From book to stage to screen: semiotic transformations of Gothic horror genre conventions

ABSTRACT

This paper adopts a multimodal social semiotic approach for exploring the semiotic changes involved in the transformation of a novel into stage and screen productions. It examines how semiotic resources are deployed in each medium through elements of mise-en-scène, such as speech, music, sound, lighting, props, staging, and cinematographic techniques, and the viewing perspectives that are thus established for audiences. The genre of Gothic horror is selected for this purpose, given how this form of performance has transfixed audiences for centuries and has been adapted for both the stage and the screen. In order to demonstrate how each performance medium has produced its own unique set of foregrounding devices to enthral and captivate audiences, a comparative analysis of excerpts from the novel The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, a videotaped theatrical performance, and the 1989 British television film of the same name is undertaken. The paper discusses the implications of the multimodal semiotic approach for developing a better understanding of the semiotic transformations that horror genre conventions undergo in different media and the viewership positions that are thus re-drawn for audiences. The paper concludes with a view of multimodal recontextualisation processes which form the underlying basis of human sociocultural life.     

Management and safety of a medical mission: occupational hazards of volunteering

Medical aid missions involve travel to conflict or danger zones, posing safety risks in addition to the usual occupational risks arising from daily medical work. The note reports on a volunteer mission, using personal reports, anecdotal experiences, and the formal annual report to undertake an assessment similar to worksite assessments for hazards and control measures. Hazards were found to be prevalent, including physical noise and heat, infectious exposure from patients and local vectors, poor water sanitation, and psychosocial stress from unfamiliar environments and large patient numbers with limited means. Implementable preventative measures include increasing awareness with appropriate protective equipment usage and safety guidelines. Mission planning and management should also involve occupational health input.     

Detection of Diatoms by a Combination of Membrane Filtration and Transparentness,

Diagnosis of drowning remains a difficult issue in current forensic sciences. A large number of diatoms were lost by removing the supernatant after centrifugation in the conventional forensic diatom test. We developed a novel membrane filtration method to enrich diatoms from samples. A new solution using different ratios of acetic acid and eugenol is prepared to make the membrane transparent. These processes allow the diatom‐containing membrane to be visualized and identified easily by light microscopy. The tissues contaminated by water rich in diatoms were detected by the new method for the recovery of diatoms. Eleven drowning cases were analyzed by both the new method and the conventional method to compare the sensitivity of both methods. The recovery of the novel diatom test method was 54.2 ± 23.1%. The positive rate of the novel method has been proven to be superior to the conventional method in the diagnosis of drowning.     

以治学为乐——刘海峰教授学术研究述评

刘海峰教授是我国著名的高等教育学与教育史专家.在高等教育研究中,他致力高等教育基本理论与实践问题的解决,努力促进高等教育史学科建设,不断深化高等教育史专题研究.他首创了"科举学",提出了"为科举制平反"的主张,强调理性评价科举的基本立场.在高考问题上,他主张采取务实渐进的态度,在坚持统一高考制度的前提下进行高考内容、形式等方面的改革.     

联合应用多个DNA位点进行尸源鉴定

目的 研究联合应用多个ＤＮＡ位点在尸源鉴定方面的应用价值。方法 应用聚合酶链反应（ＰＣＲ）、聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分离及银染显带的方法通过对无名尸休的有关检材与可疑双亲或子女进行亲权鉴定。结果 在８０例刑事案件尸源鉴定中,３８例无名尸体采用较新鲜肌肉,通过扩增ＶＮＴＲ、ＳＴＲ多个位点得以判明尸源;２９例采用腐败肌肉、６例采用骨骼和２例采用牙齿,通过扩增多个ＳＴＲ位点判明了尸源。仅有１例采用腐败肌肉、２     

荧光标记STR分型技术检验腐败组织基因型

探讨腐败组织荧光标记STR分型检测技术的应用价值。应用含12个STR基因座及一个性别基因座的2个荧光标记的复合扩增系统,对40例1～6周的腐败肌肉提取的DNA进行扩增,用变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳,PE377测序仪分析基因型。所检测样本在12个STR基因座均扩增出特异性谱带,并可判定其基因型。荧光标记STR检测技术对腐败组织分型可靠,在实际检案中具有较高的应用价值。     

政治稳定:现代释义与时代价值

政治稳定作为政治发展研究领域中的重要课题,已成为当前世界各国、特别是发展中国家共同关心的问题。政治稳定,是任何一个致力于现代化发展的国家都必须竭力维护的基本社会环境。现代政治稳定作为一种发展中的动态平衡和理想的治国安邦目标,其合理价值就在于其相对性、动态性、开放性与和谐性,能够为社会发展提供一个稳定有序、动态和谐的良性环境。     

广东区域经济发展水平评价

本文构建了广东区域经济发展新评价指标体系,并采用均方差方法确定各指标的权重。结果显示,2008年广东21个地级以上市的经济发展水平差距显著,这主要是由对外经济、创新能力、经济增长速度等差距造成的,其次是经济规模和增长成果分享方面差距的影响。相对而言,各地级以上市在经济结构和可持续发展方面的差距较小。珠三角在对外经济、创新能力、经济规模、增长成果分享、经济结构等方面优于粤东、粤西和粤北。特别是在对外经济、创新能力和经济规模方面优势显著。粤东、粤西和粤北在经济规模、经济结构、经济增长速度、增长成果分享、可持续发展方面的相差不大,但在对外经济和创新能力方面存在明显的差距。     

香港青少年社会教育理论探源及启示

社会教育伴随一个人的成长而至终老,是每个人必经的教育。青少年社会教育重点考察在除家庭教育和学校教育以外的社会生活中,社会提供给青少年所有具有教育性社会经验的总和。目前香港青少年社会教育水平可与欧美先进地区相媲美,这对于社会教育理论和实务相对滞后的内地有重要启示和借鉴作用。香港青少年社会教育理论主要借鉴了西方社会照顾理论、青少年帮助理论和青少年公民教育理论。     

马克思社会教育思想的理论内核

马克思从人的本质出发,分析了人与社会和环境三者之间的关系,论证了社会环境的教育意义;分析了社会实践活动对人的教育影响;在分析了社会教育的社会性和实践性的基础上,较系统阐析了社会教育的哲学基础,并从社会教育内容、目的和任务等多方面拓展了社会教育的内涵,提出共产党人要随时尽可能教育无产阶级,使他们明确地意识到资产阶级和无产阶级的敌对,唤醒劳动人民投身革命斗争实践。