Domínios semânticos na obra Disgrace de J. M. Coetzee e tradução

Tese de mestrado, Tradução, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, 2012A presente dissertação consiste na aplicação dos domínios semânticos, área-chave da Semiótica Cognitiva (Brandt 2004; Brandt/ Brandt 2005), à análise de excertos de Disgrace da autoria de J.M. Coetzee e da sua tradução para Português Europeu, realizada por José Remelhe, com a revisão literária de Ana Maria Chaves, com o propósito de aquilatar em que medida o reconhecimento dos domínios semânticos, bem como a análise da sua estrutura interna, por parte do tradutor, é fundamental para a tradução da obra. A análise em domínios compreendeu ainda os casos de code-switching enquanto acervos paradigmáticos de diálogo intercultural. A escolha do corpus foi motivada, essencialmente, pelo enfoque temático das interseções interculturais em território sul-africano, no período pós-apartheid, em que as ordens simbólicas e práticas locais africanas colidem com ordens simbólicas e práticas dos ex-colonizadores, causando problemas de comunicação intercultural, passíveis de análise em domínios semânticos. Da análise dos domínios semânticos mais representativos no texto de partida em confronto com o texto de chegada resulta um acervo de questões de tradução, a partir do qual se pode avaliar a pertinência da aplicação de um paradigma semiótico-cognitivo à análise de textos de forte cunho intercultural.ABSTRACT: The present dissertation deals with of the methodological application of semantic domains, core subject of Cognitive Semiotics (Brandt 2004; Brandt/ Brandt 2005), to the analysis of excerpts from “Disgrace” by J.M. Coetzee and their translation into European Portuguese by José Remelhe, with revision by Ana Maria Chaves, with the purpose of weighing the importance of semantic domain recognition and corresponding internal structure analysis for the translation process. Moreover, text samples of code-switching are focused upon in order to unveil paradigms of intercultural dialogue. The choice of corpus was primarily motivated by intercultural intersections in South Africa in the post- apartheid era, in which local African symbolic orders and practices collide with those of the former colonizers, resulting in intercultural communication issues, necessarily uncovered by semantic domain analysis. From the analysis of most representative semantic domains in the source text in comparison with the target text a bunch of translation issues emerge leading to the validation of the cognitive-semiotic paradigm as a significant tool for the analysis of texts with cross-cultural intersections

Interview with Sandra Pepera: Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Sandra Pepera, conducted 7th August 2014 in London, as part of the Commonwealth Oral History Project. The project aims to produce a unique digital research resource on the oral history of the Commonwealth since 1965 through sixty oral history interviews with leading figures in the recent history of the organisation. It will provide an essential research tool for anyone investigating the history of the Commonwealth and will serve to promote interest in and understanding of the organisation. Biography: Pepera, Sandra. 1959- . Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Ghana, 1983-1994. Analyst in the Political Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat, 1995-2000. Joins the British civil service in 2000 with the Department for International Development (DFID), becoming Head of Office to DFID Caribbean in 2004 and working simultaneously as UK Director to the Caribbean Development Bank. Joins the National Democratic Institute, Washington DC, as Director for Gender, Women and Democracy in 2014

Assessments of functional capacity in cardiac rehabilitation

Functional capacity is an important predictor of mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. Exercise walk tests, such as the modified shuttle walking test (MSWT) and the six-minute walking test (6-MWT), are the recommended protocols in the United Kingdom for evaluating functional capacity and the effects of therapeutic interventions on patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes. Due to a lack of research into factors associated with walking test performance in cardiac patients, the main aim of this study is to identify whether routinely taken measures (clinical and non-clinical) and biomechanical parameters can predict test performance. A further aim is to establish reference equations or normative values to predict performance in this population. Finally, this research aims to improve the safety of exercise testing and training in community-based CR settings. After determining the long-term reliability of the MSWT, this study investigated the claim that only sex, age and anthropometric parameters (stature and weight), and not biomechanical or simple clinical parameters, can predict functional capacity assessed by the MSWT, in patients with less severe cardiac diseases or by the 6-MWT, in heart failure patients. Overweight heart failure patients showed a 13-fold increase, and older patients (>75 years) had a 5-fold increase, in the risk of poor prognosis via 6-MWT assessment. Furthermore, it is shown here that the effect of stature on the magnitude of change in MSWT results is powerful, and can be used to estimate functional capacity improvement in the cardiac population. Finally, poor functional capacity was shown to have no association with risk of cardiovascular events during exercise, and that exercise testing and training can be carried out safely in supervised community-based CR settings. These findings have implications in clinical practice and CR programme improvement, as they can help clinicians to make better-informed decisions about cardiac patients entering CR

