with Zn was restricted by the limited mobility of Zn in the phloem. A significant positive linear relationship between tuber Zn concentration and tuber N concentration supported the hypothesis of co-transport of Zn and N-compounds in the phloem.

Staging the Sherleys' Travails

The remarkable Sherley brothers and their maverick diplomacy evidently appealed to early seventeenth-century readers, and dramatists recognised the theatrical potential their adventures offered. Scholars have been drawn to The Travailes of the Three English Brothers for its depiction of encounters with 'others', as a portrait of early modern England's ambitions beyond its shores. This article examines how, rather than serving as propaganda, as Thomas Sherley must have hoped, the theatrical treatment exposed the brothers to a sustained critique, deploying irony to undercut the heroic motives to which they laid claim and revealing the ideological fault lines at the heart of their enterprise.

Deiro Collection Finding Aid

The Deiro Collection at the City University of New York Graduate Center's Mina Rees Library is an archival collection of materials related to the professional and personal lives of Guido Deiro (1886-1950), Pietro Deiro Sr. (1888-1954) and Pietro ���Lee��� Deiro Jr. (1913-1999). Immigrating from Italy to the United States in the early 1900's, the Deiro brothers Guido and Pietro, made enduring contributions to the popularization of the Piano Accordion in the 20th Century. As masters of the instrument, the Deiro's achieved headliner status on the vaudeville theatre circuit. Both composed, arranged and recorded an impressive repertoire of accordion music. Pietro Deiro Publications produced a catalogue of over 10,000 pieces of sheet music and instructional materials for the Piano Accordion. The Deiro Collection documents not only a singular segment of American musical history but also a unique aspect of the Italian-American experience in 20th Century America.

En retorisk analys av Fahrenheit 9/11 ur ett dokument��rhistoriskt perspektiv

The history of rhetorics in documentary film is a long one. The French brothers Louise and Auguste Lumi��re were among the first persons who produced a documentary and their work has had a big impression in the history of documentary during the 1900 century. John Grierson has been called ���the father��� of documentary film. He produced films in the English speaking part of the world and he is the founder of the concept ���documentary film���. Propaganda filming has a big part in the history of documentary film. Most frequently it appeard in Germany before and during the secound WW II, but propaganda films has been produced in Great Britain and USA as well as in other parts of the world. Rhetorics are of current interest today. It effects the news, papers, magazines, books and movies. The purpose with this essay is to investigate the rhetorics in Michael Moores controversial documentary of September 11th, Fahrenheit 9/11. The main question is: what rhetorical tools does Michael Moore use in order to communicate his politcal message in Fahrenheit 9/11? The rhetorical analysis includes exordium, narratio, propsitio, argumentatio and conclusio as well as ethos, logos and pathos. In order to conduct the analysis I have used Kurt Johannesson���s book Retorik eller konsten att ��vertyga, Maria Karlberg and Brigitte Mral���s book Heder och p��verkan. Att analysera modern retorik. And at last a chapter by Brigitte Mral named Retorikanalys in the book Metoder i kommunikationeverenskap, by Mats Ekstr��m and Lars��ke Larsson. For the background about the history of documentary film I have used Barsam M. Richard, Nonfiction Film A Critical History and Bj��rn S��renssen���s book �� fange virkeligheten ���Dokumentarfilmens ��rhundre.The analysis shows that Moore uses different rhetorical tools in order to point out that George W Bush is the wrong man for the role as the president of United States of America. Some of the most effective tools that Moores uses are his own voice, pictures who awakes emotions, recordings and sharp arguments. His way of using ethos, logos and pathos is very clear. The disposal can also be distinct discern, however there are some exceptions towards the classical rhetoric. One example is that Moore doesn��t describe the arrangement of the movie in exordium.

The Bj��rling 'Opera' : A children's Nursery Academy and an Italian Conservatory in Miniature

