Target-cultural ‘facts’ – Do they really exist?: A critical assessment of Toury’s Descriptive Translation Studies

Gideon Toury pioneered Descriptive Translation Studies as a science based on observation, (re)defining translation as a target-cultural ‘fact’ and, thus, shifting the focus to the translation as a product which can and should be studied without any methodological presumptions. However, this proves illusive, as it falsely supposes neutrality in research. Arguing that there could be no strict separation between description and evaluation, I will argue that— if we are to fully understand its complex nature—translation cannot be properly viewed as an exclusively target-cultural phenomenon. An overview of some alternative concepts that allow a more balanced perspective will be given

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES OF NON LINEAR MODELLING FOR COMPOSITE STRUCTURES IN SEISMIC AREA

2013/2014Nella presente tesi si sono analizzate le principali problematiche relative alla modellazione non lineare delle strutture composte intelaiate in zona sismica. Nella prima parte si sono esaminati in dettaglio i criteri attualmente adottati nella progettazione classica delle strutture intelaiate composte acciaio-calcestruzzo, facendo principalmente riferimento alle indicazioni sismiche fornite dall’Eurocodice 8. Successivamente si è affrontato il tema della progettazione del giunto composto, a questo proposito si è definito un iter progettuale con una procedura semplificata passo-passo utilizzando un software sviluppato in Excel. Tale software è stato sviluppato con lo scopo principale di facilitare la progettazione dei giunti saldati e flangiati indicando i passi e le verifiche da eseguire fino all’ottenimento della risposta in termini di momento-rotazione. La procedura di progettazione è stata poi validata sulla base di un test sperimentale per entrambi i giunti. Nel terzo capitolo è stata affrontata la tematica relativa alla modellazione non lineare della struttura con riferimento ad un telaio multipiano oggetto di studio di ricerca presso l’università del Sannio. Le non linearità del telaio si sono modellate prima attraverso l’uso di cerniere rigido-plastiche e in un secondo momento attraverso molle elasto-plastiche unite alla trave ed alla colonna con dei tratti rigidi. Sono stati forniti tutti i dettagli per una corretta modellazione e uso con il software agli elementi finiti Sap2000 al fine di condurre una analisi statica non lineare di “Pushover”. Per meglio comprendere i reali meccanismi che si vengono a realizzare in prossimità delle zone nodali, si è considerata la modellazione solida 3D agli elementi finiti facendo riferimento al software Abaqus/CAE. Anche in questo caso è stata presentata una procedura di modellazione passo-passo, atta a rendere semplice anche questo tipo di analisi. La modellazione 3D è stata applicata sia alla tipologia di giunto saldato che a quello flangiato. In particolare, si sono analizzati a fondo i modelli di materiale impiegati, studiando la derivazione dei parametri che ne governano il loro comportamento. Si sono inoltre introdotte diverse tecniche di modellazione delle interazioni tra gli elementi che compongono il giunto. Sulla base dei risultati dei test sperimentali condotti presso l’Università Federico II di Napoli, è stato validato il modello agli elementi finiti solidi proposto. L'analisi della risposta numerica ottenuta, sotto un carico monotono si è dimostrata coerente con l’inviluppo della risposta ciclica sperimentale, sia per le risposte locali che per quelle globali. Questo tipo di modellazione si è inoltre dimostrata in grado di predire adeguatamente anche i fenomeni di instabilità locale che avvengono nelle fasi finali di comportamento del giunto. In conclusione, si può affermare che la tesi qui sviluppata può costituire un primo punto di partenza per la progettazione sismica delle strutture composte acciaio-calcestruzzo, argomento particolarmente complesso e articolato. Inoltre, il fatto che il modello numerico agli elementi finiti di tipo solido sviluppato si sia dimostrato particolarmente affidabile per lo studio di questo tipo di strutture, può fare propendere per un suo ampio utilizzo nello sviluppo preliminare di nuovi prototipi di giunti composti.XXVII Ciclo196

Target-cultural ‘facts’ – Do they really exist? A critical assessment of Toury’s Descriptive Translation Studies

Gideon Toury pioneered Descriptive Translation Studies as a science based on observation, (re)defining translation as a target-cultural ‘fact’ and, thus, shifting the focus to the translation as a product which can and should be studied without any methodological presumptions. However, this proves illusive, as it falsely supposes neutrality in research. Arguing that there could be no strict separation between description and evaluation, I will argue that— if we are to fully understand its complex nature—translation cannot be properly viewed as an exclusively target-cultural phenomenon. An overview of some alternative concepts that allow a more balanced perspective will be given