Comparison of heart rate response and heart rate recovery after step test among smoker and non-smoker athletes

Background: Exercise performance depend on the ability of the cardiovascular system to respond to a wide range of metabolic demands and physical exertion. Objectives: To investigate the habitual smoking effects in heart rate response and heart rate recovery after step test in athletes. Methods: Seventy-eight physically healthy active athletes (45 non-smokers and 33 smokers) aging 27\ub18years old, participated in this study. All participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and performed the six-minute step test. Cardiovascular parameters such (resting heart rate, peak heart rate, heart rate at 1 min after testing, heart rate recovery, recovery time, blood pressure at rest, and post-testing blood pressure) were recorded. Results: Smoker-athletes had higher resting heart rate (76 \ub1 9bpm vs. 72 \ub1 10bpm, p<0.05), maximum heart rate (154 \ub1 18bpm vs. 147 \ub1 17bpm, p<0.05) and recovery time (7min 25sec \ub1 6min 31sec vs. 4min 21sec \ub1 4min 30sec, p<0.05) than non-smoker athletes. Scores from the IPAQ were approximately the same (\u39c=7927 \ub1 10303, \u39c= 6380 \ub1 4539, p<0.05). Conclusion: Smoking was found to affect athletes' cardiovascular fitness. The change of the athletes\u2019 heart rate recovery and recovery time contributes to the adaptation of cardiovascular function in training requirements

Predictors of shuttle walking test performance in patients with cardiovascular disease

Objective: The incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) is used to estimate cardiorespiratory fitness, but data from healthy individuals suggest that demographic and anthropometric measures account for much of the variance in test performance. The aim of this study was to determine whether anthropometric, demographic and selected gait measures also predict ISWT performance (i.e. distance walked) in patients with cardiovascular disease. Design: Observational study. Setting: A community-based cardiac rehabilitation centre (Cohort 1) and a hospital outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programme (Cohort 2). Participants: Sixteen patients with clinically stable cardiovascular disease (Cohort 1) and 113 patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation (Cohort 2). Interventions: Patients in Cohort 1 performed the ISWT on two occasions. Anthropometric data and walking and turning variables were collected. Linear regression analyses were used to identify the predictors of test performance. The authors subsequently attempted to validate the equation created by comparing predicted and actual ISWT values in a larger (n= 113) validation sample (Cohort 2). Main outcome measures: Distance walked during ISWT, step length and height. Results: No gait or turning measures were significantly associated with ISWT performance. Distance walked correlated most strongly with step length (r= 0.83, P< 0.05) and height (r= 0.74, P< 0.05). Given the similarity of these correlations and the rarity of step length assessment in clinical practice, ISWT performance was predicted using patient's height; this explained 55% of the variance in ISWT performance. Height was also the best predictor in Cohort 2, explaining 17% of test variance (P< 0.01). Body mass index explained an additional 3% of variance (P< 0.05) in ISWT performance. Conclusions: Routine clinical measures, particularly patient's height, are predictive of ISWT performance. The findings of the present study are in partial agreement with similar studies performed in healthy individuals, and it remains unclear whether the ISWT performance of patients with cardiovascular disease is influenced by the same factors as the ISWT performance of healthy individuals. © 2013

Pilot investigation of the oxygen demands and metabolic cost of incremental shuttle walking and treadmill walking in patients with cardiovascular disease

