bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Art of the Self: Identity and Performance in Sunetra Gupta’s So Good in Black and Kamila Shamsie’s Broken Verses
Authors: Fernández-Menicucci Amaya
Published: May 2015

This essay explores the intersection between art, performance and political agency in the quest for and building of self-identities in two novels by two Britain-based authors of the South Asian diaspora: Sunetra Gupta and Kamila Shamsie. Gupta’s So Good in Black (2009) and Shamsie’s Broken Verses (2005) provide a fertile ground for a critical comparison of the way in which each author understands and deploys the performative relationship between agency, creativity and identity. Following Marvin Carlson’s distinction between ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ perspectives on social performance, the present textual analysis focuses on the fact that Gupta understands individual subjectivities to be overruled and dramatically reshaped by social roles and identifications, whereas Shamsie sees the performative nature of identity as instrumental in the opening up of ‘liminal’ spaces in which identity is negotiated and the process of self-construction can truly take place. This paper aims, therefore, at analysing the discursive strategies through which Gupta’s and Shamsie’s travel writers, actors, poets, dancers and political activists use both onstage and offstage performance to act ‘against’ socio-cultural (de)limitations and impositions and ‘upon’ external and internal realities alike—or fail to do so.
“I am not one of his followers”: The Rewriting of the Cultural Icon of the Virgin in Colm Tóibín’s The Testament of Mary
Authors: Carregal Romero José
Published: May 2015

However, the devotion to Mary has turned her into a powerful icon of religious folklore in many Catholic societies. In Ireland, the Virgin has often been used as a figure for cultural nationalism, characterised by its religious orthodoxy, rigid moral codes and a staunch defense of patriarchy. In The Testament of Mary (2012), Irish author Colm Tóibín, a lapsed Catholic and anti-traditionalist intellectual, rewrites the cultural icon of the Virgin and offers a humane, complex and highly subversive portrait of this legendary mother. Exiled in Ephesus, the Virgin feels repelled by the constant visits of her “guardians”, who want her to recount the event of the Crucifixion. It is soon revealed that the apostles are trying to appropriate her voice and experiences, as Mary readily intimates that one of the guardians “has written of things that neither he saw nor I saw” (5). The questions of voice, agency and performance become essential in the reshaping of narratives of cultural identity. Thus, the novel dramatises the importance of articulating one’s own voice through Mary’s urge “to tell the truth of what happened” (82) on her own terms.
“Scealcas of sceaðum scirmæled swyrd”: Analysing Judith’s Language and style in translation through a key sample case (161b-166a) and a twin coda (23 & 230)
Authors: Bueno Alonso Jorge Luis
Published: May 2015

Among the extant texts from the Old English poetic corpus that have survived up till now –Beowulf aside–, Judith constitutes a poem in which the poet “wrinkles up” the text outstandingly in order to, as Griffith (1997: 85) stated, show a new purpose for commonplace aspects of Old English poetic style. By considering a key sample case (lines 161b-166a) and a further two specific examples (lines 23 & 230), the aim of this article is to revise and analyze how Judith’s poetic and textual wrinkles –especially those affecting language and style, so important to explain the poem’s singular status– have been dealt with in several translations into English that cover a wide array of translation types: pioneer/philological [Cook 1889, through Barber 2008, and Gordon 1926], classic/academic [Hamer 1970 & Bradley 1982], recent/updated both complete [North, Allard and Gillies 2011 & Treharne 2010] and fragmentary [Constantine 2011]. I will always offer my own solutions to the problems raised by the text as presented in my alliterative verse translation into Spanish (Bueno & Torrado 2012).
Students' Beliefs on Portfolio Assessment
Authors: Canga Alonso Andrés
Published: May 2015

The development of the European Space for Higher Education (ESHE) not only encourages students’ active involvement in their learning process, but also promotes formative assessment. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyse students´ beliefs on portfolio assessment in the subject Spanish-English/English-Spanish Translation of the degree in English Studies at a university in Spain. A questionnaire was administered at the end of the semester to check learners’ views on the implementation of an evaluation system based on portfolios. The results indicate that most of the students involved in the study recognise that using portfolios as assessment tools foster their learning since these learning tools favour reflection on one’s own learning as well as revision for the final exam. Contrariwise, learners think that portfolio assembling is time consuming and implies hard work. However, they also feel it is rewarding since they get a better grade at the end of the semester.
Alexander Pope: Literary Translator and Editor, from Binfield to Twickenham
Authors: Torralbo Caballero Juan de Dios
Published: May 2015

This paper will discuss the translations of poetry and some of the editions that Alexander Pope produced. For this, we will consider his monumental task over the translations of the work of Homer, analysing the unprecedented economic and literary implications. In addition, we shall examine Pope’s imitations of Horace in order to highlight their content and underlying intentions, going on to present lastly his other work as an editor. This context will allow us to draw some conclusions from Pope’s own uniqueness in the English literary and creative scene during the 18th century. Pope showed himself to be independent from the prevailing circles, being outside the radius of action of patrons and the court.
A young lord passes judgment: National characters in the letters, poems and other writings of Byron’s Mediterranean tour (1809-11)
Authors: Coletes Blanco Agustín
Published: May 2015