The��aim in this chapter��is��to develop a deeper understanding about the informal��Bj��rling 'School' in Sweden. Contextually the example is related to the micro history of opera education contributing to the macro perspective illuminating a provincial example of the concept of domestic opera schooling.��The specific focus��was on��Karl David Bj��rling (1873-1926), the teaching parent of the Swedish tenor��Jussi Bj��rling (1911-1960) and his brothers G��sta and Olle. �� The Bj��rling��family model of opera schooling��belongs to��the classical canon of domestic home education which��was common during the��epoch. The phenomenon is also within the field of opera singing an important reference to the historical context of the Nordic opera history of vocal education. �� The uniqueness concerning the Bj��rling School seems to be the rigorous and��exceptionally early training. David Bj��rling���s pedagogy��was rooted in��earlier German��theories of musical upbringing.��It's clear from his��results that��he was familiar with the neo-humanistic ideal on��which reformed music education was based. Of a��specific interest is the term Gesang als Unterricht as a concept for developing childrens musical and memorising capacities. �� Conceptually the roots of the��Bj��rling��model are in the eighteenth-century Romantic view of prodigies and their abilities. The��extensive touring is connected to the promotion of wonder-children, and David Bj��rling���s��educational style to the conservative Master-pupil tradition. �� David Bj��rling's vocal ideal was a part of the contemporary debate about ���The decadence of the singing art���,��and seems��to have its��roots in an older Italian tradition. There are��recurring similarities between��his educational methods and the didactic principles of the Lamperti School: Enjoying a revival around the late 1800s��and early 1900s, it has been called the natural or the national school. Nevertheless, through authentic experiences and gramophone recordings the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso became David Bj��rling���s pedagogical role model.

An��lise em tempo real de comportamento explosivo em pre��os no Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho �� determinar a exist��ncia de comportamento explosivo em pre��os no mercado brasileiro e identificar quando essas explos��es ocorreram. Para tanto, foi utilizada uma nova metodologia recursiva de testes de raiz unit��ria, que identifica in��cio e fim de explos��es de pre��os em tempo real. Foram escolhidos os ��ndices de mercado (Bovespa ajustado pelo d��lar e pelo dividend yield do mercado) e a s��rie de pre��os IGP-DI (taxa de infla����o mensal e acumulada em 12 meses) por apresentarem evid��ncias de comportamento explosivo ao longo do tempo. Os resultados obtidos apontaram a exist��ncia de comportamentos explosivos nas s��ries do Ibovespa ajustado pelo d��lar nos anos de 1997, 2006 e 2008 (per��odo anterior �� quebra do Banco Lehman Brothers) e na taxa de infla����o acumulada em 12 meses nas d��cadas de 80 e 90, previamente ao Plano Real.

Transmiss��o assim��trica de um choque de liquidez banc��rio para o cr��dito no Brasil: evid��ncias sobre impacto ��s empresas durante a crise financeira de 2008/2009

Esta disserta����o estuda o impacto do choque de liquidez no sistema financeiro nacional (SFN) sobre o cr��dito ��s empresas ap��s a quebra do Lehman Brothers, em setembro/2008. O choque ocorreu de forma diferenciada aos players do mercado nacional, de modo que algumas institui����es financeiras passaram por forte restri����o de recursos, ao passo que outras receberam um volume acentuado de dep��sitos. Para expurgar poss��veis efeitos de demanda por cr��dito, utiliza-se a abordagem de efeitos fixos por atividade econ��mica, de modo que os coeficientes estimados reflitam a oferta de cr��dito dos bancos. Os resultados obtidos corroboram, em diferentes graus, as hip��teses delineadas, com destaque para dois pontos: (i) a elasticidade do cr��dito empresarial aos dep��sitos �� diferente entre os grupos de bancos que t��m aumento ou diminui����o desta forma de funding, fato consistente com os modelos que preveem que os agentes tendem a manter mais liquidez em um contexto de incerteza sist��mica; (ii) com a escassez de recursos externos e do mercado de capitais nacional ap��s a quebra do Lehman Brothers, as grandes empresas tiveram que recorrer ao segmento banc��rio, e na disputa pelos recursos oriundos desta fonte levaram vantagem comparativa em rela����o ��s pequenas e m��dias empresas.

