Invisible cities: the table of contents and the labyrinths of reality

In Invisible Cities (1972), Italo Calvino contrasts a rigid outline structure with a flexible textual content. The tension comprised by the numerical structure proposed in the table of contents stands out against the set of polissemic texts which make up the subject matter of the book. The opposition between form and content point to a fruitful dichotomy in the conception of the novel linked to the theories of the open and closed work. This essay will investigate the structural construction of Invisible Cities by looking at its table of contents, seeking to discuss some models of formalistic representation proposed by the criticism and the specific contribution they may, or may not, provide. The objective is to analyse the pertinence of such theories in the light of historical and cultural approaches. Aiming to uncover possible meanings which arise from the debate, this essay will question to what extent structural complexities can be considered literary if they are not ultimately related to the culture in which a text is found.

Some reflections on acquisition, processing and analysis of statistical data in forest soils

Beyond the classical statistical approaches (determination of basic statistics, regression analysis, ANOVA, etc.) a new set of applications of different statistical techniques has increasingly gained relevance in the analysis, processing and interpretation of data concerning the characteristics of forest soils. This is possible to be seen in some of the recent publications in the context of Multivariate Statistics. These new methods require additional care that is not always included or refered in some approaches. In the particular case of geostatistical data applications it is necessary, besides to geo-reference all the data acquisition, to collect the samples in regular grids and in sufficient quantity so that the variograms can reflect the spatial distribution of soil properties in a representative manner. In the case of the great majority of Multivariate Statistics techniques (Principal Component Analysis, Correspondence Analysis, Cluster Analysis, etc.) despite the fact they do not require in most cases the assumption of normal distribution, they however need a proper and rigorous strategy for its utilization. In this work, some reflections about these methodologies and, in particular, about the main constraints that often occur during the information collecting process and about the various linking possibilities of these different techniques will be presented. At the end, illustrations of some particular cases of the applications of these statistical methods will also be presented.

Para uma definição da ‘Chick lit’ portuguesa

O objetivo deste artigo é oferecer uma definição do relativamente recente género literário que é exemplificado pela escrita de autoras como Margarida Rebelo Pinto, Fátima Lopes e Rita Ferro. Trata-se de literatura cujo possível ''par'' anglo-saxónico encontramos na ‘chick lit’ – uma ficção escrita geralmente por mulheres e para mulheres, que se foca na sua vida quotidiana. Pretende-se chegar a esta definição, por um lado, via análise do discurso mediático e académico à volta das obras mais populares e através de inquéritos com leitores e leitoras, por outro lado. Assim, pomos em relevo o jogo que se desenvolve entre a crítica literária, que ocorre publicamente (revistas, programas televisivos, blogues), e a leitura, que se exerce num âmbito privado e individual. Consideramos também como a crítica determina a leitura e em que medida a leitura e interpretação são atos isolados e pessoais. A pesquisa da qual resulta este artigo levou-nos às considerações literárias de índole mais geral, como, por exemplo, quem tem o poder de dizer o que é a literatura? A quem cabe o privilégio de designar o valor duma obra literária?