On July 2nd, 1809, Lord Byron and his Cambridge friend John C. Hobhouse embarked on their peculiar Grand Tour. With most of Continental Europe in the hands of Napoleon, Byron and Hobhouse’s destination was Constantinople, the capital of a powerful Ottoman Empire which still controlled much of Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The travellers took a year to reach the Porte. Previous stages in their journey included Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Malta, Albania and Greece. Unlike Hobhouse, Byron was never to publish a travelogue based on his Mediterranean and Levantine experience. However, throughout his tour he did write many letters and occasional poems, not meant for publication, in which he repeatedly passes judgment on the Portuguese, the Spaniards, the Greeks, the Albanians and the Turks as national characters –and also on fellow countrymen abroad. In this paper, young Byron’s judgments on said national characters, as manifested in his letters and poems home, are located, grouped together and analysed, for the first time in the literature, in a comprehensive way –thus bringing into question a number of commonly-held misconceptions on the issue. Byron’s own Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (the poem and its notes which, published soon after his Mediterranean experience, famously won him instant recognition in Britain) and Hobhouse’s Journey to Albania and unpublished diary are, in the light of this essay, used as paratexts that enrich the analysis with added, sometimes diverging perspectives. In the light of such corpus, the essay closes with a classification, an explanation and a summary of the consequences of young Byron’s Mediterranean judgments.
Maria Edgeworth for Italian Readers: An Analysis of Bianca Milesi’s Benedetto (1839)
Authors: Fernández Rodríguez Carmen María
Published: May 2015

Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was one of the most prominent British writers at the turn of the nineteenth century. In addition to pedagogical essays and feminocentric fiction, this Anglo-Irish authoress produced some tales for children which were quickly translated into a number of European languages. This paper is part of a larger project which considers the reception of Edgeworth’s oeuvre on the Continent, and analyzes the Italian version of one of her last fictions for children, Frank (1822). Bianca Milesi’s rendering of the text into Italian will be studied within the framework of translemic studies. For this purpose, we will contextualize Edgeworth’s educational work and make reference to the impact of Milesi’s books in literary magazines and her relationship with Edgeworth. Though the readers of the source and target texts remain the same, Benedetto is conditioned by Milesi’s personality and historical circumstances. As a result, there is a balance between fidelity to Edgeworth’s Frank regarding the main plot and characterization, and the will to adapt the story to a new context through a number of suppressions which affect the macro and microstructure of the text. There are also some additions, these intended to bring Frank closer to young Italian readers. This article suggests that, rather than a translation, the changes in the target text point to an adaptation of Edgeworth’s narrative.
On Identity, Place, Dignity, and Honor: The Madonnas of Echo Park (2010) by Brando Skyhorse
Authors: Ibarrarán-Bigalondo Amaya
Published: May 2015

Brando Skyhorse’s first novel, The Madonnas of Echo Park, set in Echo Park, Los Angeles, portrays the lives, thoughts and feelings of eight different and diverse characters. All of them expose their direct link to the space they inhabit: the barrio. Parting from the premise that the link between space and identity is inextricable, and the fact that the general living conditions and access to different resources is scarce in many U.S. Latino quarters, the aim of this essay is to observe whether the way the characters experience this space affects their personal identity and relation to dignity and honor. Particularly, the way barrio life affects and shapes the personality of male characters. For this purpose, we will employ Alfredo Mirandé’s conceptualization of Chicano masculinity, characterized by a strong sense of honor, dignity and pride, among other things. We thus will observe whether a tough environment produces tough men.
Lexical innovation: cromulently embiggening a language
Authors: MacKenzie Ian
Published: May 2015

In this article I look at the main ways of making new English words, and at the different types of neologisms this produces; consider various categories of people who coin them, including famous authors and television scriptwriters as well as anonymous nonnative speakers of English as a lingua franca, and highlight the similarities and differences in the ways they tend to coin words; consider to what extent the formation of new words by way of established processes or rules or schemas should be thought of as morphological productivity rather than individual creativity; and finally look at the processes by which neologisms can, potentially, be diffused.
From pathology to invisibility: age identity as a cultural construct in vampire fiction
Authors: Miquel-Baldellou Marta
Published: May 2015

A diachronic analysis of the way the literary vampire has been characterised from the Victorian era up to the contemporary period underlines a clear evolution that seems particularly relevant from the perspective of ageing studies. One of the permanent features characterising the fictional vampire from its origins to its current manifestations in literature is precisely the vampire’s disaffection with the effects of ageing in spite of its old chronological age. Nonetheless, even though the vampire’s appearance does not age, the way it has been presented in literature has significantly evolved from a remarkable aged look during the Victorian period in John Polidori’s “The Vampyre: A Tale” (1819), Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872) or Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) to young adulthood in Anne Rice’s An Interview with the Vampire (1976) and Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark (2001), adolescence in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (2005-2008), and even childhood in John Ajvide Lindquist’s Let the Right One In (2004), thus underlining a significant process of rejuvenation through time despite the vampire’s apparent disaffection with the effects of ageing. This article shows how the representations of the vampire in literature reflect a shift from the embodiment of pathology to the invisibility, or the denial, of old age and how this, in turn, reflects cultural conceptualisations and perceptions of ageing.
The Emergent Properties of ‘Song’ as a Metaphor in August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone
Authors: Ogoanah Felix Nwabeze
Published: May 2015

