Harold Pinter: A Night Out : A Study in the Political ConnotationsAnd the Abuse of Power

Harold Pinter���s A Night Out is a significant but rarely produced piece of drama. Therefore, there is very little criticism to support or contradict my argument. The reason why I chose to do my essay on this particular play is to open doors for academic research and to try and make it an equal to its sister plays. I will raise questions and topics to prove the play is worth the readers��� time and effort and that A Night Out is a sharp piece of political theatre. Although at first glance it is a simple enough story, a straightforward tale of the nasty consequences of motherly love when it is pushed to the limit, on deeper inspection, a more far reaching and complex analysis of the abuse of power can be observed. The play offers a variety of themes, including: interpersonal power struggles, failed attempts at communication, antagonistic relationships, the threat of impending or past violence, the struggle for survival or identity, domination and submission, politics, lies and verbal, physical, psychological and sexual abuse. The prevailing theme in the play is the abuse of power: powerful parties oppressing weaker ones, and the results of the oppressed party looking for a vent in someone even weaker than themselves.

Redesign av personaltidningen Energitrycket samt anpassning f��r kopiering och publicering f��r webben

This degree project has been carried out on the commission of AB Borl��nge Energi. The purpose of thisproject was to redesign the magazine Energitrycket. The magazine should inform about the current eventsat the company. The work consisted of redesign of the existing magazine and adjustment to copying andpublishing on the web.This project also contains a research about how paper and colour affect the print results. It shows thatthe maximum contrast and sharp image reproduction is best achieved on woodfree, coated, calenderedpaper with high whiteness. An uncoated, light yellow paper is however to recommend for a printed matterswith a lot of text.It also shows that every production unit reproduces colours differently. To get a good colour reproductionand a good communication between these units, they must be calibrated, and well-functioningICC-profiles must be created.

A web-based system for visualizing upper limb motor performance of Parkinson���s disease patients

