The Masculine Sea and the Impossibility of Awakening in Chopin's the Awakening

Kate Chopin has a firm place in American women's writing. A persistent theme in her works is said to be women's emotional liberation. The Awakening (1899) as a feminist novel is no exception. In the novel, Edna's inner voice and desire for escape from a male-dominated society awaken in her. Edna's suicide has been interpreted as her victory over the society however, this study argues that the idea of female defeat has been ignored to a great extent the main reason for which is the ignorance or a misreading of sea imagery. The sea of the novel that dissolves Edna is a signifier of male society and language signifying Edna's failure to find a place within the male dialogue of the society. Extra-marital relationships with Alcee or Robert are not promising, for the climax of such relationships is no more than the old requirement of becoming the good wife and mother that the society prescribes to women. By her ultimate suicidal choice, Edna determines to find a voice and be seen but is totally perished instead to prove that women cannot speak. This study intends to argue and conclude that Chopin had this Kristevaesque belief that the male socio-cultural formation does not let women experience freedom. A new interpretation of the sea as a patriarchal element is offered which makes Edna's drowning a total defeat rather than victory as suggested by many critics

The Ideological Questions of Marriage in Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure

As one of the prominent ideologies of the nineteenth-century— in a complex interrelation with other contemporary ideological discourses particularly femininity and marriage—religion adopts a critical stance in Hardy's presentation of characters. Breaching the religio-conventional image of femininity as “Angel in the House” and “Cow Woman,” Hardy's Jude the Obscure (1895) is indeed deemed to be his milestone in presenting his anti-Christian attitudes towards the contemporary religion. This study aims to present Hardy's outright hostility towards the nineteenth-century Christianity through his creation of non-conformist characters, necessitating a parallel study with other contemporary discourses regarding marriage and femininity, and conflict with the religion of the time. Hardy's magnum opus, the work on which he was to stake his final reputation as a novelist, was clearly Jude the Obscure which as a noticeable socio-religious experimentation of the late nineteenth-century, reveals Hardy's perception of new ideas about femininity and marriage by presenting the hot contemporary issues of “New Woman” and “Free Union” through the development and presentation of Sue Bridehead and her free union with Jude, respectively. Hardy's presentation of Sue Bridehead as a “New Woman,” and employing the “Free Union” in marked contrast with the nineteenth-century convention of marriage as a “Bonded Pair” is Hardy's closing upshot of his final novelistic attempt. The non-conformist Jude and Sue are presented as figures touching the Victorian Christian standards of morality, while, the final tragic destiny of Jude and Sue's helplessness attest to the writer's substantial contribution as a Victorian male novelist to the ideologies circulating at the time

Vibrational spectroscopic force field studies of dimethyl sulfoxide and hexakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)scandium(III) iodide, and crystal and solution structure of the hexakis(dimethyl sulfoxide)scandium(III) ion

Hexakis(dimethyl sulfoxide) scandium(III) iodide, [Sc(OS(CH3)(2))(6)]I-3 contains centrosymmetric hexasolvated scandium(III) ions with an Sc-O bond distance of 2.069(3) Angstrom. EXAFS spectra yield a mean Sc-O bond distance of 2.09(1) Angstrom for solvated scandium(III) ions in dimethyl sulfoxide solution, consistent with six-coordination. Raman and infrared absorption spectra have been recorded, also of the deuterated compound, and analysed by means of normal coordinate methods, together with spectra of dimethyl sulfoxide. The effects on the vibrational spectra of the weak intermolecular C-H...O interactions and of the dipole dipole interactions in liquid dimethyl sulfoxide have been evaluated, in particular for the S O stretching mode. The strong Raman band at 1043.6 cm(-1) and the intense IR absorption at 1062.6 cm(-1) have been assigned as the S-O stretching frequencies of the dominating species in liquid dimethyl sulfoxide, evaluated as centrosymmetric dimers with antiparallel polar S-O groups. The shifts of vibrational frequencies and force constants for coordinated dimethyl sulfoxide ligands in hexasolvated trivalent metal ion complexes are discussed. Hexasolvated scandium( III) ions are found in dimethyl sulfoxide solution and in [Sc(OSMe2)(6)]I-3. The iodide ion dipole attraction shifts the methyl group C H stretching frequency for (S-)C-H...I- more than for the intermolecular (S-)C-H...O interactions in liquid dimethyl sulfoxide