Most works on August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone have emphasized its enigmatic African elements that have stunned white audiences since the play was first produced in 1984. Such elements are manifested in characters such as Bynum and Loomis, or in rituals such as the Juba and blood sacrifice (Shannon, 1995; Wolfe, 1999; Elam Jr., 2006; Harrison, 1991; Richards, 1999; Pereira, 1995). These images confront the reader at first glance and produce that feeling of strangeness characteristic of the African world. However, underneath these images is the most subtle element or trope on which the events of the play are anchored − the 'song', which has been described as “that all important quest for self-affirmation in black life” (Harrison, 1991: 309). Applying the Relevance-theoretic framework of inferential pragmatics, this study explores the concept 'song' by examining its salient properties based on reader's inferences or contextual assumptions. The study claims that through an inferential analysis, the metaphor, 'song,' in Joe Turner's Come and Gone can be realised as an ontological construct which signifies the individual's quest for spiritual transcendence and personal development and that through this metaphor Wilson privileges the need for the African American to take responsibility for what becomes of his life rather than seeing himself as a victim of the white hegemony.
Polysemy derivation in a multidimensional framework
Authors: Silvestre-López Antonio José
Published: May 2015

The aim of this paper is to systematise and illustrate the process of semantic network derivation within the multidimensional polysemy framework (Navarro, 1998, 2006) by way of a detailed analysis of the preposition into. The theoretical and methodological proposals introduce a series of parameters devised to identify, discriminate and classify network senses that can be applied to any preposition analysed within this framework. The results of the process (based on the manual analysis and classification of corpus examples) are illustrated by a description of the primary and secondary senses with which into is commonly associated in discourse as arranged in a multidimensional network.
A AÇÃO NA PERSPECTIVA DO DIREITO FUNDAMENTAL DE ACESSO À TUTELA JURISDICIONAL
Authors: Beduschi Leonardo
Published: May 2015

O artigo tem por objetivo construir um breve painel acerca da evolução histórica do conceito de Ação, partindo do direito romano clássico até a preocupação atual em assegurar uma participação efetiva por meio do Processo, relacionando o conceito de Ação ao dever de proteção dos Direitos Fundamentais. Valendo-se dessa perspectiva, conclui-se que, superadas social e historicamente as teorias que discutiam sobre a abstração e a autonomia do direito de Ação, é indispensável pensar a Ação sob a ótica do efetivo acesso à ordem jurídica justa, e não apenas em relação ao direito formal de acesso ao judiciário.
HERMENÊUTICA E CONSTITUCIONALISMO CONTEMPORÂNEO
Authors: Zilli Serraglio Priscila , Zambam Neuro José
Published: May 2015

O presente estudo busca definir o papel da hermenêutica no constitucionalismo contemporâneo, combatendo a discricionariedade judicial. Inicia tratando brevemente da história constitucional e sobre como o paradigma da legalidade foi insuficiente para abarcar a complexidade do fenômeno jurídico no pós-segunda guerra, motivo que implica na ênfase da atuação jurisdicional e, via reflexa, traz à tona o dilema da discricionariedade interpretativa, atentando para a necessidade de se pensar uma teoria da decisão que limite o ato de julgar, sob pena de um esvaziamento normativo da Constituição, e de um aniquilamento da democracia e suas conquistas. Por fim, estabelece a evolução histórica da hermenêutica para demonstrar que esta e o Direito devem partilhar uma relação de complementaridade, a fim de refutar a subjetividade assujeitadora do intérprete solipsista e limitar a decisão judicial à compreensão/interpretação adequada à Constituição, na qual os princípios desempenham papel fundamental de fechamento interpretativo do ordenamento.
A CONSTITUCIONALIDADE DA FIXAÇÃO DA FIANÇA EM SALÁRIO MÍNIMO NO PROCESSO CRIME
Authors: Oldoni Fabiano
Published: May 2015

O presente estudo objetiva analisar se a fixação da fiança em salários mínimos, previsto no artigo 325, incisos I e II do Código de Processo Penal, afronta o artigo 7º, inciso IV, da Constituição Federal, que proíbe a vinculação do salário mínimo para qualquer finalidade. Justifica-se a presente pesquisa pela aparente inconstitucionalidade do citado artigo e pelo ineditismo do tema, eis que a matéria ainda não foi enfrentada pela doutrina e jurisprudência pátria de forma esclarecedora. De extrema importância investigar o sentido da proibição da vinculação ao salário mínimo contida na Constituição Federal, compreensão que se faz a partir dos julgados do Supremo Tribunal Federal, com aporte teórico na hermenêutica, buscando a interpretação mais adequada à Constituição .
DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS, PERSPECTIVA HISTÓRICA, CARACTERÍSTICAS E FUNÇÃO
Authors: Weissheime Loreno
Published: May 2015