Objective To design, develop and set up a web-based system for enabling graphical visualization of upper limb motor performance (ULMP) of Parkinson���s disease (PD) patients to clinicians. Background Sixty-five patients diagnosed with advanced PD have used a test battery, implemented in a touch-screen handheld computer, in their home environment settings over the course of a 3-year clinical study. The test items consisted of objective measures of ULMP through a set of upper limb motor tests (finger to tapping and spiral drawings). For the tapping tests, patients were asked to perform alternate tapping of two buttons as fast and accurate as possible, first using the right hand and then the left hand. The test duration was 20 seconds. For the spiral drawing test, patients traced a pre-drawn Archimedes spiral using the dominant hand, and the test was repeated 3 times per test occasion. In total, the study database consisted of symptom assessments during 10079 test occasions. Methods Visualization of ULMP The web-based system is used by two neurologists for assessing the performance of PD patients during motor tests collected over the course of the said study. The system employs animations, scatter plots and time series graphs to visualize the ULMP of patients to the neurologists. The performance during spiral tests is depicted by animating the three spiral drawings, allowing the neurologists to observe real-time accelerations or hesitations and sharp changes during the actual drawing process. The tapping performance is visualized by displaying different types of graphs. Information presented included distribution of taps over the two buttons, horizontal tap distance vs. time, vertical tap distance vs. time, and tapping reaction time over the test length. Assessments Different scales are utilized by the neurologists to assess the observed impairments. For the spiral drawing performance, the neurologists rated firstly the ���impairment��� using a 0 (no impairment) ��� 10 (extremely severe) scale, secondly three kinematic properties: ���drawing speed���, ���irregularity��� and ���hesitation��� using a 0 (normal) ��� 4 (extremely severe) scale, and thirdly the probable ���cause��� for the said impairment using 3 choices including Tremor, Bradykinesia/Rigidity and Dyskinesia. For the tapping performance, a 0 (normal) ��� 4 (extremely severe) scale is used for first rating four tapping properties: ���tapping speed���, ���accuracy���, ���fatigue���, ���arrhythmia���, and then the ���global tapping severity��� (GTS). To achieve a common basis for assessment, initially one neurologist (DN) performed preliminary ratings by browsing through the database to collect and rate at least 20 samples of each GTS level and at least 33 samples of each ���cause��� category. These preliminary ratings were then observed by the two neurologists (DN and PG) to be used as templates for rating of tests afterwards. In another track, the system randomly selected one test occasion per patient and visualized its items, that is tapping and spiral drawings, to the two neurologists. Statistical methods Inter-rater agreements were assessed using weighted Kappa coefficient. The internal consistency of properties of tapping and spiral drawing tests were assessed using Cronbach���s �� test. One-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey multiple comparisons test was used to test if mean scores of properties of tapping and spiral drawing tests were different among GTS and ���cause��� categories, respectively. Results When rating tapping graphs, inter-rater agreements (Kappa) were as follows: GTS (0.61), ���tapping speed��� (0.89), ���accuracy��� (0.66), ���fatigue��� (0.57) and ���arrhythmia��� (0.33). The poor inter-rater agreement when assessing ���arrhythmia��� may be as a result of observation of different things in the graphs, among the two raters. When rating animated spirals, both raters had very good agreement when assessing severity of spiral drawings, that is, ���impairment��� (0.85) and irregularity (0.72). However, there were poor agreements between the two raters when assessing ���cause��� (0.38) and time-information properties like ���drawing speed��� (0.25) and ���hesitation��� (0.21). Tapping properties, that is ���tapping speed���, ���accuracy���, ���fatigue��� and ���arrhythmia��� had satisfactory internal consistency with a Cronbach���s �� coefficient of 0.77. In general, the trends of mean scores of tapping properties worsened with increasing levels of GTS. The mean scores of the four properties were significantly different to each other, only at different levels. In contrast from tapping properties, kinematic properties of spirals, that is ���drawing speed���, ���irregularity��� and ���hesitation��� had a questionable consistency among them with a coefficient of 0.66. Bradykinetic spirals were associated with more impaired speed (mean = 83.7 % worse, P < 0.001) and hesitation (mean = 77.8% worse, P < 0.001), compared to dyskinetic spirals. Both these ���cause��� categories had similar mean scores of ���impairment��� and ���irregularity���. Conclusions In contrast from current approaches used in clinical setting for the assessment of PD symptoms, this system enables clinicians to animate easily and realistically the ULMP of patients who at the same time are at their homes. Dynamic access of visualized motor tests may also be useful when observing and evaluating therapy-related complications such as under- and over-medications. In future, we foresee to utilize these manual ratings for developing and validating computer methods for automating the process of assessing ULMP of PD patients.

Sociologin, hybriderna och den sociala verkligheten : exemplet k��rnavfall

Sociology, hybrids and social reality: the case of nuclear waste The continuing technological transformation of nature means that sociology���s traditional vision of a sharp divide between nature and society is becoming ever harder to defend. Starting from Bruno Latour���s critique of modernity, and Nikolas Rose���s explorations of political power beyond the state, this article presents a framework for analysing the expanding wealth of hybrids of nature and society surrounding us today, and the problems of government they pose. These hybrids confront us with the need to rethink sociology���s conception of ���the social���. With Latour���s help, the interplay of nature and society can be understood as subject to technical mediation, opening the way for studies of the varying arrangements through which different configurations of nature and society are produced. Rather than alternative social constructions of nature, what sociologists should be at pains to analyse and question are different programmes and strategies for bringing together natural and social forces in durable combinations. In the article, the geological disposal of nuclear waste serves as a useful example for exploring the fruitfulness of the analytical framework put forward. This complex undertaking constitutes just one component in a larger field of technoscientific endeavour that has irrevocably transformed nature while simultaneously re-making society. Addressing this case, we seek to reveal the promise of a sociology that does not bound ���the social��� in advance, but rather makes the co-production of technology and society one of its most important objects of study.

Politian: a critical analysis

Why even look at Politian, an unfinished failure? While it is true that Politian was a failure for its time and surely one of Poe's least successful attempts, it may improve on a stage with a more modern perspective. If not solely for examination of Poe's artistic effort, Politian also warrants a closer read due to its historical relevance by way of Beauchamp and Sharp. Poe, a most fastidious editor of his work, was ultimately required because of financial constraints to lay aside Politian in its unfinished state. As a result, the unedited Politian may provide insight into the writing process of Poe that other polished pieces cannot, and that, if nothing else, warrants a more precise study of his play.

