Wie von der Tarantel gestochen – Der Tarantismus als kultureller und traditioneller Aspekt Süditaliens

Die Arbeit ist dem Tarantismus gewidmet. Es geht um die Definition, Quellen, Etymologie sowie die Beschreibung der dafür verantwortlichen Tiere und den dazugehörigen Ritualen. Aus dieser "negativen" Tradition hat sich die "Tarantella", ein süditalienischer Volkstanz entwickelt. Dieser Tanz ist heutzutage ein positives Symbol für das Land, die Leute und die Kultur.

OFDM-based schemes for next generation wireless systems

The purpose of this study is to investigate two candidate waveforms for next generation wireless systems, filtered Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (f-OFDM) and Unified Filtered Multi-Carrier (UFMC). The evaluation is done based on the power spectral density analysis of the signal and performance measurements in synchronous and asynchronous transmission. In f-OFDM we implement a soft truncated filter with length 1/3 of OFDM symbol. In UFMC we use the Dolph-Chebyshev filter, limited to the length of zero padding (ZP). The simulation results demonstrates that both waveforms have a better spectral behaviour compared with conventional OFDM. However, the induced inter-symbol interference (ISI) caused by the filter in f-OFDM, and the inter-carrier interference (ICI) induced in UFMC due to cyclic prefix (CP) reduction , should be kept under control. In addition, in a synchronous transmission case with ideal parameters, f-OFDM and UFMC appear to have similar performance with OFDM. When carrier frequency offset (CFO) is imposed in the transmission, UFMC outperforms OFDM and f-OFDM.

Photography, desire and resistance in the lives of women, following the 1979 revolution in Iran

In my last four years of PhD by practice at the Royal College of Art, I have conducted extensive research on archival photography including materials held at the Museum der Weltkulturen, Frankfurt am Main; the Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies (IICHS) , Tehran; and the International Institute of Social History (IISH), Amsterdam. My project started with the fortuitous encounter with a photograph taken by Iranian photographer Hengameh Golestan on the morning of March 8, 1979. The photograph shows women marching in the streets of Teheran in protest against the introduction of the compulsory Islamic dress code. In 1936 Reza Shah had decreed a ban on the headscarf as part oh his westernising project. Over forty years later following the 1979 Revolution, Ruhollah Khomeini reversed this decision by ordering that women should now cover their hair. This ‘found image’ presented me with a glimpse into the occulted history of my own country and the opportunity to advance towards a deeper learning and understanding of the event of March 8, 1979 a significant date in the history of feminism in Iran. In what follows I revisit the history of Iran since the 1979 revolution with a particular inflexion on the role women played in that history. However, as my project develops , I gradually move away from the socio-historical facts to investigate the legacy of the revolution on the representations of women in photography, film and literature as well as the creation of an imaginary space of self representation. To this end my writing moves constantly between the documentary, the analytical and the personal. In parallel I have made photographs and video works which are explorations of the veil as object of fascination and desire as well as symbol of repression.

Ticking Boxes: (re)constructing the wristwatch as a luxury object

Today the high-price mechanical wristwatch is recognized as a luxury object redolent with notions of adventure, sporting achievement, elevated social status, and technical precision. Through an examination of the segmentation of the current luxury wristwatch market and key moments in the historical development of the wristwatch, this article will explain why these connotations exist. In particular, the article will explain the role that the early development of the wristwatch as a piece of military technical equipment and the mechanical wristwatch’s revitalization as a luxury good in response to the development of commercial quartz timekeeping technology have played in reconstructing the wristwatch as an object type. By utilizing network theory and the analytical tool of complexity, and drawing on fieldwork undertaken in London and Switzerland amongst the manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and consumers of high-value wristwatches, the article will explain how the wristwatch can simultaneously be seen as functional tool, fashion statement, status symbol, and anachronism. This insight into the true nature of the wristwatch as a multivalent and semiotically charged object will also be used to inform reflections on the likely impact of generally perceived current threats to the luxury watch industry: the rise in ethical material sourcing campaigns, the stubborn gender imbalance in watch sales, and the recent appearance of smart watches and similar digital devices.