O presente artigo se propõe ao estudo dos Direitos Fundamentais, sua evolução histórica, seu processo de formação ideal, bem como demonstrar a formação do seu conceito. Demonstrar o tratamento dado aos dos Direitos Fundamentais no Brasil e apresentar um estudo de suas características, tais como: indisponibilidade e inalienabilidade, a constitucionalização, vinculação dos Poderes Públicos e as funções: de defesa, de prestação social e de não-discriminação. Quanto à metodologia, o relato dos resultados será composto na base lógica Indutiva. Nas diversas fases da Pesquisa, serão utilizadas as Técnicas do Referente, da Categoria, do Conceito Operacional e da Pesquisa Bibliográfica.
FUTEBOL OU EDUCAÇÃO: ESCOLHA DO ESTADO OU DO JUDICIÁRIO
Authors: Roberto Donel Pedro , Campos Cattani Marcos José
Published: May 2015

A partir da citação por Lenio Streck  de uma decisão do juiz de direito Alexandre Morais da Rosa , na Comarca de Joinville, atendendo ação civil pública promovida pelo Ministério Público, determinando à municipalidade a criação de quase 3000 vagas na rede pública de ensino com o dinheiro que havia “preferido” investir na construção do estádio do JEC – Joinville Esporte Clube, cria-se uma análise para revisar o fenômeno do protagonismo judicial e a distinção entre ativismo judicial e judicialização da política, além de sua recepção pelo Tribunal de Justiça de Santa Catarina, Superior Tribunal de Justiça e Supremo Tribunal Federal.
A RESPONSABILIDADE CIVIL EM DECORRÊNCIA DA MEDIDA CAUTELAR DECRETADA DE OFÍCIOPELO JUIZ
Authors: Niebuhr Maia de Oliveira Rafael , Schaefer Jean Carlos
Published: May 2015

Objetiva-se abordar a responsabilidade civil do Estado em virtude de tutela cautelar decretada equivocadamente de ofício pelo magistrado, em confronto com o preceito que veda a responsabilização do ente público por erro na judicatura. Com o presente trabalho, buscar-se-á também estabelecer em quais situações, e quais as condições para que o Estado, ou o próprio juiz, sejam compelidos a indenizar os danos sofridos pelo particular que teve contra si medida cautelar decretada de ofício. Através da pesquisa doutrinária e do método indutivo, operacionalizado com as técnicas do referente, das categorias, dos conceitos operacionais e da pesquisa de fontes documentais, constatou-se que muito embora ainda não haja consenso, a maioria da doutrina se inclina a aplicar a responsabilidade civil do Estado, neste contexto, dependendo da culpa do magistrado ao conceder a cautelar de ofício.
DA COISA JULGADA E SUA DESCONSIDERAÇÃO: A JUSTIÇA COMO FINALIDADE PROCESSUAL PRIMORDIAL
Authors: Oliveira Rotondano Ricardo
Published: May 2015

O presente trabalho versa acerca do polêmico tema acerca da desconsideração da coisa julgada. Inicialmente, realiza-se uma breve definição do instituto processual em debate. Em seguida, passa-se a discorrer sobre o princípio da segurança jurídica – do qual a coisa julgada é corolário –, numa tentativa de redefinição conceitual de acordo com a doutrina constitucional moderna. Discute-se ainda a questão da intangibilidade da coisa julgada, sob o prisma dos mais recentes fundamentos doutrinários e entendimentos jurisprudenciais. Ademais, o presente texto analisa com propriedade as principais críticas elaboradas pela corrente doutrinária pátria sobre o movimento de relativização da coisa julgada. Por fim, procura-se definir – ancorado na lição de Piero Calamandrei – qual a verdadeira finalidade do direito processual.
É POSSÍVEL A MODULAÇÃO DE EFEITOS NAS DECISÕES ADMINISTRATIVAS?
Authors: Maia Guanaes Rafael
Published: May 2015

As mudanças que atingem o direito administrativo nos tempos atuais devido à intensa busca por justiça e ética nas decisões administrativas por parte de expressivos setores da sociedade exigem do administrador público o domínio de instrumentos dispostos no ordenamento jurídico que se distanciem mais da mera expressão do braço governamental dotado de poder decisório e que aproxime a atuação de seus agentes do princípio fundamental expresso na Carta de 1988 do Estado Democrático de Direito, que possui como destinatário de suas ações administrativas o cidadão – principal prejudicado nas decisões administrativas tomadas sem observância ao princípio ético, e não o ente federativo ao qual possui relação funcional. Disponibilizar tal instrumento ao administrador público visa procurar satisfazer uma sociedade cada vez mais consciente de seu papel no exercício da cidadania e ávida pela solução de demandas às quais o Estado tem o dever constitucional de atender no limite de suas possibilidades técnicas.
The determinants of issuersâ€™ long term credit ratings : American S&P500 index
Authors: Feki Krichene ÙÙAfef , Khoufi Walid
Published: May 2015

