Women Writers of the Second World War: Country House Fiction from Bowen to Compton-Burnett

The country house is one of the crucial sites in anglophone fiction published just before and after World War II. Each of my chapters converges on a different author – Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Taylor, Ivy Compton-Burnett and Barbara Comyns – to explore how their novels represent species of spaces and class hierarchies in the ancestral mansion or Anglo-Irish ‘big house’. Why these four authors in particular? First, they read, admired and promoted one another’s work. In her regular ‘Book Reviews’ column for The Tatler magazine, Bowen discussed new novels by Taylor, Compton-Burnett and Comyns. Taylor’s attitude to Bowen’s fiction was one of ‘blinkered devotion’, according to Taylor’s biographer Nicola Beauman. Compton-Burnett and Taylor were also friends; their correspondence affords a fascinating glimpse into their narrative strategies and recreational reading habits. Crucially, all four novelists treat the country house as a ‘laboratory’ in which to probe governing systems, family tyrannies, subterfuge and secrets – what Bowen termed those dense ‘thickets of mystery between person and person’ – at precisely that historical moment when the National Trust sought to convert surviving aristocratic manors into ‘heritage’ venues open to the public

Measurement of top-quark pair production in association with charm quarks in proton–proton collisions at √s = 13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

Abstract available from publisher's website

Secure in diversity? Transborder ethnicity, transnational minority activism and ontological (in)security in the European Union

The liberal vision of the early 1990s envisaged the eastward extension of the Western European security community formed during the Cold War, based on intergovernmental cooperation and integration around the shared norms embodied by the European Union (EU), Council of Europe, and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Yet, transborder ethnic ties have remained a security concern within the “New Europe.” As well as the external challenges posed by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, growing transborder nationalism exhibited by Hungary and other states has also become a focus of tensions within the EU. These intra-EU concerns, I argue, should be understood primarily as an issue of ontological security and as part of a multilevel security dilemma implicating states, EU institutions, and national minorities as security-seeking non-state actors. The article focuses on the Federal Union of European Nationalities—a transnational umbrella NGO that in 2013–2021 led an unsuccessful European Citizens’ Initiative named “Minority SafePack” (MSPI) calling upon the European Commission to legislate on firmer guarantees of minority rights within EU member states. Applying the ontological security lens to the study of MSPI, I illustrate how it reflects specific claims voiced by transborder kin-minority activists consistently over the past century, before analyzing the counter-securitizing arguments deployed against it by states. Although MSPI was approved with a large majority within the European Parliament, the Commission ultimately rejected it. I consider why this was the case, as well as the implications of the rejection for the in varietate concordia concept that supposedly undergirds the European project

Paratexts, manuscripts, literature, and understanding

No abstract available

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Oral History

No abstract available

More than just treats? Effects of grandparental support for children growing up in adversity

This study examined whether grandparental support is a protective factor for children's socio-emotional development in the context of adversity. Using longitudinal data from the Millennium Cohort Study, we investigated the effects of grandparental support across development in children with and without adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Socio-emotional development was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire when children were aged 3 years (N = 10,186), 5 years (N = 10,412) and 7 years (N = 10,551). Parent-reported grandparental childcare, coresidence and financial help were assessed and parents reported on the occurrence of five ACEs: physical and emotional abuse assessed with the Straus’ Conflict Tactics Scale, parental mental illness assessed with the Kessler scale, domestic violence and parental separation. We found that children with relatively higher levels of ACEs showed more prosocial behaviour and less externalizing problems when they received grandparental care compared to non-grandparental (in)formal care, but only at age 3. By age 7, children with higher levels of ACEs receiving grandparental care showed less prosocial behaviour and more externalizing problems. In addition, grandparental financial support at age 3 was related to more externalizing problems. Post-hoc analyses showed that internalizing and externalizing behaviours at age 5 were related to an increased probability of grandparental childcare at age 7, indicating that children's socio-emotional problems trigger grandparental support. Our findings point to a protective effect of grandparental care on children's socio-emotional development at age 3. Our results highlight the importance of going beyond the nuclear family towards the impact of the wider family network when examining children's socio-emotional development

In situ shear modulus measurements in a fractured high-porosity chalk mass

This study explores in situ small strain shear modulus in low density structured chalk, a key input parameter in empirical and numerical models. A range of in situ testing procedures, supported by detailed core logging, have highlighted the difficulties and opportunities in characterising the in situ shear modulus of the stiff fractured chalk mass. Over 1000 seismic traces, obtained from tightly-controlled PS logging, borehole geophysical and seismic cone penetration testing were assessed for data quality. Interpretation using the automated cross-correlation technique demonstrated robustness while more time-consuming and subjective approaches were essential for lower quality data. Where comparable measurements were taken, the results tended to be relatively consistent between measurement techniques. The spacing and nature of fractures in the mass was shown to influence the results. The in situ shear modulus from seismic and pressuremeter tests tended to increase steadily from relatively low values at ground level. Sharp increases were seen at the water table, where the fractures became partly-closed and water-filled, with a weak tendency to increase with depth or burial stress thereafter. While laboratory shear modulus significantly exceeded the in situ values in the shallower layers, the results are shown to converge with depth as the fracture frequency reduces. The new in situ shear modulus profile offers important insights and input parameters for chalk-structure interaction models. Based on the results, guidance is offered for obtaining high-quality measurements in structured chalk masses for engineering applications

Zirconium–based MXenes: synthesis, properties, applications, and prospects

Zirconium (Zr) based MXenes are a new type of two–dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and carbonitrides that have attracted significant research interest in recent years. These materials exhibit a unique combination of physicochemical properties, making them attractive for a wide range of applications. Despite this growing attention, a systematic review of their synthesis methods, material properties, and applications is still lacking. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the state of research on Zr–MXenes, covering various aspects from synthesis to applications. The discussion includes an in–depth analysis of the different wet–chemical etching protocols used to obtain Zr–MXenes from Zr–containing MAX phases and the impact of these methods on the morphology of materials. Detailed characterization techniques have revealed important properties of Zr–MXenes, such as hydrophilicity, electrical conductivity, and ion storage capability. Further, this review examines the potential applications of Zr–MXenes in various fields, including energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, corrosion prevention, and biomedical applications. While, Zr–MXenes offer promising prospects, challenges related to large–scale production and property optimization must be addressed to facilitate their widespread adoption. By providing a comprehensive overview of Zr–MXene synthesis, properties, and applications, this review aims to inspire and guide future research and development efforts toward the rational design and utilization of these promising 2D nanomaterials