Fear and manipulation in George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four and Alan Moores V for Vendetta

O objetivo desta dissertação é analisar a questão da política do medo e das várias formas de manipulação da realidade encontradas nas narrativa de 1984 (1949), de George Orwell, assim como na narrativa gráfica de V de Vingança tanto na sua versão em quadrinhos, de Alan Moore (1982-88), quanto na sua adaptação cinematográfica, escrita pelos Wachowskis (2005). Em particular, tenta demonstrar similaridades nas técnicas usadas, assim como na análise dos personagens, procurando embasar certos questionamentos com a ajuda de filósofos políticos, estudos de psicologia, culturais, e distópicos. Ao final, este trabalho tenta identificar a importância da influência dos autores estudados, assim como outros autores distópicos, na criação e desenvolvimento de uma nova geração social de mentalidade inconformista

Surveillance in Nineteen Eighty-Four : The Dismantling of Privacy in Oceania

The purpose of this essay is to analyze how certain elements of panopticism manage to dismantle the notion of privacy in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. By reading the text through a lens of panopticism, a theory introduced by Jeremy Bentham, I give examples on how the surveillance methods used by the Party share similarities with the system of surveillance within a Panoptic prison, but also in what ways that they differ. In the end, it is obvious that the society of Oceania cannot be considered to be a complete Panopticon, although several elements of panopticism are present within the text and that they dismantle the aspect of privacy in the novel. 

Studio portrait of Nanny Stern (Oberglen) at eighty-four years old; Frankfurt.

Grandmother of Fred Herz; Born 27 September 1845, died 9 May 1929

Studio portrait of Nanny Stern (Oberglen) at eighty-four years old; Frankfurt.

Grandmother of Fred Herz; Born 27 September 1845, died 9 May 1929

The history of the lives of Abeillard and Heloisa : comprising a period of eighty-four years from 1079 to 1163 : with their genuine letters from the collection of Amboise /

The letters (v.2, p. [233]-368) are in English and Latin.

Eighty-four studies for the piano /

Mode of access: Internet.

Three hundred and eighty-four laparotomies for various diseases, with tables showing the results of the operations and the subsequent history of the patients. A resumé of the writer's experience in abdominal surgery during the last fifteen years.

Includes tables.

Entering dystopia, entering Erewhon

Abandon hope all ye who enter here: a society cannot be truly dystopian if travellers can come and go freely. Anti-utopias and 'satirical utopias' - that is, societies considered perfect by their advocates but not by the implied reader - must be well-regulated enough to prevent the possible disruption caused by a visitor. There is no exit at all from the classic twentieth-century dystopias, which end either in an actual death, like that of the Savage in Huxley's Brave New World (1932), or in a spiritual death like Winston Smith's in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). Any glimmers of hope that the protagonist may have felt are quickly destroyed.

Fictional endstates

Studies the intellectual in power striving to realise the universal State or Empire. Examines this theme through the medium of four fictional narratives: Yevgeny Zamyatin's We, Aldous Huxley's Brave new world, Arthur Koestler's Heart of darkness, and George Orwell's Nineteen eighty-four. The hypothesis of the inquiry is that all four of these texts provide fictional redescriptions of a crisis of confidence in the Enlightenment ideal of progress.

The power of language and the language of power in M. T. Anderson’s Feed and Gary Stheyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story. A comparative analysis

The aim of my dissertation is to analyze how selected elements of language are addressed in two contemporary dystopias, Feed by M. T. Anderson (2002) and Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (2010). I chose these two novels because language plays a key role in both of them: both are primarily focused on the pervasiveness of technology, and on how the use/abuse of technology affects language in all its forms. In particular, I examine four key aspects of language: books, literacy, diary writing, as well as oral language. In order to analyze how the aforementioned elements of language are dealt with in Feed and Super Sad True Love Story, I consider how the same aspects of language are presented in a sample of classical dystopias selected as benchmarks: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin (1921), Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1932), Animal Farm (1945) and Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) by George Orwell, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1952), and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1986). In this way, I look at how language, books, literacy, and diaries are dealt with in Anderson’s Feed and in Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story, both in comparison with the classical dystopias as well as with one another. This allows for an analysis of the similarities, as well as the differences, between the two novels. The comparative analysis carried out also takes into account the fact that the two contemporary dystopias have different target audiences: one is for young adults (Feed), whereas the other is for adults (Super Sad True Love Story). Consequently, I also consider whether further differences related to target readers affect differences in how language is dealt with. Preliminary findings indicate that, despite their different target audiences, the linguistic elements considered are addressed in the two novels in similar ways.

