Viability of Two New Mixture Design Methodologies for Self-Consolidating Concrete

This paper presents the results from an experimental study of the technical viability of two mixture designs for self-consolidating concrete (SCC) proposed by two Portuguese researchers in a previous work. The objective was to find the best method to provide the required characteristics of SCC in fresh and hardened states without having to experiment with a large number of mixtures. Five SCC mixtures, each with a volume of 25 L (6.61 gal.) were prepared using a forced mixer with a vertical axis for each of three compressive strength targets: 40, 55, and 70 MPa (5.80, 7.98, and 10.15 ksi). The mixtures' fresh state properties of fluidity, segregation resistance ability, and bleeding and blockage tendency, and their hardened state property of compressive strength were compared. For this study, the following tests were performed. slump-flow, V-funnel, L-box, box, and compressive strength. The results of this study made it possible to identify the most influential factors in the design of the SCC mixtures.

Enhancing reflexivity and technology in translation learning: case study on the use of ePortfolio as a training environment

In this paper we describe a casestudy of an experiment on how reflexivity and technology can enhance learning, by using ePorfolios as a training environment to develop translation skills. Translation is today a multiskilled job and translators need to assure their clients a good performance and quality, both in language and in technology domains. In order to accomplish it, for the translator all the tasks and processes he develops appear as crucial, being pretranslation and posttranslation processes equally important as the translation itself, namely as far as autonomy, reflexive and critical skills are concerned. Finally, the need and relevance for collaborative tasks and networks amongst virtual translation communities, led us to the decision of implementing ePortfolios as a tool to develop the requested skills and extend the use of Internet in translation, namely in terminology management phases, for the completion of each task, by helping students in the management of the projects deadlines, improving their knowledge on the construction and management of translation resources and deepening their awareness about the concepts related to the development and usability of ePorfolios.

Some translation difficulties in the use of false friends in english

This paper will focus on some aspects of translation based on blending distinct linguistic domains such as English Language and Portuguese in using false friends in the English class in tertiary level students, reflecting namely on: 1. the choice of a word suitable to the context in L2 ; 2. the difficulties encountered by choice of that word that could be misleading, by relying in a false L1 reality that is going to adulterate reality in the L2 domain; 3. the difficulty in making such type of distinctions due to the lack of linguistic and lexical knowledge. 4. the need to study the cause of these difficulties by working, not only with their peers, but also with their language teacher to develop strategies to diminish and if possible to eradicate this type of linguistic and, above all, translation problem by making an inventory of those types of mistakes. In relation to the first point it is necessary to know that translation tasks involve much more than literal concepts ( Ladmiral, 1975) : furthermore it is necessary and suitable to realise that lexicon relies in significant contexts (Coseriu 1966), which connects both domains, that, at first sight do not seem to be compatible. In other words, although students have the impression they dominate lexicon due to the fact that they possess at least seven years of foreign language exposure that doesn’t mean they master the particularities engaged in such a delicate task as translation is concerned. There are some chromaticisms in the words (false friends), that need to be researched and analysed later on by both students and language teachers. The reason for such state of affairs lies in their academic formation, of a mainly general stream, which has enabled them only for knowledge of the foreign language, but not for the translation as a tool as it is required only when they reach the tertiary level. Besides, for their translations they rely, most of the times, on glossaries, whose dominant language is portuguese of Brazil, which is, obviously, much different from the portuguese mother tongue reality and even more of English. So it seems necessary to use with caution the working tools (glossaries) that work as surpluses, but could bring translation problems as we will see.

Intersubjectivity and poetic translation

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Pronoun-dropping or zero anaphora in translation from german into portuguese

In this article I will analyse anaphoric references in German texts and their transaltion into Portuguese. I will take as main corpus Heinrich Böll's novel Haus ohne Hüter and its translation into Portuguese by Jorge Rosa with the title Casa Indefesa. I will concentrate on the use of personal pronouns and possessives in references to both people and objects in source text and target text and I will present patterns of symmetries and asymmetries. I will claim that asymmetries in the translation of such anaphoric references can be accounted for mainly by differences in the pronominal systems and verbal systems of both languages and by differences in the way each language marks theme/topic continuity/discontinuity in discourse. Issues related to style and the translation of anaphors will also be addressed. I will finally raise some questions related to ambiguous references which can not be solved within the scope of syntax or semantics, thus requiring pragmatic interpretation based on cultural knowledge/world knowledge.

Intersubjectivity and a practical intersubjective ethics of translation

This essay suggests that the intersubjectivity in translation should be given priority because different stages of the translation activity have different subjects, and presents a practical intersubjective ethics of translation based on an interpretation of the intersubjective relations connected with translation activities in a perspective of game theory in the hope that it can equip us with better explanations of the translator’s calculations or considerations in the professional practice.

Literary translation and quality assessment analysis – its significance in translation training

This paper aims to highlight the role of translation quality assessment in translation training so as to develop students’ translation competence and skills to face translation problems. An analysis to assess literary translation quality is proposed before proceeding to discuss its pedagogical implementation.

