The Upper Guinea origins of Papiamentu

This paper deals with the linguistic and historical relationships between Papiamentu and Upper Guinea Creole as spoken on the Santiago island of Cape Verde and in Guinea-Bissau and Casamance. In the linguistic section, the hypothesis that Papiamentu is a relexified offshoot of an early Upper Guinea Creole variety is lent support by focusing on the structural correspondences of the function words in five grammatical categories (pronouns, question words, prepositions, conjunctions and reciprocity and reflexivity). In addition, salient data from several early (18th and 19th century) Papiamentu texts is presented. The historical section provides a framework that accounts for the linguistic transfer from Upper Guinea to Curaçao in the second half of the 17th century

Les conceptions du dialogue et leurs sources chez Lev Jakubinskij et Valentin Volochinov

Le texte «De la parole dialogale» écrit par Lev Jakubinskij est considéré par un certain nombre de chercheurs comme la source principale de la conception du dialogue chez Valentin Volochinov. Cet article remet en question la légitimité de cette thèse. L'analyse détaillée des notions de dialogue élaborées par Jakubinskij et Volochinov montre que leurs bases théoriques ne coïncident pas. Si Jakubinskij s'appuie sur la psychologie dite objective (la réflexologie), Volochinov élabore sa conception du dialogue sur une base sociologique. Les travaux des sociologues marxistes et non marxistes constituent la source principale de sa notion de dialogue

Frequency dynamics of gain-switched injection-locked semiconductor lasers

The frequency dynamics of gain-switched singlemode semiconductor lasers subject to optical injection is investigated. The requirements for low time jitter and reduced frequency chirp operation are studied as a function of the frequency mismatch between the master and slave lasers. Suppression of the power overshoot, typical during gain-switched operation, can be achieved for selected frequency detunings.

Generator of ultrashort optical pulses for time division multiplexing

The performance of a device based on modified injection-locking techniques is studied by means of numerical simulations. The device incorporates master and slave configurations, each one with a DFB laser and an electroabsortion modulator (EAM). This arrangement allows the generation of high peak power, narrow optical pulses according to a periodic or pseudorandom bit stream provided by a current signal generator. The device is able to considerably increase the modulation bandwidth of free-running gain-switched semiconductor lasers using multiplexing in the time domain. Opportunities for integration in small packages or single chips are discussed.

Del "es" al "quiero": la falacia sentimentalista

El emotivismo arraigado en gran parte de la filosofía moral de la postguerra se confiesaheredero de aquella lúcida denuncia, luego bautizada como falacia naturalista, quehiciera Hume a la filosofía que trataba de fundar los deberes en los hechos, la prescripción moral en la descripción científica. Esto ha permitido ver en Hume un pionero del sentimentalismo moral. En este artículo revisamos críticamente esta interpretación desde dos perspectivas: por un lado, situando a Hume y al empirismo en general, en la problemática teórica impuesta por la nueva ciencia, la Reforma y la filosofía cartesiana; por otro, releyendo y reinterpretando contextualmente los pasajes tópicos a los que suelen recurrir las distintas tradiciones hermenéuticas (Is/Ought Passage, Great Divide Passage, Slave Passage). El primer enfoque nos sirve para argumentar contra el tópico de su escepticismo moral y destacar sus esfuerzos por encontrar, si no un fundamento sí al menos una legitimación, de la moral; el segundo, para poner de relieve que la razón juega un papel importante en el escocés, que contradice las habituales tesis sobre su subjetivismo, irracionalismo y emotivismo.