Wegener's granulomatosis in Finland in 1981-2000

Objectives: Wegener s granulomatosis (WG) is a vasculitis with a predilection for the airways and kidneys. An increasing incidence and improved prognosis of WG has been shown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical presentation, diagnostic delay, risk of dialysis-dependent renal insufficiency and mortality of WG in 1981-2000. Patients and methods: Data was retrieved from the Finnish hospital discharge register and hospital case reports. Patients diagnosed with WG in 1981-2000 were included, and their demographic and clinical data recorded. The patients were crossed with the national kidney dialysis register and the national mortality statistics. Results: A total of 492 patients (243 ♂ , 249 ♀) were diagnosed at a mean age of 54 years (SD 18). The incidence increased from 1.9 to 9.3/ million/ year. The median diagnostic delay decreased from 17 to 4 months. Patients presented most often with symptoms of the ear, nose and throat (ENT) (45%), lung (36%), musculoskeletal system (22%) and kidney (11%). Initial lung involvement, constitutional symptoms, high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high ELK scores [(number of simultaneously involved organ groups (ENT, Lung, Kidney)] were associated with a shorter diagnostic delay. Medical treatment of WG patients remained similar in the 1980s and 1990s. Almost 90% of patients received cyclophosphamide (CYC) and more than 90% glucocorticoid medication at some point during the course of the disease. Eighty-four patients (17%) needed dialysis. Initial renal involvement and elevated serum creatinine values were related to an increased risk of dialysis-dependent kidney disease. In two-thirds of the patients, renal impairment was reversible. Dialysis became chronic (>3 months) in 32 patients (6.5%). Nineteen patients (3.9%) received a kidney transplant. Altogether 203 patients (99 men, 104 women) died before 30 June 2005. WG was the underlying cause of death in 37%. The crude one-year and five-year survival rates were 83.3% and 74.2%, respectively. The standardized mortality ratio was 3.43 (95% CI = 2.98 to 3.94). Older age and elevated creatinine level at diagnosis predicted shorter survival. ENT symptoms at presentation and treatment with CYC were associated with better outcome. There was no additional risk associated with male gender or with either of the decades (1981-1990 and 1991-2000) Conclusions: In 1981-2000, the incidence of WG increased ca. 4.5-fold and diagnostic delay decreased to ca. one-fourth, reflecting increased recognition of the disease and improved diagnostic means. WG patients are at great risk of developing dialysis-dependent renal insufficiency and an increased risk of dying. During the study period the treatment of WG did not change markedly, nor did the prognosis improve.

Treatment times of Class II malocclusion: four premolar and non-extraction protocols

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the treatment times of Class II division 1 malocclusion subjects treated with four first premolar extractions or a non- extraction protocol and fixed edgewise appliances. Eighty- four patients were selected and divided into two groups. Group 1, treated with four first premolar extractions, consisted of 48 patients (27 males and 21 females) with a mean age of 13.03 years and group 2, treated without extractions, consisted of 36 patients (18 males and 18 females) with a mean age of 13.13 years. Group 2 was subdivided into two subgroups, 2A consisting of 16 patients treated in one phase and 2B consisting of 20 patients treated in two phases. The initial and final Treatment Priority Index (TPI), initial ages, initial mandibular crowding, and treatment times of groups 1 and 2 were compared with t- tests. These variables were also compared between group 1 and the subgroups with analysis of variance followed by Tukey's tests. The treatment times for groups 1 and 2 and subgroups 2A and 2B were 2.36, 2.47, 2.25, and 2.64 years, respectively, which were not significantly different. Treatment times with non-extraction and four premolar extraction protocols are similar.

