A new approach to the classification of Gaelic song

"A good deal of water has flowed under the bridge since James Ross published “A Classification of Gaelic Folk-Song” in 1957.1 Ross’s study was typical of a time when scholars favored a clinical and taxonomical approach to oral traditional culture, before modern theories about text, context, and genre began to raise good questions about the application of scientific methods to the analysis of cultural activity. The search for answers to these questions has greatly advanced the way ethnographers and ethnomusicologists understand culture, including the cultures of the Gael.2 After six decades, it seems fitting to revisit Ross’s classification system, and to examine whether the effort of constructing such a system is still worthwhile or not."--Page71

Irish versification

The only attempt at a systematic analysis and classification of Irish accentual verse -metres available to scholars remains that of Prof. Tadhg 6 Donnchadha ('Tórna') , the most recent editions of whose work are half a century old. The present thesis represents a second attempt at the same task, taking into account the contributions of Irish scholars and editors since 6 Donnchadha's time as well as those of more recent metrical scholarship generally.Following a survey of 6 Donnchadha's work and an assessment of its influence upon later editorial practice, an attempt is made to summarise the various schools of metrical scholarship which have emerged in the context of English poetry, with the aim of discovering what principles, if any, might be useful in the construction of a metrical theory for Irish accentual verse. This examination of foreign metrical models is justified on the grounds of the rhythmical similarity between English and Irish, both of which may be described as strongly 'stress -timed' languages. Linguistic phenomena are, indeed, central to the choice of an appropriate theoretical model, and Ch. 3 is devoted to a phenomenologically -based discussion of the role of rhythm in spoken Irish and its implications for verse -structure.Chapters 4 through 10 represent the central part of the thesis and are given over to a taxonomical survey of Irish verse -types, in which the principal criterion for inclusion in a given category is the number of stressed syllables in a line. Chapter 11 discusses the various stanzaic forms, both simple and complex, used by Irish poets, as well as certain supra -stanzaic organisational devices such as refrains and ceangal ver- ses. In this context also the form known as tri rann agus amhrán, often likened to an Irish sonnet, is examined. The ornamentation of verse is the subject of the following chapter, with emphasis placed as much upon the position and function of ornament within the line /stanza as upon the character and linguistic significance of the types of ornament employed. A final chapter is devoted to discussion of the musical context of verse, with particular attention paid to the ways in which musical metre differs from verse -metre, and the implications of such differences for a system of versification primarily transmitted through a musical medium

A dynamic modelling of safety nets

The nonlinear dynamic modelling of safety net systems is approached at different scales. For this purpose, the fundamental rope dynamic tests are the reference for two basic tools. One hand an anaytical bidimensional model with explicit geometrical nonlinearity and bilnear material law is proposed for preliminary design. On the other hand, a nonlinear explicit finite element is defined for numerical modelling of net systems. Semi-scale and full scale dynamic tests are performed to validate complete finite element models, suitable for global qualification of safety systems. The direct applications of these tools deal with explicit certification of safety systems for high-speed sport, such as downhill competitions

CO2 Hydrogenation to Formate and Formic Acid by Bimetallic Palladium-Copper Hydride Clusters.

Mass spectrometric analysis of the anionic products of interaction between bimetallic palladium-copper tetrahydride anions, PdCuH4-, and carbon dioxide, CO2, in a reaction cell shows an efficient generation of the PdCuCO2H4- intermediate and formate/formic acid complexes. Multiple structures of PdCuH4- and PdCuCO2H4- are identified by a synergy between anion photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The higher energy PdCuH4- isomer is shown to drive the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2, emphasizing the importance of accounting for higher energy isomers for cluster catalytic activity. This study represents the first example of CO2 hydrogenation by bimetallic hydride clusters

Ornamental marine species culture in the coral triangle: seahorse demonstration project in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Ornamental marine species ('OMS') provide valuable income for developing nations in the Indo-Pacific Coral Triangle, from which most of the specimens are exported. OMS culture can help diversify livelihoods in the region, in support of management and conservation efforts to reduce destructive fishing and collection practices that threaten coral reef and seagrass ecosystems. Adoption of OMS culture depends on demonstrating its success as a livelihood, yet few studies of OMS culture exist in the region. We present a case study of a land-based culture project for an endangered seahorse (Hippocampus barbouri) in the Spermonde Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia. The business model demonstrated that culturing can increase family income by seven times. A Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis indicated good collaboration among diverse stakeholders and opportunities for culturing non-endangered species and for offshoot projects, but complicated permitting was an issue as were threats of market flooding and production declines. The OMS international market is strong, Indonesian exporters expressed great interest in cultured product, and Indonesia is the largest exporting country for H. barbouri. Yet, a comparison of Indonesia ornamental marine fish exports to fish abundance in a single local market indicated that OMS culture cannot replace fishing livelihoods. Nevertheless, seahorse and other OMS culture can play a role in management and conservation by supplementing and diversifying the fishing and collecting livelihoods in the developing nations that provide the majority of the global OMS

Dynamic Mechanical Behavior of Black Cherry (Prunus Serotina EHRH.)

The dynamic mechanical properties of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) have been investigated as a function of temperature at audio frequencies. Relaxation processes are evident near 200, 360, and 510 K. The process near 200 K was investigated as a function of initial moisture content (based on mass measurements prior to testing). At moisture contents greater than about 20%, the damping peak is centered near 185 K. This relaxation shifts with moisture content, and at moisture contents below 6%, the peak is centered near 225 K. The relaxation in the 360 K region is also associated with initial moisture content. For oven-dry black cherry specimens, the dynamic mechanical properties in the 360 K region are nearly temperature-independent. The relaxation near 510 K is believed to be associated with thermal degradation of wood constituents that are known to degrade in that temperature region

Effects of Creosote and Cca on Moisture Movement in Southern Pine and Red Oak

A vapocup apparatus was used to determine rates of moisture movement and water-vapor permeability values for CCA- and creosote-treated red oak and southern pine. The average loading for CCA-treated specimens was 6.4 kg/m3 (0.4 lb/ft3) and the average loading for creosote-treated specimens was 168.2 kg/m3 (10.5 lb/ft3). Specimens were subjected to three different relative humidity conditions: 50%, 75%, and 90%. The rates of mass transfer increased exponentially with increasing relative humidity. The rate of moisture movement was greater for southern pine than for red oak, and greater for CCA-treated specimens than for creosote-treated specimens. The water-vapor permeability values were calculated and the values increased exponentially as relative humidity increased. For both species, CCA-treated specimens had the highest water-vapor permeability values and creo-sote-treated specimens the lowest