La invocación de los antepasados en "De divinatione" y "De natura deorum" de Cicerón. "Religio e identidad" romana a fines de la república

La invocación del ideal del mos maiorum, entendido como conjunto de virtudes o rasgos ejemplares de los romanos, ha sido estudiada repetidamente en los textos de Cicerón. Analiza el tópico en relación con la discusión en torno a la identidad romana en textos del siglo I a.C. y delimita tres empleos diferentes: uno al que define como típicamente aristocrático, referido a la ascendencia noble de un individuo en particular; un segundo uso que, en vez de individualizar, amalgama a todos los ancestros en un mismo conjunto y establece una continuidad entre pasado y presente; finalmente, una tercera modalidad que propone una ruptura total entre el mundo de los antepasados y el de los contemporáneos. En este trabajo indagaremos el funcionamiento de este tópico en De diuinatione y De natura deorum de Cicerón. Desde nuestro punto de vista, el ideal del mos maiorum no solamente involucra virtudes éticas y morales sino que también supone una especial actitud con respecto a los dioses y el culto que resulta central en la definición de la identidad romana.

The Genesis Of The Mycenaean Citadel: A Philosophical Quest For The Origins Of The Architectural Forms

This thesis deals with the origins of the architectural forms as expressed in the Homeric Mycenaean citadel. The Genesis of the Mycenaean Citadel is a philosophical quest which reveals the poetic dimension of the Mycenaean architecture. The Introduction deals with general theories on the subject of space, which converge into one, forming the spinal idea of the thesis. The ‘process of individuation’, the process by which a person becomes ‘in-dividual’ that is a separate, indivisible unity or ‘whole’, is a process of transformation and renewal which at collective level takes place within the citadel. This is built on the archetype which expresses both the nature of the soul as a microcosm and of the divinely ordered Cosmos. The confrontation of the rational ‘ego’ with the unconscious is the process which brings us to the ‘self’, that organising center of the human psyche which is symbolised through the centre of the citadel. . Chapter I refers to ‘the Archetype of the Mycenaean citadel’. The Mycenaean citadel, which is built on a certain pattern of placement and orientation in relation to landscape formations, reproduces images which belong to the category of the ‘archetypal mother’. On the other hand, its adjustment to a central point with ‘high’ significance, recalls the archetypal image of Shiva-Shakti. The citadel realises the concept of a Kantian ‘One-all embracing space’; it is a cosmogonic symbol but also a philosophical one. Chapter II examines the column in its dual meaning, which is expressed in one structure; column and capital unite within their symbolism the conscious and unconscious contents of the human psyche and express the archetype of wholeness and goal of the individuation process. 33 Chapter III is a philosophical research into the ‘symbolism of the triangle’, the sacred Pythagorean symbol which expresses certain cosmological beliefs about the relation between human nature and the divinely ordered Cosmos. The triangular slab over the Lion Gate is a representation of the Dionysiac ‘palingenesia’, that is the continuity of One life, which was central to the Mycenaean religion. Chapter IV deals with the tripartite ‘megaron’. The circular hearth within the four-columned hall expresses the ‘quaternity of the One’, one of the oldest religious symbols of humanity. Zeus is revealed in the ‘fiery monadic unit-cubit’ as an all-embracing god next to goddess Hestia, symbolised by the circular hearth. The ‘megaron’ expresses the alchemical quaternity and the triad but also the psychological stages of development in the process towards wholeness. In the Conclusions it is emphasised that the Mycenaean citadel was created as if in a repetition of a cosmogony. It is a ‘mandala’, the universal image which is identified with God-image in man. Moreover it is built in order to be experienced by its citizen in the process of his psychological transformation towards the ‘self’, the divine element within the psyche which unites with the divinely ordered Cosmos