Tr��s ensaios sobre pol��tica monet��ria e cr��dito

In the first essay, "Determinants of Credit Expansion in Brazil", analyzes the determinants of credit using an extensive bank level panel dataset. Brazilian economy has experienced a major boost in leverage in the first decade of 2000 as a result of a set factors ranging from macroeconomic stability to the abundant liquidity in international financial markets before 2008 and a set of deliberate decisions taken by President Lula's to expand credit, boost consumption and gain political support from the lower social strata. As relevant conclusions to our investigation we verify that: credit expansion relied on the reduction of the monetary policy rate, international financial markets are an important source of funds, payroll-guaranteed credit and investment grade status affected positively credit supply. We were not able to confirm the importance of financial inclusion efforts. The importance of financial sector sanity indicators of credit conditions cannot be underestimated. These results raise questions over the sustainability of this expansion process and financial stability in the future. The second essay, ���Public Credit, Monetary Policy and Financial Stability���, discusses the role of public credit. The supply of public credit in Brazil has successfully served to relaunch the economy after the Lehman-Brothers demise. It was later transformed into a driver for economic growth as well as a regulation device to force private banks to reduce interest rates. We argue that the use of public funds to finance economic growth has three important drawbacks: it generates inflation, induces higher loan rates and may induce financial instability. An additional effect is the prevention of market credit solutions. This study contributes to the understanding of the costs and benefits of credit as a fiscal policy tool. The third essay, ���Bayesian Forecasting of Interest Rates: Do Priors Matter?���, discusses the choice of priors when forecasting short-term interest rates. Central Banks that commit to an Inflation Target monetary regime are bound to respond to inflation expectation spikes and product hiatus widening in a clear and transparent way by abiding to a Taylor rule. There are various reports of central banks being more responsive to inflationary than to deflationary shocks rendering the monetary policy response to be indeed non-linear. Besides that there is no guarantee that coefficients remain stable during time. Central Banks may switch to a dual target regime to consider deviations from inflation and the output gap. The estimation of a Taylor rule may therefore have to consider a non-linear model with time varying parameters. This paper uses Bayesian forecasting methods to predict short-term interest rates. We take two different approaches: from a theoretic perspective we focus on an augmented version of the Taylor rule and include the Real Exchange Rate, the Credit-to-GDP and the Net Public Debt-to-GDP ratios. We also take an ���atheoretic��� approach based on the Expectations Theory of the Term Structure to model short-term interest. The selection of priors is particularly relevant for predictive accuracy yet, ideally, forecasting models should require as little a priori expert insight as possible. We present recent developments in prior selection, in particular we propose the use of hierarchical hyper-g priors for better forecasting in a framework that can be easily extended to other key macroeconomic indicators.

Estudo emp��rico do comportamento dos dep��sitos das institui����es financeiras brasileiras durante a crise de 2008

A motiva����o do trabalho surgiu dos efeitos causados pela crise imobili��ria nos Estados Unidos em 2008, sendo a quebra do banco de investimento ���Lehman Brothers��� o estopim para uma s��rie de eventos. No Brasil, os efeitos foram diversos, o presente trabalho se aprofundou nos efeitos sobre as capta����es, analisando se houve uma corrida banc��ria dos pequenos e m��dios bancos para os grandes. Este estudo foi feito por meio da an��lise de quebra estrutural baseada nos testes OLS Cusum introduzido por Ploberger e Kramer (1992) e Teste F por Chow (1960), bem como por meio da an��lise de dados em painel, utilizando as metodologias de an��lise de cluster e o modelo de efeitos fixos. De um modo geral, os nossos resultados demonstram que efetivamente ocorreu uma transfer��ncia massiva de recursos dos pequenos e m��dios bancos para os grandes.

Financial governance: the Brazilian experience on prudential regulation and its impacts on the effects of the 2008 financial crisis

The Brazilian economy was severely hit by the 2008 crisis. In the beginning of the crisis, the vast majorities of the economic agents and authorities thought that Brazil could face some sort of decoupling since some macroeconomic fundamentals were very good. What we saw, however, was that the Brazilian economy was not decoupled, and expectations faced a huge deterioration soon after the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in September 15th. Two aspects regarding the impact of crisis in Brazil, however, deserve a great deal of attention: (a) although deep, the impact did not last for a long time. Actually, the GDP growth experienced a good recovery in the second quarter of 2009, showing that the health of the Brazilian economy was good; (b) the Brazilian banking system performed very well during the crisis, although we cannot say the system was not in danger in the worst time of the crisis. In spite of the confidence crisis faced by the banking system 1, it showed a great deal of resilience. In this aspect, we argue that the restructure faced by the banking system in the aftermath of the Real Plan, as well as the development of a solid supervision regulation helped a lot the system to avoid the systemic crisis that was an open possibility to the Brazilian banking system in the end of 2008. These notes, thus, discusse why the Brazilian banking system performed pretty well in the 2008 financial crisis and how the Brazilian banking (and prudential) regulation can be taken as responsible for this good performance. More specifically, the paper back to the middle of the 1990s, when the Real Plan was implemented, in order to understand the role played by the restructuring of the Brazilian financial system in helping to pave the way to the great resilience experienced by the Brazilian banking system during the 2008 crisis. More specifically, the prudential regulation that was implemented in Brazil in the aftermath of the Real Plan seems to play a decisive role in the resilience of the system nowadays.