Conflicting voices in literary discourse - A corpus analysis of you and one

UID/ELT/00657/2013This paper discusses the possibilities of a corpus analysis applied to literary study and interpretation. It is thus its goal to present some findings related to the disambiguation of some pronominal references, i.e. you and one, as they occur in speech and thought presentation in prose fiction, across periods in the 20th century. The texts selected are two of Virginia Woolf's novels (early and late modernist period) and one by Hugo Hamilton (in the postmodern era). The analysis benefits from a multi-layered interpretive framework drawing on discou rse analysis, corpus-based approaches and literary study, particularly in that it unpacks ways in which writers make use of linguistic structures. These involve readers in a dialogic interpretation of the text's "polyphony" and "heteroglossia", either conveying the generic pronoun reference or the protagonist's inner voice.publishersversionpublishe

Living in between a house and a home: Where’s the comfort zone anyway? Dislocated identities in Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street

Este artículo propone una reflexión sobre representaciones literarias del hogar en contraste con las colocaciones existentes en los medios, en el ámbito psicológico y sociológico (hogar vs zona de confort). La elección de dos textos poscoloniales, uno de Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970), y otro de Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (1984), proporciona el punto de partida para el análisis de experiencias sociales y culturales cambiantes, centrando la atención en la búsqueda de identidad de los personajes en un marco multicultural y multilingüe como es Estados Unidos. El artículo ofrece una breve aproximación teórica (Anderson 1991) para después centrarse en un estudio de corpus que permite cartografiar estas transformaciones y desplazamientos (Baker 2006), recurriendo al mismo tiempo a un detallado análisis de los contextos en los que aparecen las palabras clave hogar y casa, junto con sus patrones de colocación, en los textos estudiados (del nivel oracional al textual, siguiendo a Biber et al. 1998; Sinclair 2004, entre otros). Este análisis pretende finalmente revelar el modo en el que las escritoras emplean las estructuras lingüísticas y, más importante aún, qué significa sentirse en casa cuando los personajes nunca se han sentido bienvenidos, o la lucha interna / externa de los personajes por desarrollar un sentido de pertenencia en entornos perturbados.This paper aims to provide a reflection on literary representations of home alternatively to current collocations in the media, in the psychological and sociological realm (home vs comfort zone). The selection of two postcolonial texts, one by Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970), and another by Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (1984), provides ways-in to discuss changing social and cultural experiences with a focus on characters’ search for identity in a multicultural and multilingual setting, as is the one in the United States. The study will depart from a brief theoretical survey (Anderson 1991) to a corpus-based approach which maps such shifts and changes (Baker 2006) while resorting to a close analysis of contexts of occurrence of the keywords home and house, along with their patterns of collocation, in the texts under scope (from the sentence to the textual levels, following Biber et al. 1998; Sinclair 2004, among other). The analysis is meant to unveil ways in which writers make use of linguistic structures and most importantly what it means to be at home when characters never felt welcome there, or characters’ inner / outer struggle to develop a sense of belonging in disrupted settings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Where’s the comfort zone anyway? Dislocated Identities in Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Cisnero’s The House of Mango Street

UIDB/00657/2020 UIDP/00657/2020Este artículo propone una reflexión sobre representaciones literarias del hogar en contraste con las colocaciones existentes en los medios, en el ámbito psicológico y sociológico (hogar vs zona de confort). La elección de dos textos poscoloniales, uno de Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970), y otro de Sandra Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (1984), proporciona el punto de partida para el análisis de experiencias sociales y culturales cambiantes, centrando la atención en la búsqueda de identidad de los personajes en un marco multicultural y multilingüe como es Estados Unidos. El artículo ofrece una breve aproximación teórica (Anderson 1991) para después centrarse en un estudio de corpus que permite cartografiar estas transformaciones y desplazamientos (Baker 2006), recurriendo al mismo tiempo a un detallado análisis de los contextos en los que aparecen las palabras clave hogar y casa, junto con sus patrones de colocación, en los textos estudiados (del nivel oracional al textual, siguiendo a Biber et al. 1998; Sinclair 2004, entre otros). Este análisis pretende finalmente revelar el modo en el que las escritoras emplean las estructuras lingüísticas y, más importante aún, qué significa sentirse en casa cuando los personajes nunca se han sentido bienvenidos, o la lucha interna / externa de los personajes por desarrollar un sentido de pertenencia en entornos perturbados. This paper aims to provide a reflection on literary representations of home alternatively to current collocations in the media, in the psychological and sociological realm (home vs comfort zone). The selection of two postcolonial texts, one by Morrison, The Bluest Eye (1970), and another by Cisneros, The House on Mango Street (1984), provides ways-in to discuss changing social and cultural experiences with a focus on characters’ search for identity in a multicultural and multilingual setting, as is the one in the United States. The study will depart from a brief theoretical survey (Anderson 1991) to a corpus-based approach which maps such shifts and changes (Baker 2006) while resorting to a close analysis of contexts of occurrence of the keywords home and house, along with their patterns of collocation, in the texts under scope (from the sentence to the textual levels, following Biber et al. 1998; Sinclair 2004, among other). The analysis is meant to unveil ways in which writers make use of linguistic structures and most importantly what it means to be at home when characters never felt welcome there, or characters’ inner / outer struggle to develop a sense of belonging in disrupted settings.publishersversionpublishe