In this paper, we examine the impact that various financial and business profile variables have on credit ratings issued for the S&P500 firms by Moodyâ€™s. Our ordered probit model indicates that firmsâ€™ financial policy, size, liquidity, interest and debt coverage have the most pronounced effect on credit ratings. Our results show that different coefficients are associated to the increments of interest and debt coverage ratios. Business profile variables are not significant. Liquidity variable is also a significant determinant of the issuer long-term credit rating and not just the short term one.
The Search of Spatial Functions of Pressure in Adjustable Hydrostaticradial Bearing
Authors: Fedorynenko Dmytro , Boyko Sergiy , Sapon Serhii
Published: May 2015

The analysis of spatial functions of pressure considering the geometrical deviations and the elastic deformation of conjugate surace have been considered. The analysis of spatial functions of pressure is performed by the finite element method. The difference of the size of pressure in a tangential direction of a pocket of a support under various service conditions has been investigated. A recommendation for improving of operational characteristics in regulated hydrostatic radial bearing has been developed.
Computationaly Simple Obstacle Avoidance Control Law for Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Cieśluk Jakub , Gosiewski Zdzisław , Ambroziak Leszek , Romaniuk Sławomir
Published: May 2015

The investigations of the system which allow to avoid obstacles by the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are presented in the paper. The system is designed to enable the full autonomous UAV flight in an unknown environment. As an information source about obstacles digital camera was used. Developed algorithm uses the existing relations between the imaging system and the parameters read from the UAV autopilot. Synthesis of the proposed obstacle avoidance control law was oriented for computational simplicity. Presented algorithm was checked during simulation studies and in-flight tests.
A note on preserving the spark of a matrix
Authors: Skrzyński Marcin
Published: May 2015

Let Mm×n(F) be the vector space of all m×n matrices over a field F. In the case where m ≥ n, char(F) ≠ 2 and F has at least five elements, we give a complete characterization of linear maps Φ: Mm×n(F) → Mm×n(F) such that spark(Φ(A)) = spark(A) for any A ∈Mm×n(F).
Population distribution by selected road network elements - comparison of centroids, geocoded addresses, built-up areas and total areas on the example of Slovak communes
Authors: Bačík Vladimír , Klobučník Michal
Published: May 2015

Two research objectives can be identified in the presented paper. The first one was the development of a point layer, which would abstract from the position of a central point depending on the shape of the territory of the respective spatial unit (commune), and would express the position of a commune as regards the location of the point in the area of the commune built-up area. For such purpose, a geocoding algorithm from Google was used, for which it was possible to prepare a final dot map layer without any terrain layout, as the geocoding algorithm processes only simple text addresses of the relevant spatial units. Such an obtained dot layer was compared with the layer of centroids and the achieved differences were visualised. Another objective was to compare different methods of population distribution interpretation from the selected road network elements at the commune level. Point layers in the form of centroids and geocodes were compared with the spatial population distribution on the basis of the total area and built-up area of a commune.

It is more suitable to use geocodes as the holder of statistical information in comparison with commune centroids, in particular in the areas with marked vertical division of the terrain. In assessing population distribution, the obtained values are much closer to the expression of the identical indicator calculated for the built-up area of a commune that we consider most accurate, which is also documented by the average percentage deviations between particular interpretations of population distribution.
How to define a diatom genus? Notes on the creation and recognition of taxa, and a call for revisionary studies of diatoms
Authors: Kociolek John Patrick , Williams David M.
Published: May 2015

We highlight the increase in the number of diatom genera being described, and suggest that their description be based on the concept of monophyly. That is, a new genus will contain the ancestor and all its descendants. Past criteria or guidance on how to circumscribe genera are reviewed and discussed, with conceptual and actual exemplars presented. While there is an increase in the rate of genus descriptions in diatoms, and there are many journal and series dedicated to facilitating this important activity, we call for revisionary works on diatom groups, to assess and establish monophyletic groups at all levels of hierarchy in the diatom system.
Syntheses, structures and properties of isonicotinamidium, thionicotinamidium, 2- and 3-(hydroxymethyl)pyridinium nitrates
Authors: Lukačovičová Zuzana , Lacková Darina , Brienik Michal , Ondrejkovičová Iveta , Záborský Ondrej , Doháňošová Jana , Koman Marian
Published: May 2015

New salts containing cations of selected pyridine derivatives of the composition [pyH]NO
Integrated investigations for the characterisation of Roman lead-glazed pottery from Pompeii and Herculaneum (Italy)
Authors: Giannossa Lorena Carla , Fico Daniela , Pennetta Antonio , Mangone Annarosa , Laviano Rocco , De Benedetto Giuseppe Egidio
Published: May 2015