Investigating Links Between Intimacy and Violence in Intensive Psychotherapy

This research examines links between intimacy and violence within the transference relationship of a three year old boy during intensive psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic clinical findings are used to examine triggers to violence that initially appeared to link with moments of emotional warmth. The research uses a retrospective single case study design. The clinical data cover a period of transition in the child's life from being a 'looked after child' in foster care to being adopted. There was a history of early trauma from neglect and domestic abuse. Clinical process notes from supervised sessions were coded using an adapted grounded theory approach to reveal complex interlinking themes of intimacy, violence, Oedipal issues, control and difficulties regulating affect. Data in this study show how intimacy and violence are linked when there is evidence of a separation between the self and the object of intimacy. Explosive violence is triggered by the threat of loss of the object and the rage is, at times directed towards the object of intimacy. The findings of this study support concepts identified by earlier research in the field about the impact of a lack of maternal containment on innate violence, associated struggles with the Oedipal complex and the impact upon the capacity for symbol formation and thinking. However, the research findings challenge Glasser's (1979) theory of the 'core complex' that suggests that intimacy triggers violence. The results of this research indicate that it is the threat to the loss of intimacy as a result of separation from the object that is the trigger to violence. I believe this study may, in a modest way, further understanding about links between violence and intimacy in human relationships. This may help other child psychotherapists be alert to certain dangers when dealing with violence in the therapy room.

Visualising Spaces: The Illustrated Map as a Mode of Communicating Fact, Fiction and Feeling

Communicating thoughts, facts and narratives through visual devices such as allegory or symbolism was fundamental to early map making and this remains the case with contemporary illustration. Drawing was employed then as a way of describing historic narratives (fact and folklore) through the convenience of a drawn symbol or character. The map creators were visionaries, depicting known discoveries and anticipating what existed beyond the agreed boundaries. As we now have photographic and virtual reality maps at our disposal, how can illustration develop the language of what a map is and can be? How can we break the rules of map design and yet still communicate the idea of a sense of place with the aim to inform, excite and/or educate the ‘traveller’? As Illustrators we need to question the purpose of creating a ‘map’: what do we want to communicate and is representational image making the only way to present information of a location? Is creating a more personal interpretation a form of cartouche, reminiscent of elements within the Hereford Mappa Mundi and maps of Blaeu, and can this improve/hinder the communicative aspect of the map? Looking at a variety of historical and contemporary illustrated maps and artists (such as Grayson Perry), who track their journeys through drawing, both conventional journeys and emotional, I will aim to prove that the illustrated map is not mere decoration but is a visual language providing an allegorical response to tangible places and personal feelings.

Religión y sociedad en la Granada cristiana: la Cruz de Mayo

The celebration of the Cruz of May – based on a fact for which tradition and the Legendi di Sancti Vulgari Storiado (Jacopo da Varazze, circa 1264) were possibly more relevant than history itself and extended by the ecclesiastical authority as a means of increasing faith – was accepted by people and was transformed into a social feast and an expression for local or social identity, which lead to peculiar rivalries amongst neighborhoods or streets. They had the aim to hold the best Cruz, leaving aside the feasts initial religious character. If the cross was, until the death of Christ, an instrument of martyrdom holding negative connotations (death, infamy, barbarism, etc.), it eventually transformed into a symbol of Christianity, a sign of triumph and everything related to Christ, and subsequently into a source of celebration and social festivity.

El pueblo y los libros: prácticas de apropiación e intención editorial

Common people and books seem to be opposed terms. On the one hand books are usually the symbol of culture; on the other hand the culture of the Volk did not used to be a literate one. This article reviews the relation between both terms from the 16th to the 19th Century and shows that it is not possible to separate both terms, because the different ways of appropriation allow people to 'read' books in many different ways.