Characterisation of mesenchymal cells from osteophytes in osteoarthritis

Osteophytes form through the process of chondroid metamorphosis of fibrous tissue followed by endochondral ossification. Osteophytes have been found to consist of three different mesenchymal tissue regions including endochondral bone formation within cartilage residues, intra-membranous bone formation within fibrous tissue and bone formation within bone marrow spaces. All these features provide evidence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) involvement in osteophyte formation; nevertheless, it remains to be characterised. MSC from numerous mesenchymal tissues have been isolated but bone marrow remains the “ideal” due to the ease of ex vivo expansion and multilineage potential. However, the bone marrow stroma has a relatively low number of MSC, something that necessitates the need for long-term culture and extensive population doublings in order to obtain a sufficient number of cells for therapeutic applications. MSC in vitro have limited proliferative capacity and extensive passaging compromises differentiation potential. To overcome this barrier, tissue derived MSC are of strong interest for extensive study and characterisation, with a focus on their potential application in therapeutic tissue regeneration. To date, no MSC type cell has been isolated from osteophyte tissue, despite this tissue exhibiting all the hallmark features of a regenerative tissue. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate and characterise cells from osteophyte tissues in relation to their phenotype, differentiation potential, immuno-modulatory properties, proliferation, cellular ageing, longevity and chondrogenesis in in vitro defect model in comparison to patient matched bone marrow stromal cells (bMSC). Osteophyte derived cells were isolated from osteophyte tissue samples collected during knee replacement surgery. These cells were characterised by the expression of cell surface antigens, differentiation potential into mesenchymal lineages, growth kinetics and modulation of allo-immune responses. Multipotential stem cells were identified from all osteophyte samples namely osteophyte derived mesenchymal stem cells (oMSC). Extensively expanded cell cultures (passage 4 and 9 respectively) were used to confirm cytogenetic stability and study signs of cellular aging, telomere length and telomerase activity. Cultured cells at passage 4 were used to determine 84 pathway focused stem cell related gene expression profile. Micro mass pellets were cultured in chondrogenic differentiation media for 21 days for phenotypic and chondrogenic related gene expression. Secondly, cell pellets differentiated overnight were placed into articular cartilage defects and cultured for further 21 days in control medium and chondrogenic medium to study chondrogenesis and cell behaviour. The surface antigen expression of oMSC was consistent with that of mesenchymal stem cells, such as lacking the haematopoietic and common leukocyte markers (CD34, CD45) while expressing those related to adhesion (CD29, CD166, CD44) and stem cells (CD90, CD105, CD73). The proliferation capacity of oMSC in culture was superior to that of bMSC, and they readily differentiated into tissues of the mesenchymal lineages. oMSC also demonstrated the ability to suppress allogeneic T-cell proliferation, which was associated with the expression of tryptophan degrading enzyme indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO). Cellular aging was more prominent in late passage bMSC than in oMSC. oMSC had longer telomere length in late passages compared with bMSC, although there was no significant difference in telomere lengths in the early passages in either cell type. Telomerase activity was detectable only in early passage oMSC and not in bMSC. In osteophyte tissues telomerase positive cells were found to be located peri vascularly and were Stro-1 positive. Eighty-four pathway-focused genes were investigated and only five genes (APC, CCND2, GJB2, NCAM and BMP2) were differentially expressed between bMSC and oMSC. Chondrogenically induced micro mass pellets of oMSC showed higher staining intensity for proteoglycans, aggrecan and collagen II. Differential expression of chondrogenic related genes showed up regulation of Aggrecan and Sox 9 in oMSC and collagen II in bMSC. The in vitro defect models of oMSC in control medium showed rounded and aggregated cells staining positively for proteoglycan and presence of some extracellular matrix. In contrast, defects with bMSC showed fragmentation and loss of cells, fibroblast-like cell morphology staining positively for proteoglycans. For defects maintained in chondrogenic medium, rounded, aggregated and proteoglycan positive cells were found in both oMSC and bMSC cultures. Extracellular matrix and cellular integration into newly formed matrix was evident only in oMSC defects. For analysis of chondrocyte hypertrophy, strong expression of type X collagen could be noticed in the pellet cultures and transplanted bMSC. In summary, this study demonstrated that osteophyte derived cells had similar properties to mesenchymal stem cells in the expression of antigen phenotype, differential potential and suppression of allo-immune response. Furthermore, when compared to bMSC, oMSC maintained a higher proliferative capacity due to a retained level of telomerase activity in vitro, which may account for the relatively longer telomeres delaying growth arrest by replicative senescence compared with bMSC. oMSC behaviour in defects supported chondrogenesis which implies that cells derived from regenerative tissue can be an alternative source of stem cells and have a potential clinical application for therapeutic stem cell based tissue regeneration.

Sri Lanka in global medical research: a scientific analysis of the Sri Lankan research output during 2000-2009

Background Scientific research is an essential component in guiding improvements in health systems. There are no studies examining the Sri Lankan medical research output at international level. The present study evaluated the Sri Lankan research performance in medicine as reflected by the research publications output between years 2000-2009. Methods This study was based on Sri Lankan medical research publication data, retrieved from the SciVerse Scopus® from January 2000 to December 2009. The process of article selection was as follows: Affiliation - 'Sri Lanka' or 'Ceylon', Publication year - 'January 2000 to December 2009' and Subject area - 'Life and Health Sciences'. The articles identified were classified according to disease, medical speciality, institutions, major international collaborators, authors and journals. Results Sri Lanka's cumulative medical publications output between years 2000-2009 was 1,740 articles published in 160 different journals. The average annual publication growth rate was 9.1%. Majority of the articles were published in 'International' (n = 950, 54.6%) journals. Most articles were descriptive studies (n = 611, 35.1%), letters (n-345, 19.8%) and case reports (n = 311, 17.9%). The articles were authored by 148 different Sri Lankan authors from 146 different institutions. The three most prolific local institutions were Universities of; Colombo (n = 547), Kelaniya (n = 246) and Peradeniya (n = 222). Eighty four countries were found to have published collaborative papers with Sri Lankan authors during the last decade. UK was the largest collaborating partner (n = 263, 15.1%). Malaria (n = 75), Diabetes Mellitus (n = 55), Dengue (n = 53), Accidental injuries (n = 42) and Lymphatic filariasis (n = 40) were the major diseases studied. The 1,740 publications were cited 9,708 times, with an average citation of 5.6 per paper. The most cited paper had 203 citations, while there were 597 publications with no citations. The Sri Lankan authors' contribution to the global medical research output during the last decade was only 0.086%. Conclusion The Sri Lankan medical research output during the last decade is only a small fraction of the global research output. There it is a necessity to setup an enabling environment for research, with a proper vision, support, funds and training. In addition, collaborations across the region need to be strengthened to face common regional health challenges. Keywords: Sri Lanka, Medical research, Publication, Analysis