Peter J. Caffrey with BMCC players and coach

Peter J. Caffrey is pictured with the BMCC players and coach, winners of the Metropolitan Community College Holiday Tournament. Peter J. Caffrey was Acting President of the College from 1971-1972 and again from 1977-1978. He was Dean of the College under President Milton Bassin before his first stint as Acting President.

Copolimeros de propileno-etileno com baixos teores de etileno : estrutura, morfologia e propriedades

A estrutura b��sica predom��nante encontrada em todos os copol��meros foi a de longos blocos de polipropileno cristaliz��veis, separados por unidades isoladas de etileno, que atuaram como defeitos cristal��nos, reduzindo o grau de cristal��nidade, al��m da perfei����o e da espessura dos cristais. O gradual aumento do teor de etileno nas amostras orig��nais, at�� aproximadamente5 moI % provocou redu����o progressiva no comprimento dos blocos de propileno em ambas as fra����es cristaliz��vel e elastom��rica. Acima daquela concentra����o, o etileno mostrou por principal efeito a eleva����o do teor de borracha de etileno-propileno(EPR), reflet��ndo-seem pronunciado aumento da resist��ncia ao impacto dos copol��meros, com pouca altera����o do comprimento das seq����ncias propiJ��nicas nas fra����es cristaJiz��veJe elastom��rica. A estrutura e a morfologia da borracha EPR gerada foram analisadas, observando-se sua excepcional dispers��o na fase cont��nua cristal��na. An��lise das curvas de fus��o por DSC, utilizando-se conceitos c��n��ticos, demonstrou a exist��ncia de uma energia de ativa����o aparente de fus��o, associada �� introdu����o de unidades etil��nicas nas cadeias, e relacionada ao processo de fus��o dos cristais polim��ricos. A redu����o de cristal��nidade das amostras e o aumento de mobilidade de cadeia da fase amorfa para teores crescentes de etileno resultaram em redu����o da rigidez dos copol��meros. Propriedades ��pticas, como "haze" e brilho mostraram-se dependentesdo balan��o entre o teor de cristais e o teor de borracha. Um balan��o global das propriedades analisadas sugere uma composi����o ��tima para aplica����es t��picas de copol��meros de propileno-etileno aquela com teores de etileno entre 4 e 6 moI % (aproximadamente 3 -4 % em massa).

Foreign direct investment spillovers in Portugal: additional lessons from a country study

This paper investigates the impact of FDI on the productivity of Portuguese manufacturing sectors. Model specification is improved by considering the choice of the most appropriate interval of the technological gap for spillovers diffusion. We also allow for sectoral variation in the coefficients of the spillover effect; idiosyncratic sectoral factors are identified by means of a fixed effects model. Inter-sectoral positive spillover effects are examined. Significant spillovers require a proper technological differential between foreign and domestic producers and favourable sectoral characteristics. They may occur in modern industries in which the foreign firms have a clear, but not too sharp, edge on the domestic ones. Agglomeration effects are also one pertinent specific influence.

Is there a price puzzle in Brazil? An application of Bias-Corrected Bootstrap

Using data from the United States, Japan, Germany , United Kingdom and France, Sims (1992) found that positive innovations to shortterm interest rates led to sharp, persistent increases in the price level. The result was con��rmed by other authors and, as a consequence of its non-expectable nature, was given the name "price puzzle" by Eichenbaum (1992). In this paper I investigate the existence of a price puzzle in Brazil using the same type of estimation and benchmark identi��cation scheme employed by Christiano et al. (2000). In a methodological improvement over these studies, I qualify the results with the construction of bias-corrected bootstrap con��dence intervals. Even though the data does show the existence of a statistically signi��cant price puzzle in Brazil, it lasts for only one quarter and is quantitatively immaterial