A multi-analytical approach was used to investigate Roman lead-glazed ceramic artefacts from archaeological excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum (Italy) aiming at defining the production technology of both glaze and ceramic body, by way of integrated investigations. The chemical, structural, and micro-morphological characterisations were performed using a combination of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Fragments of artefacts (skyphoi, oil lamps, bowls, askoi, amphorae, krateres) of great historical and archaeological interest were sampled. LA-ICP-MS was used to determine the elemental composition by virtue of its effective lateral resolution, its ability to detect most elements and also to analyse comparably small samples. All the archaeological objects were coated with a lead-based glaze produced using a lead oxide-plus-quartz mixture, with sodium/potassium feldspars added as a flux and two different metals used: copper and iron. Two types of ceramic pastes have been identified, but chemometric techniques support the hypothesis of a Campanian provenance for the raw materials. Degradation phenomena such as the partial devitrification of the glaze, i.e. the slow structural reorganisation towards stable crystalline phases, and the leaching by mineral dissolution in the soil, were determined.
Characterization of a novel Aspergillus niger beta-glucosidase tolerant to saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass products and fermentation inhibitors
Authors: Oriente Alesandra , Tramontina Robson , de Andrades Diandra , Henn Caroline , Silva Jose L. C. , Simão Rita C. G. , Maller Alexandre , Polizeli Maria de Lourdes T. M. , Kadowaki Marina K.
Published: May 2015

Properties of beta-glucosidase produced by Aspergillus niger URM 6642 recently isolated from the Atlantic rainforest biome and its potential tolerance to saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass products and fermentation inhibitors was evaluated. The fungus was cultivated under solid state culture conditions at 37°C with different agro-industrial wastes. High levels of beta-glucosidase (3778.9 U g
Synthesis of a sialic acid derivative of ristocetin aglycone as an inhibitor of influenza virus
Authors: Bakai-Bereczki Ilona , Herczeg Mihály , György Bernadett , Naesens Lieve , Herczegh Pál
Published: May 2015

In order to promote attachment of the ristocetin aglycone molecule to the surface of the influenza virus, the aglycone was derivatized with a hemagglutinin ligand sialic acid moiety using a click reaction. The sialoristocetin derivative exhibited somewhat lower anti-influenza virus activity than ristocetin and aglycoristocetin.
New bulk liquid membrane oscillator composed of two coupled oscillators with diffusion-mediated physical coupling
Authors: Szpakowska Maria , Płocharska-Jankowska Elżbieta , Nagy Ottó B.
Published: May 2015

A new type of bulk liquid membrane system, which represents the first example of a bulk liquid membrane oscillator characterised by the presence of two coupled oscillators, is described. When the benzyldimethyltetradecylammonium chloride surfactant undergoes an oscillatory mass transfer through a nitromethane liquid membrane, a new liquid layer (phase X) appears between the membrane and the acceptor phase. Kinetic analysis provides evidence that the whole system is composed of two coupled oscillators with diffusion-mediated physical coupling. The first component oscillator (based on nitromethane) of lower frequency delivers the driving material to the second one (phase X-based oscillator) leading to additional higher frequency oscillations. A new molecular mechanism is proposed for interpreting the experimental observations. The results might enhance understanding of intercellular communication in biology, where periodic signalling is more efficient than any other type of signalling mode.
Carbonylation of cyclohexene to 2-cyclohexene-1-one by montmorillonite-supported Co(II) catalysts
Authors: Gao Shu , Tang Rui-Ren , Zhou Yin
Published: May 2015

A novel environmentally-friendly catalytic system for the carbonylation of cyclohexene with molecular oxygen under conditions of mild temperature, and under an atmospheric oxygen pressure is presented. In this system, a series of readily-prepared cobalt complexes of 2-aminophenol and its derivatives immobilised onto montmorillonite were used as catalysts. The catalysts were characterised by FT-IR, elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet visible spectra, scanning electron microscopic measurements, transmission electron microscopic measurements and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method. The effects of various reaction conditions such as catalyst dosage, temperature and time were optimised, obtaining an 88.7 % conversion with 72.0 % selectivity of 2-cyclohexene-1-one in 6 h. The results show that the catalytic activity of the cobalt complexes encapsulated in montmorillonite is higher than those of the free complexes. In addition, the heterogeneous catalysts were stable and can be recycled up to five times without any noticeable change in the catalytic activity.
Computational insights into allosteric interaction between benzoazepin-2-ones and lung cancer-associated PDK1: Implications for activator design
Authors: Guo Gang , Yang Cui , Li Gao-Feng , Li Heng , Ma Qian-Li , Guo Qi , Yang Xiu-Mei
Published: May 2015

3-Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) plays a key role in the regulation of physiological processes and its catalytic activity is tightly regulated by allosteric modulators which bind to the PDK1 Interacting Fragment (PIF) pocket. However, details on the allosteric modulators regulation of the PDK1 catalytic activity remain elusive. Here, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to investigate the allosteric regulation of PDK1 induced by one of the benzoazepin-2-ones, the most potent compound 17 (BAZ2O). Molecular docking and MD simulation revealed that BAZ2O was located in the PIF pocket formed by residues from β4 and β5 sheets and helices αB and αC. BAZ2O formed a hydrogen bond with Arg131 and participated in hydrophobic interactions with Ile119, Thr148, Gln150, Leu155 and Phe157. Further comparative analyses of PDK1 in its apo and BAZ2O-bound states unveiled that BAZ2O promoted the structural coupling between the important catalytic domains of PDK1, including the activation loop and the helices αB and αC, thereby stabilizing the PDK1 conformation for catalysis. Understanding the allosteric interaction of PDK1 with small molecules provides a potentially valuable possibility of designing more potent allosteric modulators with therapeutic implications for lung cancer.
A newly isolated yeast as an expression host for recombinant lipase
Authors: Oslan Siti Nurbaya , Salleh Abu Bakar , Raja Abd Rahman Raja Noor Zaliha , Leow Thean Chor , Sukamat Hafizah , Basri Mahiran
Published: May 2015