Critical illness myopathy : mechanisms and pharmacological interventions

The human body typically contains over 600 skeletal muscles that make up about 40% of total body weight. These muscles work together to perform functions such as locomotion, breathing, mastication, heat regulation and speech. Skeletal muscles can change their size and protein content in response to endogenous or exogenous signals, including physical, neural or chemical ones. Critically ill patients, usually treated intensively, are prone to developing a condition of muscle wasting and paralysis, called critical illness myopathy (CIM), where limb and truck muscles suffer severe atrophy and loss of force production capacity coupled with a preferential myosin loss, but craniofacial muscles remain less affected. Triggers of CIM are thought to be the exposure to the intensive care unit (ICU) interventions per se, such as unloading, mechanical ventilation (MV) and high doses of certain drugs such as muscle relaxants and glucocorticoids (GCs). The rapidly compromised diaphragm function due to the impact of the ventilator has been given a specific name, ventilator induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD). CIM and VIDD have dire consequences and research into their underlying mechanisms is urgently needed. This research is inherently difficult in patients and thus suitable animal models mimicking the ICU condition must be implemented. In this thesis, we used a pig and a rat ICU models with extended periods of immobilization, deep sedation and MV, in which we used different analyses to understand the muscle specific mechanistic differences of the masticatory, limb and the diaphragm muscles. In addition, we explored the effects of two new drugs on skeletal muscles: BGP-15, a chaperone co-inducer and vamorolone, a first-in-class dissociative GC. In paper I, we report that a 5-day GC treatment in the pig ICU model induces numerous transcriptional changes that affect myofiber function in a limb muscle. In paper II, we conclude that the masseter, the main masticatory muscle, is partially protected from CIM effects by several mechanisms that reduce proteolysis, including early heat shock protein (HSPs) activation. In paper III, we report that treatment with BGP-15 activates HSP70 and improves the diaphragm muscle fiber function in young but not old rats. In the last paper, we report differences between the new GC, vamorolone and the traditional GC, prednisolone, in the rat ICU model where the former drug shows less negative effects on fast twitch EDL muscle and both show positive effects on the slow twitch soleus muscle. These results emphasize the uniqueness of each muscle response to ICU interventions and also shed some light on a couple of promising pharmacological interventions that may counteract CIM deleterious effects

Transcultural Misunderstandings: The bilingual practice of Milan Kundera and the search for ‘The Joke’

Milan Kundera’s critical views and his difficult relationship to translation and translators has been frequently a subject of heated discussion and debate among translation scholars and experts. While some show understanding and sympathy for Kundera’s radical attitude and his uncompromising demand for fidelity, others see in him an author who desperately wants to assert his authority as sole owner of the text, referring to his interventions in the translation process as expression of an ‘essentialist’ desire or need to control meaning translingually. While demanding utmost loyalty from translators, Kundera himself takes full liberty when translating his own work, making significant editions and creating different versions of the same text in different languages. The history of his novel The Joke is symptomatic of the contradictions pertinent to Kundera’s bilingual practice. In this paper, I will discuss the problem of translation and the relationship between original and translation in Kundera’s work. Drawing on the themes of misunderstanding, remembrance and forgetting in The Joke, it will be argued that Kundera deliberately uses misunderstanding as a special mode of reading/writing. While apparently seeking to create a ‘definite’ version, Kundera’s rewriting practice rather erases boundaries and raise serious questions regarding what can be considered a translation and what is supposed to be an original

Transformational leadership in action: A case study on the role of NGOs in reducing poverty and catalyzing social change in Egypt.

This study presents the concept of transformational leadership and suggests that non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as transformational leading agencies, have a vital role in addressing community needs in Egypt. The study is conducted using the qualitative research method, focusing on the case study of Alashanek Ya Balady Association for Sustainable Development (AYB-SD), which is an Egyptian NGO directing its efforts towards poverty alleviation and social change in the district of Old Cairo in Cairo. The study inspects the different programs of the NGO using the SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges) approach that examines the internal and external environments in which the NGO operates. Moreover, throughout the study, reference is made to the efforts of the state, or lack thereof, in supporting the work of NGOs in Egypt. Finally, the study concludes by providing recommendations for the government as well as the NGOs, which can enhance their work and, hopefully, help them in paving the road to a more developed Egypt

