The aim of this thesis is to examine the relationship between writing and alterity in three recent novels written by J. M. G. Le Clézio, Désert (1980), Onitsha (1991) and La quarantaine (1995), which deal with the encounter between the so-called primitive cultures and Western society. The first chapter contains a more general discussion on the discourse of alterity in literature and the French exo

We describe two patients with Grisel syndrome (atlantoaxial dislocation) after velopharyngoplasty. One required open fixation, while the other was treated with closed reduction and skull traction. Both patients recovered well after long-term follow-up. Early detection and appropiate treatment improve the prognosis.

It has been proposed that the developmentally supportive care of very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants provided by the Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (NIDCAP) can improve the infants' opportunities for rest and sleep. The aim of the present study was to determine whether quiet sleep (QS) in VLBW infants is affected by NIDCAP care. Twenty-two infants with a gestation

Spectroscopic properties as well as excited state dynamics of the carotenoid peridinin in several solvents of different polarities were investigated by time-resolved fluorescence and transient absorption techniques. A strong dependence of the peridinin lowest excited states dynamics on solvent polarity was observed after excitation into the strongly allowed S-2 state. Peridinin relaxes to the grou

Chronic exposure to inorganic mercury can cause kidney injury. Evidence gained from occupational medicine indicates that individuals who are exposed to only environmental sources, including amalgam tooth fillings, are at very little risk. Animal experiments, however, have revealed glomerular lesions of immunologic origin after low-dose exposure to inorganic mercury. In this study, the association

We present a detailed study of the three members of the 1 T-transition metal dichalcogenides: TiSe2, TaSe2 and TaS2 by means of the X-ray photoelectron diffraction combined with single-scattering simulations. Our simulations of different surface terminations and their comparison with the measured diffraction patterns allow to determine that the cleavage occurs within the van der Waals gap. Singles

A brief overview is given of a non-associated plasticity theory developed for soils based on the concept of a characteristic stress state of vanishing incremental dilation, and a calibration procedure using only test data from a standard triaxial test. The capability of the model is illustrated by calibration examples and predictions made for standard triaxial tests at different confining stress l

Sixty-two patients with lymphoedema of the arm after mastectomy and with hypertrophy of the adipose tissue were consecutively treated by liposuction in three different ways. The first group was operated on without the use of a tourniquet. In the second group, liposuction extended up to the distal edge of the tourniquet, and then into the proximal upper arm previously covered by the tourniquet usin

Objective: To monitor changes in serum concentrations of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) during a 24-h period to determine any diurnal variation, and to estimate the half life of COMP in the circulation in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis and in those with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: Serum samples were drawn every 4 h (7 samples/patient over 24 h) in 10 patients with kne

Abstract in Undeterminedhe atJthor dlscusses the relalionship betwccn peaplc and animals in a lime perspective of millcllnia. The starting point is the pre-Chri stian. $can­ dinavl:m. animal graves ofJogs and hoJ'SCs. the Saami hear-graves, as wdl as animal burials urmodern time. TIle occurrence ofanimal graves In pre­ Christian time and the wide mnge ofways to dispose of human and animal bodics c

The purpose of this study is to assess QT interval measurements from the EASI 12-lead ECG as compared to the standard 12-lead ECG. The QT interval was automatically measured in simultaneously recorded standard and EASI 12- lead ECGs, using a validated wavelet-based delineator. The agreement between the two sets of measurements was quantified both on a lead-by-lead basis and a multilead basis. The

Cetyltrimethylammonium surfactants with a range of oligo carboxylate anions bearing. 2, 3, or 4 negative charges have been synthesized, and their respective behaviors in binary mixtures with water and in ternary mixtures with added decanol have been investigated. In binary mixtures with water, all surfactants formed nearly spherical micelles at high water contents; however, the interactions betwee

Objective. A refrigerator-stable formulation of ProQuad has been developed to expand the utility of ProQuad to areas in which maintenance of a frozen cold chain (- 15 degrees C or colder) during storage and transport may not be feasible. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that the immunogenicity and safety profiles of a refrigerator-stable formulation of ProQuad are similar to the rece

Low molecular weight liquid hydrocarbons from various sources, could have formed an oil layer covering the primeval ocean (present already 4.0-4.4 x 10(9) yr ago), preventing water from evaporating into the atmosphere. Water from other sources, precipitated by cold traps at higher altitude in the atmosphere, becomes trapped in the ocean. In a thereby more dry and presumably reducing atmosphere (be