Constraints on Extragalactic Point Source Flux from Diffuse Neutrino Limits

We constrain the maximum flux from extragalactic neutrino point sources by using diffuse neutrino flux limits. We show that the maximum flux from extragalactic point sources is E^2(dN/dE) < 1.4 x 10^-9 (L_nu/2x10^43 erg/s)^1/3 GeV cm-^2 s^-1 from individual point sources with average neutrino luminosity per decade, L_nu. It depends only slightly on factors such as the inhomogeneous matter density distribution in the local universe, the luminosity distribution, and the assumed spectral index. The derived constraints are at least one order of magnitude below the current experimental limits from direct searches. Significant constraints are also derived on the number density of neutrino sources and on the total neutrino power density.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, and 2 table

Tomato waste as feedstock to extract phenolic compounds with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivity

Introduction: Tomato industry is one of the most developed at world level and produces a lot of by-products. Recently tomato peels and seeds (TP) consider as feedstock to extract bioactive fractions like phenolic compounds. In this work two different TP from Italian plant were selected to profile the flavonoids contents and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Material & Methods: Tomato peel+seed fraction from conventional (TP-CONV) and biological (TP-BIO) cultivation systems were sampled and dried, and were characterized. Polyphenols were profiled by HPLC, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was evaluated by TEAC and FRAP methods. Immunomodulating effects were evaluated by using Caco-2 cells transfected with a pNiFty2-Luc vector. Enzyme inhibitory activity was assessed against intestinal \u3b1-glucosidase and pancreatic \u3b1-amylase. Results: Total polyphenol content were the same in both TP-BIO and TP-CONV however identified phenolic compounds showed distinctive distribution. Both sample extracts expressed antioxidant , anti-inflammatory and enzyme inhibitory activities. Conclusion: This study highlights the promising TP extracts antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory, and inhibition on the activity of enzymes related to release/uptake of glucose. These waste products can be recovered and be regarded as potential nutraceutical sources as low-cost but nutritional supplements either in food production as functional ingredients and nutraceuticals or in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries

Characterization of pigmented cereal grains and production of functional food: anthocyanins-enriched pasta

This study was aimed at characterizing the anthocyanin profile in different varieties of pigmented corn and wheat and in some of their milling fractions, at assessing the anthocyanins and polyphenol profiles, and at investigating the anti-inflammatory and enzyme-inhibiting activities of these materials. Acid/ethanol extracts were used to assess total anthocyanins, overall antioxidant activity, the overall polyphenol profile, and for evaluating the inhibition of pancreatic a-amylase and of intestinal alpha-glucosidase. Dose-dependent inhibition of both enzymes was evident in all extracts within the same range of bioactives concentration, although with a different efficiency of individual extracts towards each enzyme. Anti-inflammatory response was evaluated by using acid-free extracts and a cellular model based on Caco-2 cells transiently transfected with a luciferase reporter gene responding to cytokine stimulation. The response of interleukin-stimulated cells decreased significantly in a dose-responsive manner in the presence of 20-50 micromol/liter anthocyanins from all grains extracts, again with a different efficiency. By comparing the different inhibitory ability of extracts from the various sources, it appears that the observed effects are in most cases higher than what observed in similar extracts from other sources, and that the activity in each extract may be related to specific synergies between anthocyanins and polyphenols. Therefore, we attempted to incorporate these materials into staple food. Purple pasta was prepared by introducing anthocyanin-rich fractions from purple wheat (PWF1 & PWF2), into soft wheat flour and durum wheat semolina. Bioactive levels were assessed in the different types of pasta after production and after cooking. Acid/ethanol extracts from cooked pasta retained high levels of TAC and TPC, as well as significant anti-oxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties on cell models, and enzyme inhibitory activities. Thus, in conclusion, it can be stated that foods incorporating a naturally rich source of bioactive compounds. retain beneficial properties for the organism also after cooking

Use of creative tools, technologies, processes and practices in the sectors of Art, Media, and Architecture: State-of the-Art and desired future scenarios

The aim of the paper is to analyse and present the preliminary findings of the EU FP7 funded CRe-AM project for the Art, Media, and Architecture sectors. This project bridges communities of technology providers and innovators with the creative industries, with the aim to build sector-specific dynamic roadmaps for the future of the European creative industries by examining the current state-of-the-art tools, technologies, processes, and practices supporting the creative process against the future scenarios envisioned by stakeholders in these sectors.This work was carried out as part of CRe-AM project, which is supported by European Commission (grant agreement n°612451)

