Politics and Literary Prizes:A Case Study of Spanish America and the Premio Cervantes

The Premio Cervantes, one of the most prestigious prizes awarded for literature in the Spanish language, was established in 1976 as Spain negotiated the Transition to democracy in the post-Franco era. This article examines the context in which the prize was created and subsequently used to negotiate inter-continental relations between Spain and Latin America. The article highlights the exchanges of economic, political and symbolic capital which took place between the Spanish State, its representative, the King of Spain, and winning Latin American authors. Significantly, the involvement of the Spanish State is shown to bring political capital into play in a way that commercial prizes do not. In so doing, the Premio Cervantes gives those formerly at the colonial periphery the opportunity to speak out and negotiate the terms of a new kind of relationship with the former colonial center.

Specular resentment : San-Antonio, Céline and the use of proletarian rhetoric in literary criticism

The charge of »Ressentiment« can in today's world – less from traditionally conservative quarters than from the neo-positivist discourses of particular forms of liberalism – be used to undermine the argumentative credibility of political opponents, dissidents and those who call for greater »justice«. The essays in this volume draw on the broad spectrum of cultural discourse on »Ressentiment«, both in historical and contemporary contexts. Starting with its conceptual genesis, the essays also show contemporary nuances of »Ressentiment« as well as its influence on aesthetic and literary discourse in the 20th century.

Study of aflatoxin exposure in a Brazilian population using an aflatoxin - albumin biomarker

The evaluation of exposure to aflatoxins (AF) by measurement of the level of contamination in food is hampered due to the heterogeneous distribution of AF in food. Therefore, an alternative is to estimate the exposure using specific biological markers (biomarkers) based on an understanding of the metabolism of the compound. For AF, these include aflatoxin-N-7-guanine in the urine, or AFB(1)-albumin (AF-alb) in the blood. This study assessed the level of exposure to AF in Brazilian individuals using a biomarker approach, i.e. the AF-alb adducts. Blood samples were collected from urban residents (n=50; aged 18-52) in June 1999, at the Blood Center of Antonio Carlos de Camargo Hospital, Sao Paulo, Brazil. AF-alb adduct levels were determined, by ELISA following serum albumin extraction and digestion. AF-alb adducts were detected in 31/50 (62%) samples [range 0-57.3 pg AFB(1)-lys adducts/mg of blood albumin (pg/mg)]. The mean level of positives was 14.9 pg/mg and males had the two highest levels measured (57.1 and 57.3 pg/mg). There was no correlation with age or profession. This is the first study of Brazilian, or indeed South American, individuals that has determined exposure to AF at the individual level using a biomarker approach. These levels are similar to those observed in the Philippines. These data warrant further investigation of both the sources and consequences of exposure to this potent toxin in Brazil.

Two peptides, TsAP-1 and TsAP-2, from the venom of the Brazilian yellow scorpion, Tityus serrulatus: evaluation of their antimicrobial and anticancer activities

Here we report two novel 17-mer amidated linear peptides (TsAP-1 and TsAP-2) whose structures were deduced from cDNAs cloned from a venom-derived cDNA library of the Brazilian yellow scorpion, Tityus serrulatus. Both mature peptides were structurally-characterised following their location in chromatographic fractions of venom and synthetic replicates of each were subjected to a range of biological assays. The peptides were each active against model test micro-organisms but with different potencies. TsAP-1 was of low potency against all three test organisms (MICs 120-160µM), whereas TsAP-2 was of high potency against the Gram-positive bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus (MIC 5µM) and the yeast, Candida albicans (10µM). Haemolytic activity of TsAP-1 was low (4% at 160µM) and in contrast, that of TsAP-2 was considerably higher (18% at 20µM). Substitution of four neutral amino acid residues with Lys residues in each peptide had dramatic effects on their antimicrobial potencies and haemolytic activities, particularly those of TsAP-1. The MICs of the enhanced cationic analogue (TsAP-S1) were 2.5µM for S.aureus/C.albicans and 5µM for E.coli but with an associated large increase in haemolytic activity (30% at 5µM). The same Lys residue substitutions in TsAP-2 produced a dramatic effect on its MIC for E.coli lowering this from >320µM to 5µM. TsAP-1 was ineffective against three of the five human cancer cell lines tested while TsAP-2 inhibited the growth of all five. Lys residue substitution of both peptides enhanced their potency against all five cell lines with TsAp-S2 being the most potent with IC50 values ranging between 0.83 and 2.0 µM. TsAP-1 and TsAP-2 are novel scorpion venom peptides with broad spectrum antimicrobial and anticancer cell activities the potencies of which can be significantly enhanced by increasing their cationicity.

Fermentable sugars recovery from lignocellulosic waste-newspaper by catalytic hydrolysis

The urgent need for alternative renewable energies to supplement petroleum-based fuels and the reduction of landfill sites for disposal of solid wastes makes it increasingly attractive to produce inexpensive biofuels from the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste. Therefore, municipal waste in the form of newspaper was investigated as a potential feedstock for fermentable sugars production. Hydrolysis of newspaper by dilute phosphoric acid was carried out in autoclave Parr reactor, where reactor temperature and acid concentration were examined. Xylose concentration reached a maximum value of 14 g/100 g dry mass corresponding to a yield of 94% at the best identified conditions of 2.5 wt% HPO, 135°C, 120 min reaction time, and at 2.5 wt% HPO, 150°C, and 60 min reaction time. For glucose, an average yield of 26% was obtained at 2.5 wt% HPO, 200°C, and 30 min. Furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) formation was clearly affected by reaction temperature, where the higher the temperature the higher the formation rate. The maximum furfural formed was an average of 3 g/100 g dry mass, corresponding to a yield of 28%. The kinetic study of the acid hydrolysis was also carried out using the Saeman and the two-fraction models. It was found for both models that the kinetic constants (K) depend on the acid concentration and temperature. The degradation of HMF to levulinic acid is faster than the degradation of furfural to formic acid. Also, the degradation rate is higher than the formation rate for both inhibitors when degradation is observed.

‘From the ‘roads to freedom’ to the ‘roads of humanism’? Sartre and his literary alter ego Mathieu in Les Chemins de la liberté (1938-1949)’

War and Memory international conference- Poetics after ’45,
QUB, Belfast, June 2008

Historical lies and fictional truth, the literary right fighting (for) the truth after WWII

War and Memory Research Seminar
QUB, Belfast, December 2009

Beowulf Hondbona: the Literary Context for Emending Line 1520b

In this article I consider the debate over whether line 1520b ought to be read as the emended “hond sweng” or the scribal “hord swenge.” It is a small point philologically but it raises interesting cultural and literary questions about the attitude of the Beowulf poet to arms and armour, to aggressive and defensive war gear, and to swords in particular. It has widely been assumed that swords are important in Beowulf and yet, the question of what their significance might be has received very little attention. Throughout the poem the hero is plagued by breaking, melting, and failing swords. He borrows, finds, and is given swords but unlike other English and Germanic heroes he is never identified with a single, great sword. I suggest that this is because, ultimately, Beowulf is conceived as a hondbana, a designation which has implications for what kind of a hero he proves to be.