Pichia guilliermondii strain SO isolated from spoiled orange was developed for use as an alternative expression host by using Pichia pastoris as the model of the experiment. This is the first study to report on the capability of P. guilliermondii SO as a host to express thermostable T1 lipase from Geobacillus zalihae. Alcohol oxidase and formaldehyde dehydrogenase promoters were present in the yeast genome. Interestingly, the recombinant yeast [SO/pPICZαB/T1-2 (SO2)] took only 30 h to reach optimal production with minimal methanol induction [1.5% (v/v)] in YPTM medium, as compared to P. pastoris, which took longer to reach its optimal condition. The purification yield of the His-tagged fusion lipase was 68.58%, with specific activity of 194.58 U/mg. The optimum temperature was 65°C at pH 9 in glycine-NaOH buffer, and it was stable up to 70°C in a wide pH range from pH 5 to 12. In conclusion, a newly isolated yeast from spoiled orange has been proven suitable for use as an expression host.
Is there a connection between inflammation, telomerase activity and the transcriptional status of telomerase reverse transcriptase in renal failure?
Authors: Kordinas Vasileios , Tsirpanlis George , Nicolaou Chryssoula , Zoga Margarita , Ioannidis Anastasios , Ioannidou Vasiliki , Bersimis Sotiris , Petrihou Christina , Savva Lefkothea , Legakis Nicholaos J. , Chatzipanagiotou Stylianos
Published: May 2015

Telomerase is involved in the elongation of telomeres. It remains active in very few types of cell in mature organisms. One such cell type is the lymphocytes. In this study, we investigated the activity and expression of telomerase in lymphocytes from renal failure patients and compared it to that for normal controls. Inflammation status was determined at the same time. The enzyme activity was measured using PCR-ELISA with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from three groups: 53 healthy individuals, 50 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and 50 dialysis patients. In the same cell populations, the expression of the reverse transcriptase of the human telomerase gene (hTERT) was measured via real-time PCR. The inflammationstatus of these individuals was determined by calculating the interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-10, C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) serum concentrations via ELISA. The lowest levels of telomerase activity were detected in CKD, and this group had the highest IL-6 and CRP values and the lowest hTERT expression. The dialysis group showed significant differences in comparison to the normal subjects and to the CKD patients. Further studies are warranted in order to explore the way inflammation influences telomerase activity and hTERT expression.
Matching Relation Between Consumer’s Psychology And Digital Goods Rankings
Authors: Chen Manyi , Wang Qi , Liu Hongzhi
Published: May 2015

The development of digital goods has profoundly changed the economic relationship and trading methods. Among all the digital goods recommendation information, ranking information is of prominent significance. The rankings impact consumers positively as they make decisions on buying digital products. We serve rankings and consumer psychologies as the object of this study, and will offer references and suggestions for the customization of the mobile terminal. Combining factor and cluster analysis, we subdivide the rankings into three groups first based on consumers’ values and lifestyles: reputation ranking, consumption behavior ranking and purchase intention ranking. Then, we use a correspondence analysis method to conclude the matching relationship between different types of rankings and various consumption psychology groups.
Swedish Taxation in a 150-year Perspective
Authors: Stenkula Mikael
Published: May 2015

This paper examines the development of taxation in Sweden from 1862 to 2010. The examination includes six key aspects of the Swedish tax system, namely the taxation of labor income, capital income, wealth, inheritances and gifts, consumption and real estate. The importance of these taxes varied greatly over time and Sweden increasingly relied on broad-based taxes (such as income taxes and general consumption taxes) and taxes that were less visible to the public (such as payroll taxes and social security contributions). The tax-to-GDP ratio was initially low and relatively stable, but from the 1930s, the ratio increased sharply for nearly 50 years. Towards the end of the period, the tax-to-GDP ratio declined significantly.
Corporate taxation in Denmark and the international challenge
Authors: Holst Anna , Larsen Anders Fuglsig
Published: May 2015

We study the development in the Danish corporate income tax base and the corporate income tax revenue in the period from 1990 until present. Measured in per cent of GDP the CIT base has out-paced the revenue due to parallel CIT rate cuts and base broadening reforms. We seek to explain the development in the CIT base and discuss whether this is threatened by base erosion and profit shifting.