“You must, pardon, you should” - Being polite across cultures

Drawing on an empirical study undertaken in 1998-9 and 2008, this paper suggests a renewed and refreshing view (Micklos 2001: 5) on an ever-problem posing issue as is the role of modality in communicative and intercultural competence. In fact, this diachronic case study aims at reassessing some evidence on EFL learners’/undergraduates’ reading habits in a FL context, grounded on empirical research undertaken in Madeira Island in 1998-1999 compared with data collected in 2008. The former involved a representative number of informants: 12 th form Humanities students ( n = 197) and first- and second-year undergraduates ( n = 57) taking English - Joint Honours - at the University of Madeira. Their response to a questionnaire on reading habits, purposes, strategies and text types in English as a foreign language, has offered renewed insights on a changing trend in the use of modals by EFL undergraduates for global communication. The analysis of respondents’ use of modals (1998/9-2008) unearths a shifting cline from the use of “must” to “should”. Consequently, it is necessary to ponder on how demands of a society associated with globalisation have affected patterns of education / instruction in both secondary and higher education. In this paper it is thus argued that fostering speakers’ linguistic and discursive awareness with an emphasis on the grammatical, pragmatic and semantic levels, contrastively, contributes to speakers’ awareness of specificities of both their mother tongue and foreign/additional language in a dialogic and dynamic way

Starvation combined with constant anode potential triggers intracellular electron storage in electro-active biofilms

The accumulation of electrons in the form of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) and poly-hydroxyalkanoates (PHA) has been studied in anaerobic processes by adjusting the access of microorganisms to the electron donor and final electron acceptor. In Bio-electrochemical systems (BESs), intermittent anode potential regimes have also recently been used to study electron storage in anodic electro-active biofilms (EABfs), but the effect of electron donor feeding mode on electron storage has not been explored. Therefore, in this study, the accumulation of electrons in the form of EPS and PHA was studied as a function of the operating conditions. EABfs were grown under both constant and intermittent anode potential regimes and fed with acetate (electron donor) continuously or in batch. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM) and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to assess electron storage. The range of Coulombic efficiencies, from 25 to 82%, and the biomass yields, between 10 and 20%, indicate that storage could have been an alternative electron consuming process. From image processing, a 0.92 pixel ratio of poly-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and amount of cells was found in the batch fed EABf grown under a constant anode potential. This storage was linked to the presence of living Geobacter and shows that energy gain and carbon source starvation were the triggers for intracellular electron storage. The highest EPS content (extracellular storage) was observed in the continuously fed EABf under an intermittent anode potential, showing that constant access to electron donor and intermittent access to the electron acceptor leads to the formation of EPS from the excess energy gained. Tailoring operating conditions can thus steer the microbial community and result in a trained EABf to perform a desired biological conversion, which can be beneficial for a more efficient and optimized BES.</p

The protective effect of Pseudomonas in syntrophic fatty acids degradation under microaerophilic conditions

