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Vital Element (vital + element)
Selected AbstractsMEMORY, AMNESIA AND IDENTITY IN HERMANN BROCH'S SCHLAFWANDLER TRILOGYGERMAN LIFE AND LETTERS, Issue 2 2008Graham Bartram ABSTRACT Through its three novels, set in 1888, 1903 and 1918, Broch's Schlafwandler trilogy traces a progressive fragmentation of social values in late modernity. This article investigates a key marker of this fragmentation: the figuration of individual and collective memory, which undergoes a radical shift between Part I and Part III. In Part I the depiction of memory engages the reader with the protagonist's psychological and moral conflicts and the formation of his individual identity. In Part II memory features as abstract and collective, in allegorical meditations on man's existence in time; in Part III the theme of remembering is largely displaced by that of amnesia, emphasising the isolation of the individual in the era of ,Wertzerfall'. This depiction of cultural disintegration is, however, counterbalanced by the symbolic unity of Die Schlafwandler, whose aesthetic structures play an essential part in what Broch saw as the novel's ,cognitive' task. Here memory features within the reading process itself. To conclude we examine some of the trilogy's densely intersecting leitmotifs that activate the reader's memory in defiance of disintegration and amnesia, and thereby contribute a vital element to the realisation of the ,cognitive novel'. [source] Indulgences at Norwich cathedral priory in the later middle ages: popular piety in the balance sheet*HISTORICAL RESEARCH, Issue 191 2003R. N. Swanson Indulgences were a vital element in late medieval English religion, but evidence of their attractiveness is limited. Material from the sacrists' rolls of Norwich cathedral priory offers information to cast light on their local appeal, changing over time yet open to manipulation and exploitation. Records of offerings at shrines and images within the cathedral also provide comparative figures to set the scale of indulgence receipts in perspective. [source] Multi-level Environmentalism and the European Union: The Case of Trans-European Transport NetworksINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2006HEIN-ANTON VAN DER HEIJDEN In the European Union, trans-European transport networks (TENs) are a vital element in the constitution of one European space in order to enable the free movement of people and goods throughout the Union. Their construction, however, often causes environmental degradation. Opposition to EU politics is mostly voiced at the level of individual nation-states. As the case of TENs reveals, however, protest against European policy projects with environmental side effects can take the form of ,multi-level environmentalism', linking lobbying and ,conscientization' in Brussels with direct action at the national and local levels. Civil society theory, social movement theory and governance theory help ensure a theoretically informed answer to the question of how the resistance to TENs is organized and framed. By questioning dominant problem definitions and solution strategies, environmental movements and movement organizations, both in Brussels and in the individual nation-states, point to the possibility of looking at social and political reality from another, non-hegemonic point of view. In this way, they contribute to challenging the often biased technocratic, growth-oriented character of the European Union. [source] Forecasting changes in UK interest ratesJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 1 2008Tae-Hwan Kim Abstract Making accurate forecasts of the future direction of interest rates is a vital element when making economic decisions. The focus on central banks as they make decisions about the future direction of interest rates requires the forecaster to assess the likely outcome of committee decisions based on new information since the previous meeting. We characterize this process as a dynamic ordered probit process that uses information to decide between three possible outcomes for interest rates: an increase, decrease or no change. When we analyse the predictive ability of two information sets, we find that the approach has predictive ability both in-sample and out-of-sample that helps forecast the direction of future rates. Copyright © 2008 John wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction: The Significance of the Creative IndustriesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ART & DESIGN EDUCATION, Issue 2 2001Mark Blythe This paper reflects on the social and political significance of the new classification of the ,creative industries'. The new aggregate expands previous classifications of the arts and cultural industries and produces figures which suggest that these sectors are increasingly vital elements of the UK economy. It is argued that these statistics on the creative industries are, to an extent, misleading. The paper considers some of the implications of the recent and continuing advances in technologies of digital reproduction and distribution. The importance of the creative industries to Arts and Design education is placed within the context of the emphasis on vocationalism by successive UK governments. It is suggested that while the new aggregate may be useful in terms of certain kinds of promotion, the category should be recognised as arbitrary and politically motivated. Finally, the paper examines the notion that the creative industries might be harnessed to achieve social inclusion and urban re-generation and reflects on some of the social costs of such sectors. [source] Developing a Comprehensive Mechanical Support ProgramJOURNAL OF CARDIAC SURGERY, Issue 3 2001David N. Helman M.D. As cardiac surgery centers appreciate that ventricular assist devices (VAD) can dramatically impact patient survival as a bridge to transplant or recovery, and possibly permanent therapy, increasing numbers will desire to establish mechanical support programs. A number of vital elements must be put in place in order to operate a successful mechanical support program. Of utmost importance is the assembly of a dedicated team focused on comprehensive care of critically ill patients in need of circulatory support. An ongoing commitment from anesthesiologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, and other support staff is essential. Selection of complementary assist devices should be made to cover the spectrum of required support scenarios, both short- and long-term. Outpatient therapy has become increasingly important in mechanical cardiac assistance and establishment of an office where "LVAD coordinators" see outpatients facilitates this aspect of the program. Critically ill patients in need of cardiac assistance may benefit from specialized medical therapies such as: (1) intravenous arginine vasopressin for vasodilatory hypotonsion; (2) inhaled nitric oxide for right heart failure; (3) aprotinin to reduce hemorrhage; and (4) early enteral feeding in an effort to reduce infectious complications and improve rehabilitation following VAD implantation. A regional network with spoke hospitals centered around a hub hospital with long-term VAD and heart transplant programs can improve survival of patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock via early transfer to the hub hospital. In this article, we describe the components of our mechanical support program that have allowed us to successfully support patients with heart failure in need of circulatory support. [source] | ||||||||||