Describing the development in the CIT tax base is a comprehensive and complex task and to pin-point one single cause is not possible. But it is possible to point to elements which have contributed to the development. We conclude that there exists a challenge in terms of international tax competition but find no evidence of the Danish CIT base suffering from this. The challenge for policy makers is designing a tax system which on one side secures sufficient revenue and on the other hand is internationally competitive.
Corporate Taxation and the International Challenge
Authors: Schmidt Peter Koerver
Published: May 2015

It is argued th**at the higher degree of economic integration across borders and the international trend towards a reduction of corporate income tax rates have had a significant impact on the Danish corporate tax regime in recent years. Accordingly, during the last ten years the Danish statutory corporate tax rate has been lowered further, while several government actions at the same time have been taken in order to combat international tax avoidance and evasion. As a result, new anti-avoidance provisions have been introduced and some of the older anti-avoidance provisions have been tightened in order to prevent base erosion and profit shifting. Thus, to some extent Denmark has already tried to address a number of the key pressure areas mentioned in the recently published OECD BEPS report, such as international mismatches in entity and instrument characterization, the tax treatment of related party debt financing, transfer pricing and the effectiveness of anti-avoidance measures. However, the article concludes that these anti-avoidance provisions often suffer from being quite complex, very broad in scope and open to criticism from an EU law perspective.
Corporate taxation in Iceland and the international challenge
Authors: Agnarsdóttir Fjóla , Jensdóttir Rakel
Published: May 2015

This article aims to describe the development in the field of corporate tax law in Iceland, from both legal and economic point of view, with a focus on measures taken to protect the tax base and in order to try to make Iceland an attractive place for investment and establishment companies. First, there will be a brief general description of the development of the corporate tax rate in Iceland since 2004 and an overview of new taxes that have been introduced for companies over the past ten years. Second, there will be an analysis of how the Icelandic legal framework provides for incentives for investment and establishment of companies in Iceland. Third, this discussion is to be followed by a section on the steps Iceland has taken in order to combat tax avoidance. Fourth, there is a general description of the economic development for the corporate taxation in Iceland since 1990 and fifth, there is brief discussion of the development of revenues from the corporate tax. Sixth, a short overview of the real investment in the Icelandic economy is given, and finally, the main conclusions of this article will be summed up with a short discussion on the main challenges Iceland is currently facing in the field of corporate taxation in today’s globalised economy.
Recent developments in Corporate Taxation in Sweden
Authors: Thomann Christian
Published: May 2015

This article investigates if increasing neutrality between debt and equity capital might improve the efficiency in a corporate tax system. Firm-level and sector- level taxation data from Sweden is used to study if a tax system that is characterized by very few limitations with respect to the deductibility of interest costs leads to systematic differences in the taxes paid by different sectors. This paper finds that there are differences between different sectors’ tax payments and these differences can be explained by the sectors’ use of debt capital.
The Marian Exile and Religious Self-Identity: Rethinking the Origins of Elizabethan Puritanism
Authors: Ranson Angela
Published: May 2015

This paper challenges historians’ portrayal of Elizabethan puritanism as rooted in the Marian exile of 1553-1558, through a fresh examination of three exiles who have been described as early puritans: James Pilkington, John Jewel, and Laurence Humphrey. By studying the value they placed on church unity, this paper brings out the fundamental differences between the early reformers and the later puritans. It also demonstrates that the religious selfidentity of these men pre-dated the accession of Mary. Thus, their exile was a means of strengthening their faith, not finding it, and their return meant that there was more continuity between the Edwardian and Elizabethan churches than is often allowed in current scholarship.
Evidence of Things Seen: Univocation, Visibility and Reassurance in Post-Reformation Polemic
Authors: Rodda Joshua
Published: May 2015

This article reaches out to the audience for controversial religious writing after the English Reformation, by examining the shared language of attainable truth, of clarity and certainty, to be found in Protestant and Catholic examples of the same. It argues that we must consider those aspects of religious controversy that lie simultaneously above and beneath its doctrinal content: the logical forms in which it was framed, and the assumptions writers made about their audiences’ needs and responses. Building on the work of Susan Schreiner and others on the notion of certainty through the early Reformation, the article asks how English polemicists exalted and opened up that notion for their readers’ benefit, through proclamations of visibility, accessibility and honest dealing. Two case studies are chosen, in order to make a comparison across confessional lines: first, Protestant (and Catholic) reactions against the Jesuit doctrine of equivocation in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, which emphasized honesty and encouraged fear of hidden meaning; and second, Catholic opposition to the notion of an invisible-or relatively invisible-church. It is argued that the language deployed in opposition to these ideas displays a shared emphasis on the clear, certain, and reliable, and that which might be attained by human means. Projecting the emphases and assertions of these writers onto their audience, and locating it within a contemporary climate, the article thus questions the emphasis historians of religion place on the intangible-on faith-in considering the production and the reception of Reformation controversy.
On the inherent semantic meaning of double object Latinate verbs in English in modern and historical perspective *
Authors: Sówka-Pietraszewska Katarzyna
Published: May 2015

This paper shows the realization of arguments of Latinate double object verbs and an analysis of their inherent semantic meaning in the Late Middle English and early Modern English periods, hence in the time-span when they were borrowed into English. The main aim of this paper is to show that although Latinate verbs occur in a construction with what seems to be an allative preposition, not all of them lexicalize movement in the inherent meanings. In contrast, some Latinate verbs lexicalize only a caused possession. What is more, this paper shows that the caused possession Latinate verbs select a different variant of prepositional object construction than the one selected by Latinate verbs lexicalizing movement.