A Lorentzian Signature Model for Quantum General Relativity

We give a relativistic spin network model for quantum gravity based on the Lorentz group and its q-deformation, the Quantum Lorentz Algebra. We propose a combinatorial model for the path integral given by an integral over suitable representations of this algebra. This generalises the state sum models for the case of the four-dimensional rotation group previously studied in gr-qc/9709028. As a technical tool, formulae for the evaluation of relativistic spin networks for the Lorentz group are developed, with some simple examples which show that the evaluation is finite in interesting cases. We conjecture that the `10J' symbol needed in our model has a finite value.

Computer-aided tool for the teaching of relational algebra in data base courses

This article describes the design and implementation of computer-aided tool called Relational Algebra Translator (RAT) in data base courses, for the teaching of relational algebra. There was a problem when introducing the relational algebra topic in the course EIF 211 Design and Implementation of Databases, which belongs to the career of Engineering in Information Systems of the National University of Costa Rica, because students attending this course were lacking profound mathematical knowledge, which led to a learning problem, being this an important subject to understand what the data bases search and request do RAT comes along to enhance the teaching-learning process.It introduces the architectural and design principles required for its implementation, such as: the language symbol table, the gramatical rules and the basic algorithms that RAT uses to translate from relational algebra to SQL language. This tool has been used for one periods and has demonstrated to be effective in the learning-teaching process.  This urged investigators to publish it in the web site: www.slinfo.una.ac.cr in order for this tool to be used in other university courses.

Connecting: the use of information and communication technologies by older adults in a retirement community

This is a long-term study of the use of information and communication technologies by 30 older adults (ages 70–97) living in a large retirement community. The study spanned the years of 1996 to 2008, during which time the research participants grappled with the challenges of computer use while aging 12 years. The researcher, herself a ‘mature learner,’ used a qualitative research design which included observations and open-ended interviews. Using a strategy of “intermittent immersion,” she spent an average of two weeks per visit on site and participated in the lives of the research population in numerous ways, including service as their computer tutor. With e-mail and telephone contact, she was able to continue her interactions with participants throughout the 12-year period. A long-term perspective afforded the view of the evolution, devolution or cessation of the technology use by these older adults, and this process is chronicled in detail through five individual “profiles.” Three research questions dominated the inquiry: What function do computers serve in the lives of older adults? Does computer use foster or interfere with social ties? Is social support necessary for success in the face of challenging learning tasks? In answer to the first question, it became clear that computers were valued as a symbol of competence and intelligence. Some individuals brought their computers with them when transferred to the single-room residences of assisted living or nursing care facilities. Even when use had ceased, their computers were displayed to signal that their owners were or had once been keeping up to date. In answer to the second question, computer owners socialized around computing use (with in-person family members or friends) more than, or as much as, they socialized through their computers in the digital realm of the Internet. And in answer to the third question, while the existence of social support did facilitate computer exploration, more important was the social support network generated and developed among fellow computer users.