Extreme population differentiation in vulnerable slavemaking ant with fragmented distribution

Understanding levels of population differentiation and inbreeding are important issues in conservation biology, especially for social Hymenoptera with fragmented and small population sizes. Isolated populations are more vulnerable to genetic loss and extinction than those with extended continuous distributions. However, small populations are not always a consequence of a recent reduction of their habitat. Thus, determining the history of population isolation and current patterns of genetic variation of a species is crucial for its conservation. Rossomyrmex minuchae is a slave-making ant with patchy distribution in South Eastern Spain and is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. In contrast, the other three known species of the genus are presumed to show more uniform distributions. Here we investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of R. minuchae and compare it with that found in two other species of the genus: R. anatolicus and R. quandratinodum. We conclude that although genetic diversity of R. minuchae is low, there is no evidence of a recent bottleneck, suggesting a gradual and natural fragmentation process. We also show extreme population differentiation at nuclear and mitochondrial markers, and isolation by distance at a local scale. Despite some evidence for inbreeding and low genetic variation within populations, we found almost no diploid males, a finding which contrasts with that expected in inbred Hymenoptera with single locus complementary sex determination. This could mean that sex is determined by another mechanism. We argue that continued low population size means that detrimental effects of inbreeding and low genetic variation are likely in the future. We suggest that a policy of artificial gene flow aimed at increasing within population variation is considered as a management option.

Identifying quantitative operation principles in metabolic pathways: a systematic method for searching feasible enzyme activity patterns leading to cellular adaptive responses

Background: Optimization methods allow designing changes in a system so that specific goals are attained. These techniques are fundamental for metabolic engineering. However, they are not directly applicable for investigating the evolution of metabolic adaptation to environmental changes. Although biological systems have evolved by natural selection and result in well-adapted systems, we can hardly expect that actual metabolic processes are at the theoretical optimum that could result from an optimization analysis. More likely, natural systems are to be found in a feasible region compatible with global physiological requirements. Results: We first present a new method for globally optimizing nonlinear models of metabolic pathways that are based on the Generalized Mass Action (GMA) representation. The optimization task is posed as a nonconvex nonlinear programming (NLP) problem that is solved by an outer- approximation algorithm. This method relies on solving iteratively reduced NLP slave subproblems and mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) master problems that provide valid upper and lower bounds, respectively, on the global solution to the original NLP. The capabilities of this method are illustrated through its application to the anaerobic fermentation pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We next introduce a method to identify the feasibility parametric regions that allow a system to meet a set of physiological constraints that can be represented in mathematical terms through algebraic equations. This technique is based on applying the outer-approximation based algorithm iteratively over a reduced search space in order to identify regions that contain feasible solutions to the problem and discard others in which no feasible solution exists. As an example, we characterize the feasible enzyme activity changes that are compatible with an appropriate adaptive response of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to heat shock Conclusion: Our results show the utility of the suggested approach for investigating the evolution of adaptive responses to environmental changes. The proposed method can be used in other important applications such as the evaluation of parameter changes that are compatible with health and disease states.

Marooned plants : vernacular naming practices in the Mascarene Islands

This article explores possible histories of plant exchanges and plant naming tied to the slave trade between East Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. The subsequent 'marronnage' of slaves on these islands - their escape from captivity, sometimes to live in mountain hideouts - continues to inspire cultural references. Inspired by the use of the adjective 'marron/marronne' for a number of plants on Reunion Island, we compile evidence of plant exchanges and plant naming from ecological records, historical accounts and the use of descriptive, emotive or symbolic vernacular names as clues for deepening our knowledge of historical societies and environments. The evidence from the Mascarenes opens a window into the role of the African diaspora in plant introduction, diffusion, domestication and cultivation. We document that maroons relied on a variety of wild, escaped and cultivated plants for their subsistence. We also highlight the role of marronnage in the popular and literary imaginary, with the result that many plants are named 'marron/marrone' in a metaphorical sense. Finally, we identify a few plants that may have been transported, cultivated, or encouraged in one way or another by maroons. Along the way, we reflect on the pitfalls and opportunities of such interdisciplinary work.