ALIGNING THE APPEAL OF ENTREPRENEURS TO INVESTORS: WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR AN OPTIMAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING MODULE IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA TO BETTER ENGAGE ENTREPRENEURS WITH INVESTORS

Little of the available funding reaches entrepreneurs and SMEs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This lack of financing ability, known as credit rationing, is mainly due to information asymmetries and is a pressing issue in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government is relying on the entrepreneurship and SMEs subsector to diversify the Kingdom’s economy away from the dominance of oil and to create jobs for young Saudis who are underemployed. This study aims to answer a question that hypothesizes that entrepreneurs need an optimal training module to understand the types of information that investors utilize in investment decisions and the type of “signals” from entrepreneurs that inspire confidence in investors. The human capital theory suggests that a quality training program can establish a skill base that will improve return on investment. The signaling theory suggests that the challenge of imperfect information can be largely overcome by training entrepreneurs to send more accurate and more targeted signals to investors regarding their character, skills, and the viability of their projects. The study uses both quantitative and qualitative methods in data collection. The research was conducted within the Saudi cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, where most of the entrepreneurial activities and SMEs development are located. It suffered some limitations due to access to data and the conservativeness of the Saudi population in responding to academic studies that affected the sample size The findings reveal that entrepreneurs with an in-depth understanding of investors’ due diligence process are more likely to invest adequately to assemble appropriate skill sets and learn to signal the characteristics that investors appreciate while tailoring their ventures and business plans to meet investors’ ideals. A training module that includes these components can be vital in overcoming credit rationing in the Kingdom. Universities, mainly business schools, may play a significant role in providing the optimal training module, with collaboration from investors. This study contributes to the literature by representing the history of the entrepreneurship and SMEs development in the Kingdom through three main periodical stages. Also, it identifies the assessment studies that international management consultants prepared to several Saudi government agencies in the subject field. This contribution is more likely to help future researchers in having more practical information about the entrepreneurship and SMEs ecosystem in the Kingdom. Furthermore, the study has implications on entrepreneurship and SMEs development stakeholders such as entrepreneurs, investors, training institutes, and regulators. Few recommendations are proposed. The study concludes with suggestions for research in related subject areas in Saudi Arabia and potentially other countries with similar economies

Decellularised Human Pancreata and Liver for the study of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Development, Metastasis and Chemoresistance

Background and Aims: Over 80% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are diagnosed with concurrent metastases. Over the last 50 years, conventional treatment approaches have had little impact on the course of this disease. Therefore, the development of new treatment strategies to control PDAC is needed. We propose the use of 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds that could redefine in vitro models of PDAC and preclinical testing of novel therapies. Methods: Decellularised human pancreata and livers were characterised for the elimination of cellular material and preservation of ECM proteins and micro-architecture using histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantification kits. Both primary (PANC-1 and MIA PaCa-2) and metastatic pancreatic tumour cells (PK-1) were seeded onto 5 mm3 scaffolds, as well as 2D cultures. Histological analyses were used to confirm cell attachment and migration/invasion. Further, changes in protein expression (IHC) and gene expression (qPCR and RNAseq) were evaluated at day 14 post reseeding. Treatments with doxorubicin and Gemcitabine were performed; viability (AlamarBlue), protein expression (IHC) and gene expression (RNAseq) analyses were performed to test therapy-resistance in the 3D systems. Results: All primary PDAC cell lines were able to migrate and invade the pancreas scaffolds whereas several of these cells were only able to attach superficially onto the liver scaffolds. PK1 cells were able to exclusively migrate and invade the liver scaffolds and only attached superficially onto the pancreatic scaffolds. These differences were supported by significant deregulations in gene and protein expression (i.e. MMP9, WNT1, β-CATENIN) between pancreas scaffolds, liver scaffolds and 2D culture. Interestingly, both primary and metastatic cells were found significantly more resistant to all chemotherapy treatments in the 3D models when compared to 2D cultures, even though confocal microscopy confirmed the uptake of drugs into the cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that primary and metastatic pancreatic cancer cells manifest a conserved invasive behaviour depending on the 3D ECM structure of origin. Moreover, there is an evident alteration in cell response to different cancer-therapies in the presence of a natural ECM niche. These observations provide a proof of concept for the development of an effective bio-engineered model for drug discovery, therapy screening and biomarker discovery