New Directions in Commercial Secrecy and Encryption Protocols

Secure transmission of bulk data is of interest to many content providers. A commercially-viable distribution of content requires technology to prevent unauthorised access. Encryption tools are powerful, but have a performance cost. Without encryption, intercepted data may be illicitly duplicated and re-sold, or its commercial value diminished because its secrecy is lost. Two technical solutions make it possible to perform bulk transmissions while retaining security without too high a performance overhead. These are: 1. a) hierarchical encryption - the stronger the encryption, the harder it is to break but also the more computationally expensive it is. A hierarchical approach to key exchange means that simple and relatively weak encryption and keys are used to encrypt small chunks of data, for example 10 seconds of video. Each chunk has its own key. New keys for this bottom-level encryption are exchanged using a slightly stronger encryption, for example a whole-video key could govern the exchange of the 10-second chunk keys. At a higher level again, there could be daily or weekly keys, securing the exchange of whole-video keys, and at a yet higher level, a subscriber key could govern the exchange of weekly keys. At higher levels, the encryption becomes stronger but is used less frequently, so that the overall computational cost is minimal. The main observation is that the value of each encrypted item determines the strength of the key used to secure it. 2. b) non-symbolic fragmentation with signal diversity - communications are usually assumed to be sent over a single communications medium, and the data to have been encrypted and/or partitioned in whole-symbol packets. Network and path diversity break up a file or data stream into fragments which are then sent over many different channels, either in the same network or different networks. For example, a message could be transmitted partly over the phone network and partly via satellite. While TCP/IP does a similar thing in sending different packets over different paths, this is done for load-balancing purposes and is invisible to the end application. Network and path diversity deliberately introduce the same principle as a secure communications mechanism - an eavesdropper would need to intercept not just one transmission path but all paths used. Non-symbolic fragmentation of data is also introduced to further confuse any intercepted stream of data. This involves breaking up data into bit strings which are subsequently disordered prior to transmission. Even if all transmissions were intercepted, the cryptanalyst still needs to determine fragment boundaries and correctly order them. These two solutions depart from the usual idea of data encryption. Hierarchical encryption is an extension of the combined encryption of systems such as PGP but with the distinction that the strength of encryption at each level is determined by the "value" of the data being transmitted. Non- symbolic fragmentation suppresses or destroys bit patterns in the transmitted data in what is essentially a bit-level transposition cipher but with unpredictable irregularly-sized fragments. Both technologies have applications outside the commercial and can be used in conjunction with other forms of encryption, being functionally orthogonal.

Stout Whiting Fishery Summary : Commercial Quota Setting for 2017

This fishery assessment report describes the commercial stout whiting fishery operation along Australia’s east coast between Sandy Cape and the Queensland-New South Wales border. The fishery is identified by a T4 symbol. This study follows methods applied in (O'Neill & Leigh, 2016a) and extends the results of that study by using the latest data available up to end of March 2016. The fishery statistics reported herein are for fishing years 1991 to 2016. This study analysed stout whiting catch rates from both Queensland and New South Wales (NSW) for all vessels, areas and fishing gears. The 2016 catch rate index from Queensland and NSW waters was 0.86. This means that the 2016 catch rate index was 86% of the mean standardised catch rate. Results showed that there was a stable trend in catch rates from 2012 to 2016, as in the previous study (O'Neill & Leigh, 2016a), with the 2015 and 2014 catch rates 85% of the mean catch rate. The fish-length frequency and age-length-otolith data were translated using two models which showed: • Where patterns of fish age-abundance were estimated from the fish-length frequency and age-length data, there were slightly decreased estimated measures of fish survival at 38% for 2014, compared to fish survival estimates in 2013 at 40%. The 2014 and 2015 estimated age structure was dominated by 1+ and 2+ old fished, with a slightly higher frequency of age 2 - 3 fish for 2015. • Where only the age-length data were used, estimates showed that from 2011 to 2014 the survival index increased. The estimated survival index increased from 35% in 2013 to 64% in 2014, indicating stronger survival of fish as they recruited and aged. Together the stout whiting catch rate and survival indicators showed the recent fishery harvests were sustainable. Since 1997, T4 management (Stout Whiting Fishery) is centred on annual assessments of total allowable commercial catch (TACC). The TACC is assessed before the start of each fishing year using statistical assessment methodologies, namely evaluation of trends in fish catch rates and catch-at-age frequencies measured against management reference points. The TACC has been under-caught in many years. For setting the 2017 T4 stout whiting TACC, the calculations covered a range of settings to account for the variance in the data and provide options for quota change. The overall (averaged) results suggested: • The procedure where the quota was adjusted based on previous TACC setting in year 2016 gave a recommended TACC for 2017 of between 1100 and 1130 t. • The procedure that focussed directly on optimising the average harvest to match target reference points gave a recommended TACC for 2017 of between 860 and 890 t. Use of these estimates to set TACC will depend on management and industry aims for the fishery.