"Voyage through death/to life upon these shores": the living dead of the Middle Passage

While historical studies of the Atlantic slave trade have amply demonstrated the magnitude of slave mortality during the Middle Passage, only recently have they started to examine how the captives might have endured and coped with this traumatic experience. Although it constitutes a major topos in African diasporic culture, the Middle Passage has only occasionally been represented directly and in details in novels and in films. This article examines three recent narratives of the Middle Passage, Fred D'Aguiar's novel Feeding the Ghosts (1998), Guy Deslauriers's film Passage du milieu (2000), and Stephanie Smallwood's historical study Saltwater Slavery: A Middle Passage from Africa to American Diaspora (2007). Beyond their individual poetic, aesthetic, and scholarly qualities, what is most striking about these three texts is that they all use the figure of the living dead in order to explore the captives' experience of the transatlantic journey. If the ghastly quality of the living dead powerfully captures the life-threatening material and physical conditions the captives endured on the voyage, its dual, liminal character also allows D'Aguiar, Deslauriers, and Smallwood to represent the metaphysical, psychological, social, and cultural journey they were forced to undertake. Through their use of the trope of the living dead, these three texts show that if death is indeed a central aspect of the experience of the Middle Passage, it impacts the captives in ways that go well beyond the issue of mortality.

Tandem-GMA Welding of Low Alloy Structural Steel

The Tandem-GMAW method is the latest development as the consequences of improvements in the welding methods. The twin-wire and then the Tandem-method with the separate power sources has got a remarkable place in the welding of many types of materials with different joint types. The biggest advantage of Tandem welding method is the flexibility of choosing both the electrodes of different types from each other according to the type of the parent material. This is possible because of the feasibility of setting the separate welding parameters for both the wires. In this thesis work the effect of the variation in three parameters on the weld bead in Tandem-GMA welding method is studied. Theses three parameters are the wire feed rate in the slave wire, the wire feed rate in the master wire and the voltage difference in both the wires. The results are then compared to study the behaviour of the weld bead with the change in these parameters.

El cos molest en l'obra d'Epictet

The work by Epictetus shows a remarkable amount of allusions to unpleasant aspects of the human body. It deals with expressions which sometimes could be almost considered aischrologia and, on other occasions, they really are. Our contribution approaches this subject and asks which might be the origin of this practice. We suggest the use of those expressions describes the body in terms fitting with Epictetus" stoic philosophy aimed to establish an inner separation between body and the right use of reason leading us into virtue. Furthermore his humble origin as a slave could help him in using unpleasant words without prejudices. Also Arrian could insist on that characteristic when transmitting Epictetus" teachings.

Hammashihnajohdeakseleiden liikkeiden synkronointi

Nykyisessä valmistusteollisuudessa erilaisten robottien ja automatisoitujen tuotantovaiheiden rooli on erittäin merkittävä. Tarkasti suunnitellut liikkeet ja toimintavaiheet voidaan nykyisillä järjestelmillä ajoittaa tarkasti toisiinsa nähden, jolloin erilaisten virhetilanteidenkin sattuessa järjestelmä pystyy toimimaan tilanteen edellyttämällä tavalla. Automatisoinnin etuna on myös tuotannon muokkaaminen erilaisten tuotteiden valmistamiseen pienillä muutoksilla, jolloin tuotantokustannukset pysyvät matalina myös pienten valmistuserien tapauksissa. Usean akselin laitteissa eli niin sanotuissa moniakselikäytöissä laitteen toimintatarkkuus riippuu jokaisen liikeakselin tarkkuudesta. Liikkeenohjauksessa on perinteisesti ollut käytössä myötäkytketty paikkakaskadi, jonka virityksessä otetaan huomioon akselilla olevat erilaiset dynaamiset tilat ja käytettävät referenssit. Monissa nykyisissä hajautetuissa järjestelmissä eli moniakselikäytöissä, joissa jokaiselle akselille on oma ohjauslaite, ei yksittäisen akselin paikkavirhettä huomioida muiden akseleiden ohjauksessa. Työssä tutkitaan erilaisia moniakselijärjestelmien ohjausmenetelmiä ja myötäkytketyn paikkakaskadin toimintaa moniakselikäytössä pyritään parantamaan tuomalla paikkasäätimen rinnalle toinen säädin, jonka tulona on akseleiden välinen paikkaero.