Uma an��lise da volatilidade do PIB brasileiro

O presente trabalho analisa o comportamento da volatilidade do crescimento do produto brasileiro entre 1980 e 2008, cuja trajet��ria apresenta um decl��nio de 70% desde 1991. Atrav��s da an��lise do comportamento do PIB, de seus componentes e de seus determinantes, objetiva-se apontar as raz��es pela qual a volatilidade do crescimento caiu de forma significativa no per��odo considerado. A baixa volatilidade do crescimento do produto traz conseq����ncias positivas para o bem-estar da sociedade, para a distribui����o de renda e para o crescimento econ��mico de longo prazo. Diferentes estudos foram realizados para apontar as causas do decl��nio desta volatilidade em diversos pa��ses nas ��ltimas tr��s d��cadas, fen��meno que nos Estados Unidos passou a ser conhecido como The Great Moderation. Dados os benef��cios deste processo, entender as suas raz��es �� imprescind��vel para a formula����o de pol��ticas econ��micas que garantam a sustentabilidade da modera����o dos ciclos econ��micos. Este trabalho concentra-se nos fatores nominais (choques de demanda) para explicar o processo de redu����o da volatilidade do crescimento brasileiro. De um lado, a aus��ncia de restri����es externas ao crescimento econ��mico e o ciclo de prosperidade mundial dos ��ltimos cinco anos garantiram a contribui����o da parcela externa. Por outro lado, a condu����o de pol��ticas macroecon��micas mais s��lidas, refletindo em uma maior estabilidade de vari��veis como o n��vel de pre��os, respondem pelos fatores internos.

Exames curriculares e resultados educacionais: uma an��lise do exame nacional do ensino m��dio

Esta disserta����o avalia os efeitos do Exame Nacional do Ensino M��dio (ENEM) sobre o ensino m��dio brasileiro. Esta avalia����o baseia-se na teoria de que exames curriculares com a qualidade de gerar conseq����ncias diretas sobre os alunos, como no caso do ENEM, s��o capazes de influenciar positivamente o aprendizado dos alunos por dois canais: por aumento de seu esfor��o e pela press��o que exercem sobre professores e diretores. O presente trabalho avalia especificamente o segundo canal, sobre o qual o ENEM deve atuar por meio da divulga����o ao p��blico das notas m��dias por escola em todo o pa��s. Neste sentido, estima-se o efeito da divulga����o das notas do ENEM sobre os seguintes resultados educacionais: profici��ncia em Matem��tica e L��ngua Portuguesa no Saeb, aloca����o de insumos escolares e comportamento dos professores. Para tanto, dois m��todos s��o propostos: i) diferen��as em diferen��as, utilizando dados dos Saeb de 2005 ��� um ano antes do in��cio da divulga����o ��� e 2007 ��� um ano ap��s a primeira publica����o ��� e ii) regress��o com descontinuidade, explorando o fato de haver uma regra estrita para entrada da escola na divulga����o ��� ter ao menos 10 concluintes do ensino m��dio participando do ENEM. Os resultados mostram que o fato uma escola ter seu resultado m��dio no ENEM divulgado n��o parece influenciar o desempenho de seus alunos nem a quantidade de seus insumos escolares, por nenhum dos m��todos propostos. O m��todo de diferen��as em diferen��as aponta ainda que os professores de escolas submetidas ao tratamento dessa divulga����o parecem ter maior enfoque em atividades voltadas a resolu����o de exerc��cios e fixa����o de regras gramaticais, rea����o que �� interpretada por parte da literatura como adversa. Estes ��ltimos resultados, no entanto, podem estar refletindo apenas tend��ncias temporais preexistentes e n��o um efeito de tratamento leg��timo. Conclui-se ent��o que o ENEM n��o deve estar servindo como indutor de melhorias dos resultados educacionais via press��o dos alunos do ensino m��dio. Por��m, �� poss��vel levantar a hip��tese de que este tipo de efeito ainda pode ser captado em prazos mais longos ou para grupos de escolas diferentes das usadas na an��lise.

Bounds on functionals of the distribution treatment effects

Bounds on the distribution function of the sum of two random variables with known marginal distributions obtained by Makarov (1981) can be used to bound the cumulative distribution function (c.d.f.) of individual treatment effects. Identification of the distribution of individual treatment effects is important for policy purposes if we are interested in functionals of that distribution, such as the proportion of individuals who gain from the treatment and the expected gain from the treatment for these individuals. Makarov bounds on the c.d.f. of the individual treatment effect distribution are pointwise sharp, i.e. they cannot be improved in any single point of the distribution. We show that the Makarov bounds are not uniformly sharp. Specifically, we show that the Makarov bounds on the region that contains the c.d.f. of the treatment effect distribution in two (or more) points can be improved, and we derive the smallest set for the c.d.f. of the treatment effect distribution in two (or more) points. An implication is that the Makarov bounds on a functional of the c.d.f. of the individual treatment effect distribution are not best possible.