The Ideological Questions of Marriage in Thomas Hardy’s Jude the Obscure

As one of the prominent ideologies of the nineteenth-century— in a complex interrelation with other contemporary ideological discourses particularly femininity and marriage—religion adopts a critical stance in Hardy’s presentation of characters. Breaching the religio-conventional image of femininity as “Angel in the House” and “Cow Woman,” Hardy’s Jude the Obscure (1895) is indeed deemed to be his milestone in presenting his anti-Christian attitudes towards the contemporary religion. This study aims to present Hardy’s outright hostility towards the nineteenth-century Christianity through his creation of non-conformist characters, necessitating a parallel study with other contemporary discourses regarding marriage and femininity, and conflict with the religion of the time. Hardy’s magnum opus, the work on which he was to stake his final reputation as a novelist, was clearly Jude the Obscure which as a noticeable socio-religious experimentation of the late nineteenth-century, reveals Hardy’s perception of new ideas about femininity and marriage by presenting the hot contemporary issues of “New Woman” and “Free Union” through the development and presentation of Sue Bridehead and her free union with Jude, respectively. Hardy’s presentation of Sue Bridehead as a “New Woman,” and employing the “Free Union” in marked contrast with the nineteenth-century convention of marriage as a “Bonded Pair” is Hardy’s closing upshot of his final novelistic attempt. The non-conformist Jude and Sue are presented as figures touching the Victorian Christian standards of morality, while, the final tragic destiny of Jude and Sue’s helplessness attest to the writer’s substantial contribution as a Victorian male novelist to the ideologies circulating at the time

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi and aerobic actinomycetes from park soils in Gorgan, North of Iran

Background: Keratinophilic fungi are a group of fungi that colonize in various keratinous substrates and degrade them to the components with low molecular weight. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi and aerobic Actinomycetes in soil of city parks in Gorgan. Objectives: In this study, we surveyed the city park soils of Gorgan (a northern province of Iran) to determine the identities and diversity of soil aerobic Actinomycetes, keratinophilic and non-keratinophilic fungi. Materials and Methods: A total of 244 soil samples were collected from 22 diferent parks of Gorgan, North of Iran. The samples were collected from the superfcial layer with depth not exceeding than 0-10 cm in sterile polyethylene bags. We used hair bait technique for isolation keratinophilic fungi. The colonies identifed by macroscopic and microscopic characterization after slide culturing. Actinomycetes were isolated by antibiotic dilution methods and detected by using physiological tests such as Lysozyme, Casein, Xanthine, Hypoxanthine, Gelatin, Urea Broth, and modifed acid-fast stain. Results: Totally, 75 isolates of aerobic Actinomycetes were detected that Actinomadura madurae and Nocardia asteroides were the most prevalent strains, with 14.66 and 28% prevalence respectively. Microsporum gypseum was more frequent than other keratinophilic fungi (22.96%) and Aspergillus spp. was the most species of saprophyte fungi (15.92%). Conclusions: This study showed that the collected soil from studied areas was rich of keratinophilic fungi and Actinomycetes, therefore hygiene protocol should be taken to prevent the spread of pathogenic and saprophytes fungi in the environment of susceptible person. © 2013, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Measuring process capability for bivariate non-normal process using the bivariate burr distribution

As is well known, process capability analysis for more than one quality variables is a complicated and sometimes contentious area with several quality measures vying for recognition. When these variables exhibit non-normal characteristics, the situation becomes even more complex. The aim of this paper is to measure Process Capability Indices (PCIs) for bivariate non-normal process using the bivariate Burr distribution. The univariate Burr distribution has been shown to improve the accuracy of estimates of PCIs for univariate non-normal distributions (see for example, [7] and [16]). Here, we will estimate the PCIs of bivariate non-normal distributions using the bivariate Burr distribution. The process of obtaining these PCIs will be accomplished in a series of steps involving estimating the unknown parameters of the process using maximum likelihood estimation coupled with simulated annealing. Finally, the Proportion of Non-Conformance (PNC) obtained using this method will be compared with those obtained from variables distributed under the bivariate Beta, Weibull, Gamma and Weibull-Gamma distributions