Central African identities and religiosity in colonial Minas Gerais

This study deals with the import of West Central African slaves and their religious practices to Minas Gerais in the eighteenth century. The captaincy of Minas Gerais in the interior of Brazil developed into the world’s largest gold producing region in the beginning of the eighteenth century. The large-scale mining of gold, and later diamonds, was only possible through massive imports of slaves from Africa to Brazil. The first part of this study discusses the Atlantic slave trade in the southern Atlantic world. The discovery of gold in Minas Gerais led to an increasing demand for slaves in Brazil, which was largely met by supplies from Angola. The study analyzes the formation of Central Africans’ identities both in their homelands and in Brazil. Slave identities or “nations” have often been seen as creations of the slave owners. By interpreting major Central African “nations” such as Angola, Congo, and Benguela as regional identities that were tied to the slaves’ origins in Africa, this study offers a new interpretation of what these identities meant for Central Africans in Minas Gerais. The second part of this study concentrates on the religious universe of Central Africans. Processes of cultural creolization affected West Central African societies after the Portuguese landed in the kingdom of Kongo in the late fifteenth century and led to the development of an Atlantic Creole culture. The spread of Catholicism in West Central Africa affected religious life especially in the kingdom of Kongo, in the city of Luanda, and in the Portuguese colony of Angola. Central African religious specialists were often denounced to the authorities in Angola for organizing healing and divination rituals. Diagnosis in these rituals was often made through spirit possession. Central Africans took these healing and divining methods to Minas Gerais, where numerous African religious specialists enjoyed great prominence. In the Brazilian mining region, it was commonplace that African healers served not only the African slave population, but also free whites. In the eighteenth century, Central African popular healers made a significant contribution to the therapeutic arts practiced in Minas Gerais and elsewhere in Brazil.

ßS-Haplotypes in sickle cell anemia patients from Salvador, Bahia, Northeastern Brazil

ßS-Globin haplotypes were studied in 80 (160 ßS chromosomes) sickle cell disease patients from Salvador, Brazil, a city with a large population of African origin resulting from the slave trade from Western Africa, mainly from the Bay of Benin. Hematological and hemoglobin analyses were carried out by standard methods. The ßS-haplotypes were determined by PCR and dot-blot techniques. A total of 77 (48.1%) chromosomes were characterized as Central African Republic (CAR) haplotype, 73 (45.6%) as Benin (BEN), 1 (0.63%) as Senegal (SEN), and 9 (5.63%) as atypical (Atp). Genotype was CAR/CAR in 17 (21.3%) patients, BEN/BEN in 17 (21.3%), CAR/BEN in 37 (46.3%), BEN/SEN in 1 (1.25%), BEN/Atp in 1 (1.25%), CAR/Atp in 6 (7.5%), and Atp/Atp in 1 (1.25%). Hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit values did not differ among genotype groups but were significantly higher in 25 patients presenting percent fetal hemoglobin (%HbF) > or = 10% (P = 0.002 and 0.003, respectively). The median HbF concentration was 7.54 ± 4.342% for the CAR/CAR genotype, 9.88 ± 3.558% for the BEN/BEN genotype, 8.146 ± 4.631% for the CAR/BEN genotype, and 4.180 ± 2.250% for the CAR/Atp genotype (P = 0.02), although 1 CAR/CAR individual presented an HbF concentration as high as 15%. In view of the ethnic and geographical origin of this population, we did not expect a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for CAR/CAR and BEN/BEN homozygous haplotypes and a high proportion of heterozygous CAR/BEN haplotypes since the State of Bahia historically received more slaves from Western Africa than from Central Africa.