Micro-aeration has been used in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems to improve some aspects of this multifunctional and flexible technology. The addition of vestigial amounts of oxygen is usually associated with an increase of the relative abundance of facultative anaerobic bacteria (FAB) in the microbial community. Besides being involved in fermentation/acidogenesis, FAB have been referred to act as a protective shield against the damaging effects of oxidative environments to the strict anaerobic organisms of these communities. The microbial relationships between FAB, syntrophic bacteria and methanogens were investigated, during the degradation of short (C4), medium (C8) and long (C16) chain fatty acids by two syntrophic cultures (Syntrophomonas species and a methanogenic partner) in the presence of facultative bacteria (two Pseudomonas sp.). Pseudomonas were added to the pre-grown syntrophic pair, along with the substrate and a range of O2 concentrations (0-10% v/v). The grown cultures then were transferred a second time, with the same substrate and to all the O2 conditions previously tested. The cultures were followed through CH4, VFA, LCFA and pH measurements. In the presence of O2 (up to 2%) an effective syntrophic relationship, as well as the maintenance of methanogenic activity, was only possible in the presence of FAB. Cultures exposed to O2 in the first incubation performed well when transferred back to anaerobic conditions. Moreover, at the second phase, Pseudomonas maintained its protective shield effect and most of the cultures previously developed under micro-aerobic conditions could also maintain its activity. This work demonstrates that the presence of Pseudomonas contributes for a more resilient and functional syntrophic consortium degrading fatty acids under micro-aerobic conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Long-term acclimation of anaerobic sludges for high-rate methanogenesis from LCFA

Inhibition of methanogens by long chain fatty acids (LCFA) and the low numbers of LCFA-degrading bacteria are limitations to exploit biogas production from fat-rich wastewaters. Generally reactors fail due to excessive LCFA accumulation onto the sludge. Here, long-term acclimation and bioaugmentation with a LCFA-degrading coculture were hypothesized as strategies to enhance methanogenic conversion of these compounds. Anaerobic sludges previously exposed to LCFA for more than 100 days converted a specific biomass-associated substrate of (3.2 ± 0.1) kg·kg−1 with very short lag phases (<1 day), whereas non-acclimated sludges showed lag phases of 11–15 days for metabolizing (1.6–1.8) kg·kg−1. Addition of a coculture of Syntrophomonas zehnderi and Methanobacterium formicicum to sludges previously loaded with LCFA and containing different amounts of biomass-associated substrate (from (0.5–3.2) kg·kg−1) did not improve methane production neither lag phases were shortened, indicating that the endogenous microbiota are not a limiting factor. Clearly, we show that long-term sludge acclimation to LCFA is essential for high rate methanogenesis from LCFA.The authors acknowledge the financial support by the European Regional Development Fund - ERDF, through the Operational Program Thematic Factors of Competitiveness - COMPETE, and by Portuguese funds, through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), in the frame of the project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014784. FCT Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013 is also acknowledged. A.J. Cavaleiro thanks FCT for the post-doctoral fellowship ref. SFRH/BPD/75247/2010. A.J.M. Stams has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement n. [323009]

Inhibition studies with 2-bromoethanesulfonate reveal a novel syntrophic relationship in anaerobic oleate degradation

Degradation of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) in methanogenic environments is a syntrophic process involving the activity of LCFA-degrading bacteria and hydrogen-utilizing methanogens. If methanogens are inhibited, other hydrogen scavengers are needed to achieve complete LCFA degradation. In this work, we developed two different oleate (C18:1 LCFA)-degrading anaerobic enrichment cultures, one methanogenic (ME) and another in which methanogenesis was inhibited (IE). Inhibition of methanogens was attained by adding a solution of 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BrES), which turned out to consist of a mixture of BrES and isethionate. Approximately 5 times faster oleate degradation was accomplished by the IE culture compared with the ME culture. A bacterium closely related to Syntrophomonas zehnderi (99\% 16S rRNA gene identity) was the main oleate degrader in both enrichments, in syntrophic relationship with hydrogenotrophic methanogens from the genera Methanobacterium and Methanoculleus (in ME culture) or with a bacterium closely related to Desulfovibrio aminophilus (in IE culture). A Desulfovibrio species was isolated, and its ability to utilize hydrogen was confirmed. This bacterium converted isethionate to acetate and sulfide, with or without hydrogen as electron donor. This bacterium also utilized BrES but only after 3 months of incubation. Our study shows that syntrophic oleate degradation can be coupled to desulfonation.IMPORTANCE In anaerobic treatment of complex wastewater containing fat, oils, and grease, high long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) concentrations may inhibit microbial communities, particularly those of methanogens. Here, we investigated if anaerobic degradation of LCFAs can proceed when methanogens are inhibited and in the absence of typical external electron acceptors, such as nitrate, iron, or sulfate. Inhibition studies were performed with the methanogenic inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BrES). We noticed that, after autoclaving, BrES underwent partial hydrolysis and turned out to be a mixture of two sulfonates (BrES and isethionate). We found out that LCFA conversion proceeded faster in the assays where methanogenesis was inhibited, and that it was dependent on the utilization of isethionate. In this study, we report LCFA degradation coupled to desulfonation. Our results also showed that BrES can be utilized by anaerobic bacteria.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of the UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004), funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020—Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. We also acknowledge Project MultiBiorefinery (SAICTPAC/0040/2015 [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403]), funded by Sistema de Apoio à Investigação Científica e Tecnológica (SAICT), Programas de Atividades Conjuntas (PAC), and the financial support of the European Research Council under the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC (grant agreement 323009)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