Objective: To determine if the metabolic cost of the incremental shuttle-walking test protocol is the same as treadmill walking or predicted values of walking-speed equations. Setting: Primary care (community-based cardiac rehabilitation). Participants: Eight Caucasian cardiac rehabilitation patients (7 males) with a mean age of 67±5.2 years. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Oxygen consumption, metabolic power and energy cost of walking during treadmill and shuttle walking performed in a balanced order with 1 week between trials. Results: Average overall energy cost per metre was higher during treadmill walking (3.22±0.55 J kg/m) than during shuttle walking (3.00±0.41 J kg/m). There were significant post hoc effects at 0.67 m/s (p<0.004) and 0.84 m/s (p<0.001), where the energy cost of treadmill walking was significantly higher than that of shuttle walking. This pattern was reversed at walking speeds 1.52 m/s (p<0.042) and 1.69 m/s (p<0.007) where shuttle walking had a greater energy cost per metre than treadmill walking. At all walking speeds, the energy cost of shuttle walking was higher than that predicted using the American College of Sports Medicine walking equations. Conclusions: The energetic demands of shuttle walking were fundamentally different from those of treadmill walking and should not be directly compared. We warn against estimating the metabolic cost of the incremental shuttle-walking test using the current walking-speed equations

Pedometer use and self-determined motivation for walking in a cardiac telerehabilitation program: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation reduces morbidity and mortality. Walking is a convenient activity suitable for people with cardiac disease. Pedometers count steps, measure walking activity and motivate people to increase physical activity. In this study, patients participating in cardiac telerehabilitation were provided with a pedometer to support motivation for physical activity with the purpose of exploring pedometer use and self-determined motivation for walking experienced by patients and health professionals during a cardiac telerehabilitation program. METHODS: A qualitative research design consisting of observations, individual interviews and patient documents made the basis for a content analysis. Data was analysed deductively using Self Determination Theory as a frame for analysis and discussion, focusing on the psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness. Twelve cardiac patients, 11 health professionals, 6 physiotherapists and 5 registered nurses were included. RESULTS: The pedometer offered independence from standardised rehabilitation since the pedometer supported tailoring, individualised walking activity based on the patient’s choice. This led to an increased autonomy. The patients felt consciously aware of health benefits of walking, and the pedometer provided feedback on walking activity leading to an increased competence to achieve goals for steps. Finally, the pedometer supported relatedness with others. The health professionals’ surveillance of patients’ steps, made the patients feel observed, yet supported, furthermore, their next of kin appeared to be supportive as walking partners. CONCLUSION: Cardiac patients’ motivation for walking was evident due to pedometer use. Even though not all aspects of motivation were autonomous and self determined, the patients felt motivated for walking. The visible steps and continuous monitoring of own walking activity made it possible for each individual patient to choose their desired kind of activity and perform ongoing adjustments of walking activity. The immediate feedback on step activity and the expectations of health benefits resulted in motivation for walking. Finally, pedometer supported walking made surveillance possible, giving the patients a feeling of being looked after and supported. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current study is a part of The Teledi@log project

Characteristics of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) rRNA genes of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera): structure, organization, and retrotransposable elements

As an accompanying manuscript to the release of the honey bee genome, we report the entire sequence of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-encoding gene sequences (rDNA) and related internally and externally transcribed spacer regions of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apocrita). Additionally, we predict secondary structures for the mature rRNA molecules based on comparative sequence analyses with other arthropod taxa and reference to recently published crystal structures of the ribosome. In general, the structures of honey bee rRNAs are in agreement with previously predicted rRNA models from other arthropods in core regions of the rRNA, with little additional expansion in non-conserved regions. Our multiple sequence alignments are made available on several public databases and provide a preliminary establishment of a global structural model of all rRNAs from the insects. Additionally, we provide conserved stretches of sequences flanking the rDNA cistrons that comprise the externally transcribed spacer regions (ETS) and part of the intergenic spacer region (IGS), including several repetitive motifs. Finally, we report the occurrence of retrotransposition in the nuclear large subunit rDNA, as R2 elements are present in the usual insertion points found in other arthropods. Interestingly, functional R1 elements usually present in the genomes of insects were not detected in the honey bee rRNA genes. The reverse transcriptase products of the R2 elements are deduced from their putative open reading frames and structurally aligned with those from another hymenopteran insect, the jewel wasp Nasonia (Pteromalidae). Stretches of conserved amino acids shared between Apis and Nasonia are illustrated and serve as potential sites for primer design, as target amplicons within these R2 elements may serve as novel phylogenetic markers for Hymenoptera. Given the impending completion of the sequencing of the Nasonia genome, we expect our report eventually to shed light on the evolution of the hymenopteran genome within higher insects, particularly regarding the relative maintenance of conserved rDNA genes, related variable spacer regions and retrotransposable elements