Non sexist-translation and/in social change: gender issues in translation

Following centuries of feminist struggle, centuries which have born witness to the close relationship between linguistic discrimination and social reality, there is a growing tendency in modern society to acknowledge the vital role played by language in overcoming gender discrimination. Political institutions are currently compensating by instituting the use of non-sexist language through legislative guidelines, and this makes an important contribution to social reform for equality between the sexes. Seeing that translation is so important for the creation of the collective identities on which modern global society depends, it is clear that non-sexist translation is crucial if there is to be non-sexist language. In this article I examine the potential of non-sexist translation in the struggle for gender equality from a both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint, and I end with a critical evaluation of non-sexist translation methods.

Two-axis temperature-insensitive accelerometer based on multicore fiber Bragg gratings

We report a compact two-dimensional accelerometer based upon a simple fiber cantilever constructed from a short length of multicore optical fiber. Two-axis measurement is demonstrated up to 3 kHz. Differential measurement between fiber Bragg gratings written in the multicore fiber provides temperature- insensitive measurements.

Dielectric and electro-optical properties of some cyanobiphenyl liquid-crystals

A variety of methods have been reviewed for obtaining parallel or perpendicular alignment in liquid-crystal cells. Some of these methods have been selected and developed and were used in polarised spectroscopy, dielectric and electro-optic studies. Also, novel dielectric and electro-optic cells were constructed for use over a range of temperature. Dielectric response of thin layers of E7 and E8 (eutectic mixture liquid-crystals) have been measured in the frequency range (12 Hz-100 kHz) and over a range of temperature (183-337K). Dielectric spectra were also obtained for supercooled E7 and E8 in the Hz and kHz range. When the measuring electric field was parallel to the nematic director, one loss peak (low-frequency relaxation process) was observed for E7 and for E8, that exhibits a Debye-type behaviour in the supercooled systems. When the measuring electric field was perpendicular to the nematic director, two resolved dielectric processes have been observed. The phase transitions, effective molecular polarisabilities, anisotropy of polarisabilities and order parameters of three liquid crystal homologs (5CB, 6CB, and 7CB), 60CB and three eutectic nematic mixtures E7, E8, and E607 were calculated using optical and density data measured at several temperatures. The order parameters calculated using the different methods of Vuks, Neugebauer, Saupe-Maier, and Palffy-Muhoray are nearly the same for the liquid crystals considered in the present study. Also, the interrelationship between density and refractive index and the molecular structure of these liquid crystals were established. Accurate dielectric and dipole results of a range of liquid-crystal forming molecules at several temperatures have reported. The role of the cyano-end group, biphenyl core, and flexible tail in molecular association, were investigated using the dielectric method for some molecules which have a structural relationship to the nematogens. Analysis of the dielectric data for solution of the liquid-crystals indicated a high molecular association, comparable to that observed in the nematic or isotropic phases. Electro-optic Kerr effect were investigated for some alkyl cyanobiphenyls, their nematic mixtures and the eutectic mixture liquid-crystals E7 and E8 in the isotropic phase and solution. The Kerr constant of these liquid crystals found to be very high at the nematic-isotropic transition temperatures as the molecules are expected to be highly ordered close to phase transition temperatures. Dynamic Kerr effect behaviour and transient molecular reorientation were also observed in thin layers of some alkyl cyanobiphenyls. Dichroic ratio R and order parameters of solutions containing some azo and anthraquinone dyes in the nematic solvent (E7 and E8), were investigated by the measurement of the intensity of the absorption bands in the visible region of parallel aligned samples. The effective factors on the dichroic ratio of the dyes dissolved in the nematic solvents were determined and discussed.

Fiber Bragg gratings of type I in SMF-28 and B/Ge fibre and type IIA B/Ge fibre under gamma radiation up to 0.54 MGy

The sensitivities of type I and IIA fibre Bragg gratings written to different reflectivities in SMF-28 and B/Ge fibres to ionizing radiation up to 0.54MGy are investigated. The Bragg wavelength shows a small and rapid increase at the start of irradiation followed by either a plateau (type I) or a decrease (type IIA).