XXX Jornadas Luso-Españolas de Gestión Científica. Cooperación transfronteriza: desarrollo y cohesión territorial: libro de actas - Vol. III

As XXX Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Gestão Científica (XXX JLE 2020), que tinham como tema principal ‘Cooperação transfronteiriça: desenvolvimento e coesão territorial’ decorreram entre os dias 5 e 8 de fevereiro de 2020, com a participação de mais de 270 conferencistas. Para além das mais de 200 comunicações apresentadas, envolvendo um total de 564 investigadores nacionais e internacionais, as XXXJLE 2020 contaram com a presença de alguns distintos convidados, começando no dia 6 de fevereiro na Sessão com os editores das revistas (Helena Alves, João Ferreira e António Navarro; Bernabé Escobar como moderador) e no dia 7 de fevereiro com a Mesa-Redonda onde se refletiu sobre Cooperação Transfronteiriça: Desenvolvimento e coesão territorial (Isabel Ferreira, Fernando Freire de Sousa, Raquel Rocha, João Bule, José Luis Prieto e Paula Franco; Miguel André Cabral como moderador). Foram, ainda, distinguidos 22 trabalhos científicos que apresentaram uma elevada qualidade científica. A todos, investigadores, conferencistas e convidados, se fica a dever o êxito científico das XXX Jornadas Luso Espanholas de Gestão Científica. Os quatro volumes de atas que agora se publicam são fruto da totalidade das comunicações dos investigadores apresentadas nas XXX JLE 2020, agrupadas em 19 capítulos, de acordo com a sessão paralela em que foram apresentadas, cobrindo, assim, praticamente todas as áreas das ciências empresariais: Administração Pública; Contabilidade; Desenvolvimento Regional; Docência: Metodologia e Experiências docentes; Empreendedorismo; Economia Social; Empresa Familiar; Estratégia; Ética e Responsabilidade Social; Finanças; Fiscalidade; Gestão das Organizações sem Fins Lucrativos; Gestão de Desporto; Inovação e Gestão do Conhecimento; Marketing; Organização de Empresas; Recursos Humanos; Turismo; Jovens investigadores em ciências económicas e empresariais. A Organização das XXX JLE 2020, a publicação do livro de resumos, a publicação do livro de atas são o resultado do esforço conjunto de várias pessoas e instituições. Fica aqui expresso o reconhecimento e gratidão à Presidência do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, à Direção da Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão e à Câmara Municipal de Bragança pelas condições logísticas proporcionadas e por todo o apoio recebido, à Pró-Presidência para a Comunicação e aos Serviços de Imagem do IPB, à Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia e à Unidade de Investigação Aplicada em Gestão (UNIAG), a todas as entidades públicas e privadas que patrocinaram a realização das XXX JLE 2020, a todos os membros das Sessões de Abertura e de Encerramento das XXX JLE 2020, a todos os membros da Comissão Científica (Portuguesa e Espanhola), aos conferencistas, aos investigadores e aos moderadores das diferentes sessões, pela excelente qualidade dos trabalhos apresentados e pelo rigor e profundidade com que os diversos temas foram abordados e discutidos. Por último, mas não menos importante, à Comissão Organizadora e respetivo Staff por aceitarem mais este desafio e por ‘viajarem’ comigo nesta longa, árdua, mas profícua jornada e por todo o suporte desde o primeiro minuto, o meu Muito Obrigada! A finalizar e em nome da Comissão Organizadora gostaria de expressar o nosso voto final e desejar que estas Jornadas Luso-Espanholas de Gestão Científica continuem a ter todo o êxito e força que têm vindo a demonstrar, a ensinar e que proporcionem não só, momentos de reflexão e debate sobre as questões mais prementes para e no futuro, bem como a discussão de novos desafios e oportunidades de cooperação em rede, transferência e partilha de conhecimento.Financiado por UNIAG, unidade de I&D financiada pela FCT – Fundação para a ciência e a Tecnologia, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, no âmbito do Projeto n.º UIDP/04752/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio