Some aspects of history of Indian mathematics in 18th and early 19th century

This thesis is an attempt to throw light on the works of some Indian Mathematicians who wrote in Arabic or persian In the Introductory Chapter on outline of general history of Mathematics during the eighteenth Bnd nineteenth century has been sketched. During that period there were two streams of Mathematical activity. On one side many eminent scholers, who wrote in Sanskrit, .he l d the field as before without being much influenced by other sources. On the other side there were scholars whose writings were based on Arabic and Persian text but who occasionally drew upon other sources also.

Silk and ink. What were silk wallets, and what can they, together with Jacobina Charlotta Munterhjelm’s diary, tell us about the gentry women’s lives in the 18th and 19th century?

The subject of this thesis is the elaborate silk wallets and what can they tell about the gentry women’s lives in the 18th and 19th century Finland together Jacobina Charlotta Munsterhjelm’s diary. Silk wallets were made of silk and decorated by embroidering, they were used to preserve memorabilia and letters. Making these lavish items took time, skills and materials, and the decorations usually contained symbols and messages. As main source there are silk wallets from the collections of the National Museum of Finland and Satakunta Museum, as well as the diary of Jacobina Munsterhjelm from 1799 to 1801. By interpreting these items we can build a picture of gentry women’s lives. The culture of silk wallets is European, the silk wallet phenomenon studied is Swedish-Finnish, and the research is limited mainly in Finland by its sources. This research has been carried out by constructing a cultural context to the silk wallets with the help of Ginzburg’s methods from his work Juusto ja madot - 1500-luvun myllärin maailmankuva. Silk wallets represent the gentry as well as the communication culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, but have remained unstudied. The thesis consists of two parts, the first focuses on the silk wallets, from where were they developed, how they were made, and to their decorations. The silk wallet culture developed among the gentry handicrafts during the 18th century and faded during the early 20th century. The making of the silk wallets demanded time, skills and materials. The decorations contain messages and symbols – they contain the possible affections the makers might have toward the receiver, and reflect the status and qualities of the receiver. The second part examines the makers, the gentry women, and the handicraft culture which played a big role in their lives, through silk wallets and the diary of Jacobina Munstehjelm. From there it continues to the affections and meanings which can be found from the silk wallets.

Perpetual motion; comprising a history of the efforts to attain self-motive mechanism, with a classified, illustrated, collection and explanation of the devices whereby it has been sought and why they failed, and comprising also a revision and re-arrangement of the information afforded by "Search for self-motive power during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries," London, 1861, and "A history of the search for self-motive power from the 13th to the 19th century," London, 1870, by Henry Dircks ...

Mode of access: Internet.

Evidence for tuberculosis in 18th/19th century slaves in Anse Sainte-Marguerite (Guadeloupe - French Western Indies)

During the American colonization in the 18th and 19th century, Africans were captured and shipped to America. Harsh living and working conditions often led to chronic diseases and high mortality rates. Slaves in the Caribbean were forced to work mainly on sugar plantations. They were buried in cemeteries like Anse Sainte-Marguerite on the isle of Grande-Terre (Guadeloupe) which was examined by archaeologists and physical anthropologists. Morphological studies on osseous remains of 148 individuals revealed 15 cases with signs for bone tuberculosis and a high frequency of periosteal reactions which indicates early stages of the disease. 11 bone samples from these cemeteries were analysed for ancient DNA. The samples were extracted with established procedures and examined for the cytoplasmic multicopy β-actin gene and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex DNA (IS 6110) by PCR. An amplification product for M. tuberculosis with the size of 123 bp was obtained. Sequencing confirmed the result. This study shows evidence of M. tuberculosis complex DNA in a Caribbean slave population.

Physical activity during pregnancy and fetal outcomes: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between physical activity during the second trimester pregnancy and low birth weight, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. METHODS: Case-control study including 273 low birth weight newborns and 546 controls carried out in the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. Low birth weight cases were grouped into two subsamples: preterm birth (n=117) and intrauterine growth restriction (n=134), with their related controls. Information was collected by means of interviews with mothers shortly after birth and transcription of medical records. Data were analyzed using conditional multiple and hierarchical logistic regression. RESULTS: Light physical activity for over 7 hours per day was shown to be protective against low birth weight (adjusted OR=0.61; 95% CI 0.39-0.94) with a dose-response relationship (p-value for trend=0.026). A similar trend was found for intrauterine growth restriction (adjusted OR=0.51; 95% CI 0.26-0.97). Homemaking activities were associated as a protective factor for both low birth weight and preterm birth (p-value for trend=0.013 and 0.035, respectively). Leisure-time walking was found to be protective against preterm birth. CONCLUSIONS: Mild physical activity during the second trimester of pregnancy such as walking has an independent protective effect on low birth weight, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction.

Impact of compliance with different guidelines on physical activity during pregnancy and perceived barriers to leisure physical activity

The aims of the this prospective study were to analyze physical activity (PA) engagement during the first and second trimesters, considering the different guidelines published on PA, to document the individual characteristics associated with the accomplishment of these guidelines and to examine pregnant women’s perceived barriers to leisure PA, using a socioecological framework. A sample of 133 pregnant women in two stages – at 10–12 weeks’ gestation (T1) and 20– 22 weeks’ gestation (T2) – were evaluated. PA was assessed by accelerometry during the T1 and T2 evaluation stages. Socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors and barriers to leisure PA were assessed via questionnaire. A large proportion of women (ranging from 32% to 96%) did not reach the levels of PA recommended by the guidelines. There were no significant differences between T1 and T2 with regard to compliance with PA recommendations. A decrease in PA levels from T1 to T2 was noted for all recommendations. No associations were found between participants’ characteristics and adherence to the recommendations in T1 and T2. No significant differences were found in barriers to leisure PA between T1 and T2. The most commonly reported barriers to leisure PA were intrapersonal, not health related. Our results indicate that there were no differences between trimesters regarding compliance of PA recommendations, and perceived barriers were similar in both trimesters.

Association between rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep and masticatory myofascial pain: A polysomnographic study

Aims: To test for an association between rhythmic masticatory muscle activity during sleep, as assessed according to polysomnographic criteria for sleep bruxism (RMMA-SB), and myofascial pain (MFP), as well as the chance of occurrence of MFP in patients with RMMA-SB. Methods: Thirty MFP patients (diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders) and 30 age- and gender-matcbed asymptomatic controls underwent a polysomnographic examination. Also, any self-reporting of daytime clenching (DC) was registered in 58 of these subjects. Results: Most MFP patients reported mild or moderate pain (46.67% and 43.33%, respectively), and only 3 (10%) reported severe pain. Pain duration ranged from 2 to 120 months (mean 34.67 +/- 36.96 months). Significant associations were observed between RMMA-SB and MFP as well as between DC and MFP. Conclusions: (1) RMMA-SB is significantly associated with MFP; (2) although RMMA-SB represents a risk factor for MFP, this risk is low; and (3) DC probably constitutes a stronger risk factor for MFP than RMMA-SB.

Metalloproteinases 2 and-9 activity during promotion and progression stages of rat liver carcinogenesis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of occlusal splint thickness on electrical masticatory muscle activity during rest and clenching

The extent of separation between the maxillary and mandibular teeth in the fabrication of interocclusal splints designed to achieve efficiency and muscle relaxation is controversial and undefined in the literature. Based on this premise, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interocclusal splint thicknesses of 3 and 6 millimeters on the electrical activity of the anterior temporal and masseter muscles during rest and dental clenching. Twenty asymptomatic individuals (10 males and 10 females) were selected using the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC). Electromyography (EMG) was performed both with and without the 3- and 6-mm splints using the Bio EMG software package, which recorded values given in microvolts (mu V). The results, which were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to a 5% significance level (p < 0.05), showed increased electrical activity of the masticatory muscles during dental clenching compared with at rest, with greater activity in the masseter muscle. The electrical activity did not differ according to the thickness of the splints or between males and females. We can conclude that both splint thicknesses are effective in treating muscle hyperactivity given their similar clinical behavior for asymptomatic individuals.

The acute effects of static stretching on peak force, peak rate of force development and muscle activity during single- and multiple-joint actions in older women

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Foucauldian Panopticism: The Gaze in Selected 19th Century Literature

Throughout history, women have often been perceived as hysterical and weak. This perception has been reflected through the representation of women in literature which has resulted in a limited scope of female normality and morality creating characteristics fundamentally different than male characters. Though these characteristics have been contributed as natural female characteristics, the theories of Jeremy Bentham, a 18th and 19th century Englishman, can be applied as a possible reason for these reactions. Bentham’s Panopticon, the theory of punishment wherein a constant unseen gaze peers at inmates theoretically creating paranoia and psychological breakdown, creates characteristics similar to those that women in literature seem to exhibit. In this paper, I will outline the characteristics of three various characters in novels. First, I will review the Panoptic literature that has been written on The Woman in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, then I will conduct my own analysis on The Governess in Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre . In this analysis, I will consider the “gaze,” the symbolic Panopticon implemented by society, and argue how characteristics present in stereotypical representations of women are not inherent in women due to gender or sex, but because women are most objectified and thereby most affected by the Panoptic gaze of society.