Foreign direct investment spillovers: what can we learn from portuguese data?

This paper investigates the impact of foreign direct investment on the productivity performance of domestic firms in Portugal. The data comprise nine manufacturing sectors for the period 1992-95. Relatively to previous studies, model specification is improved by taking into consideration several aspects: the influence of the ���technological gap��� on spill-overs diffusion and the choice of its most appropriate interval; sectoral variation in the coefficients of the spill-overs effect; identification of constant, idiosyncratic sectoral factors by means of a fixed effects model; and the search for inter-sectoral positive spillover effects. The relationship between domestic firms productivity and the foreign presence does take place in a positive way, only if a proper technology differential between the foreign and domestic producers exists and the sectoral characteristics are favourable. In broad terms, spillovers diffusion is associated to modern industries in which the foreign owned establishments have a clear, but not too sharp, edge on the domestic ones. Besides, other specific sectoral influences can be pertinent; agglomerative location factors being one example.

Foreign direct investment spillovers: additional lessons from a country study

We investigate the impact of foreign direct investment on the productivity of domestic firms, using sectoral data for Portugal. An improved analysis takes into account the most appropriate interval for the technological gap between foreign and domestic firms. Sectoral variation of spillovers, idiosyncratic sectoral factors and the search for inter-sectoral effects provide new insights on the subject. Significant spillovers require a proper technology differential between the foreign and domestic producers and favourable sectoral characteristics. Broadly, they occur in modern industries in which foreign firms have a clear, but not too sharp, edge on the domestic ones. Agglomeration effects are also identified as pertinent specific influences.

Correla����o entre achados colposc��picos e diagn��stico histol��gico segundo a Classifica����o Colposc��pica da Federa����o Internacional de Patologia Cervical e Colposcopia de 2002

Objetivo: Avaliar a acur��cia da colposcopia utilizando a Classifica����o Colposc��pica Internacional de 2002. M��todos: 3040 pacientes de popula����o geral foram rastreadas para patologia cervical atrav��s de exame citopatol��gico, captura h��brida para HPV de alto risco e inspe����o cervical. As colposcopias que resultaram em bi��psia (n=468) executadas no rastreamento e acompanhamento destas pacientes foram gravadas, revistas por dois colposcopistas cegados e inclu��das para an��lise. Resultados: Os observadores apresentaram excelente concord��ncia (Kappa=0.843) no relato dos achados pela nova nomenclatura. A colposcopia apresentou sensibilidade de 86% e especificidade de 30.3% em diferenciar colo normal de colo anormal (LSIL, HSIL ou carcinoma); quando a colposcopia objetivava diferenciar colo normal ou LSIL de HSIL ou carcinoma, apresentou sensibilidade de 61.1% e especificidade de 94.4%. Os achados colposc��picos classificados como ���maiores��� pela nova classifica����o apresentaram valores preditivos positivos elevados para HSIL. Presen��a do achado colposc��pico na zona de transforma����o e tamanho da les��o estavam associados a HSIL. Bordas externas definidas, associa����o de m��ltiplos achados distintos e presen��a de zona iodo negativa n��o estavam relacionados �� gravidade das les��es. Conclus��o: A colposcopia utilizando a Classifica����o Internacional de 2002 mostra-se um bom m��todo de rastreamento, mas como m��todo diagn��stico apresenta falhas, n��o podendo substituir a avalia����o histol��gica. A categoriza����o em achados colposc��picos ���maiores��� e ���menores��� apresentada pela nova classifica����o �� adequada. Na realiza����o da colposcopia, �� importante tamb��m que a les��o seja situada em rela����o �� zona de transforma����o e que seu tamanho seja indicado, j�� que estes foram fatores associados a les��es de alto grau.