The impact of the CACNA1C gene polymorphism on frontolimbic function in bipolar disorder

Genome-wide association studies in bipolar disorder (BD)1 have implicated a single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs1006737, G right arrow A) in the CACNA1C gene, which encodes for the alpha 1c (CAV1.2) subunit of the voltage-gated, L-type calcium channel. Neuroimaging studies of healthy individuals report that this risk allele modulates brain function within limbic (amygdala, anterior cingulate gyrus) and hippocampal regions during tasks of reward processing2, 3 and episodic memory. Moreover, animal studies suggest that the CaV1.2 L-type calcium channels influence emotional behaviour through enhanced neurotransmission via the lateral amygdala pathway. On the basis of this evidence, we tested the hypotheses that the CACNA1C rs1006737 risk allele will modulate neural responses within predefined prefrontal and subcortical regions of interest during emotional face processing and that this effect would be amplified in BD patients.

Two-axis accelerometer based on multicore fibre Bragg gratings

We report an accelerometer based upon a simple fibre cantilever constructed from a short length of multicore fibre(MCF) containing fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs). Two-axis measurement is demonstrated up to 3 kHz.

Radial deformation measurement of a cylinder under compression using multicore fibre

A multicore fibre (MCF) sensor to measure the radial deformation of a compliant cylinder under compression is presented. The sensor is connectorised and need not be permanently bonded to the test object. A differential measurement technique using FBGs written into the MCF makes the sensor temperature insensitive. FBG measurement of axial strain of a cylinder under compression is also reported.

Dynamic two-axis curvature measurement using multicore fiber Bragg gratings interrogated by arrayed waveguide gratings

We describe the use of arrayed waveguide gratings (AWGs) in the interrogation of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) for dynamic strain measurement. The ratiometric AWG output was calibrated in a static deflection experiment over a ±200 με range. Dynamic strain measurement was demonstrated with a FBG in a conventional single-mode fiber mounted on the surface of a vibrating cantilever and on a piezoelectric actuator, giving a resolution of 0.5 με at 2.4 kHz. We present results of this technique extended to measure the dynamic differential strain between two FBG pairs within a multicore fiber. An arbitrary cantilever oscillation of the multicore fiber was determined from curvature measurements in two orthogonal axes at 1125 Hz with a resolution of 0.05 m-1. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

Pitch and roll sensing using fibre Bragg gratings in multicore fibre

We report the first use of a multicore fibre incorporating fibre Bragg grating strain sensors in each core as a fibre optic pitch and roll sensor. A length of four-core fibre supported at one end forms a cantilever. The differential strains between opposite grating pairs depend on the fibre’s orientation in pitch (in the vertical plane) and roll (azimuth) with respect to gravity. Resolutions of ±2◦ in roll and ±15◦ in pitch were measured.

Quadratic behavior of fiber Bragg grating temperature coefficients

We describe the characterization of the temperature and strain responses of fiber Bragg grating sensors by use of an interferometric interrogation technique to provide an absolute measurement of the grating wavelength. The fiber Bragg grating temperature response was found to be nonlinear over the temperature range -70°C to 80°C. The nonlinearity was observed to be a quadratic function of temperature, arising from the linear dependence on temperature of the thermo-optic coefficient of silica glass over this range, and is in good agreement with a theoretical model.

Quadratic behaviour of fibre Bragg grating temperature coefficients

We describe the characterization of the temperature and strain responses of fiber Bragg grating sensors by use of an interferometric interrogation technique to provide an absolute measurement of the grating wavelength. The fiber Bragg grating temperature response was found to be nonlinear over the temperature range -70 °C to 80 °C. The nonlinearity was observed to be a quadratic function of temperature, arising from the linear dependence on temperature of the thermo-optic coefficient of silica glass over this range, and is in good agreement with a theoretical model.

Radial deformation measurement of a cylinder under compression using multicore fibre

A multicore fibre (MCF) sensor to measure the radial deformation of a compliant cylinder under compression is presented. The sensor is connectorised and need not be permanently bonded to the test object. A differential measurement technique using FBGs written into the MCF makes the sensor temperature insensitive. FBG measurement of axial strain of a cylinder under compression is also reported.

Two-axis accelerometer based on multicore fibre Bragg gratings

We report an accelerometer based upon a simple fibre cantilever constructed from a short length of multicore fibre(MCF) containing fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs). Two-axis measurement is demonstrated up to 3 kHz.