Exposure and genotoxicity assessment methodologies: the case of formaldehyde occupational exposure

Formaldehyde (FA) ranks 25th in the overall U.S. chemical production, with more than 5 million tons produced each year. Given its economic importance and widespread use, many people are exposed to FA occupationally. Recently, based on the correlation with nasopharyngeal cancer in humans, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirmed the classification of FA as a Group I substance. Considering the epidemiological evidence of a potential association with leukemia, the IARC has concluded that FA can cause this lymphoproliferative disorder. Our group has developed a method to assess the exposure and genotoxicity effects of FA in two different occupational settings, namely FAbased resins production and pathology and anatomy laboratories. For exposure assessment we applied simultaneously two different techniques of air monitoring: NIOSH Method 2541 and Photo Ionization Detection Equipment with simultaneously video recording. Genotoxicity effects were measured by cytokinesis-blocked micronucleus assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes and by micronucleus test in exfoliated oral cavity epithelial cells, both considered target cells. The two exposure assessment techniques show that in the two occupational settings peak exposures are still occurring. There was a statistical significant increase in the micronucleus mean of epithelial cells and peripheral lymphocytes of exposed individuals compared with controls. In conclusion, the exposure and genotoxicity effects assessment methodologies developed by us allowed to determine that these two occupational settings promote exposure to high peak FA concentrations and an increase in the micronucleus mean of exposed workers. Moreover, the developed techniques showed promising results and could be used to confirm and extend the results obtained by the analytical techniques currently available.

Translation termination and protein folding pathway genes are not correlated in gastric cancer

Background: The eukaryotic release factor 3 (eRF3) has been shown to affect both tubulin and actin cytoskeleton, suggesting a role in cytoskeleton assembly, mitotic spindle formation and chromosome segregation. Also, direct interactions between eRF3 and subunits of the cytosolic chaperonin CCT have been described. Moreover, both eRF3a and CCT subunits have been described to be up-regulated in cancer tissues. Our aim was to evaluate the hypothesis that eRF3 expression levels are correlated with the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the tubulin folding pathways. Methods: Relative expression levels of eRF1, eRF3a/GSPT1, PFDN4, CCT2, CCT4, and TBCA genes in tumour samples relative to their adjacent normal tissues were investigated using real time-polymerase chain reaction in 20 gastric cancer patients. Results: The expression levels of eRF3a/GSPT1 were not correlated with the expression levels of the other genes studied. However, significant correlations were detected between the other genes, both within intestinal and diffuse type tumours. Conclusions: eRF3a/GSPT1 expression at the mRNA level is independent from both cell translation rates and from the expression of the genes involved in tubulin-folding pathways. The differences in the patterns of expression of the genes studied support the hypothesis of genetically independent pathways in the origin of intestinal and diffuse type gastric tumours.

Modulation of translation factor's gene expression by histone deacetylase inhibitors in breast cancer cells

The histone deacetylase inhibitors sodium butyrate (NaBu) and trichostatin A (TSA) exhibit anti-proliferative activity by causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mechanisms by which NaBu and TSA cause apoptosis and cell cycle arrest are not yet completely clarified, although these agents are known to modulate the expression of several genes including cell-cycle- and apoptosis-related genes. The enzymes involved in the process of translation have important roles in controlling cell growth and apoptosis, and several of these translation factors have been described as having a causal role in the development of cancer. The expression patterns of the translation mechanism, namely of the elongation factors eEF1A1 and eEF1A2, and of the termination factors eRF1 and eRF3, were studied in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction after a 24-h treatment with NaBu and TSA. NaBu induced inhibition of translation factors' transcription, whereas TSA caused an increase in mRNA levels. Thus, these two agents may modulate the expression of translation factors through different pathways. We propose that the inhibition caused by NaBu may, in part, be responsible for the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by this agent in MCF-7 cells.

Water quality issues in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in Asian countries: an approach to the problems and the methodologies

Water covers over 70% of the Earth's surface, and is vital for all known forms of life. But only 3% of the Earth's water is fresh water, and less than 0.3% of all freshwater is in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the atmosphere. However, rivers and lakes are an important part of fresh surface water, amounting to about 89%. In this Master Thesis dissertation, the focus is on three types of water bodies – rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and their water quality issues in Asian countries. The surface water quality in a region is largely determined both by the natural processes such as climate or geographic conditions, and the anthropogenic influences such as industrial and agricultural activities or land use conversion. The quality of the water can be affected by pollutants discharge from a specific point through a sewer pipe and also by extensive drainage from agriculture/urban areas and within basin. Hence, water pollutant sources can be divided into two categories: Point source pollution and Non-point source (NPS) pollution. Seasonal variations in precipitation and surface run-off have a strong effect on river discharge and the concentration of pollutants in water bodies. For example, in the rainy season, heavy and persistent rain wash off the ground, the runoff flow increases and may contain various kinds of pollutants and, eventually, enters the water bodies. In some cases, especially in confined water bodies, the quality may be positive related with rainfall in the wet season, because this confined type of fresh water systems allows high dilution of pollutants, decreasing their possible impacts. During the dry season, the quality of water is largely related to industrialization and urbanization pollution. The aim of this study is to identify the most common water quality problems in Asian countries and to enumerate and analyze the methodologies used for assessment of water quality conditions of both rivers and confined water bodies (lakes and reservoirs). Based on the evaluation of a sample of 57 papers, dated between 2000 and 2012, it was found that over the past decade, the water quality of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in developing countries is being degraded. Water pollution and destruction of aquatic ecosystems have caused massive damage to the functions and integrity of water resources. The most widespread NPS in Asian countries and those which have the greatest spatial impacts are urban runoff and agriculture. Locally, mine waste runoff and rice paddy are serious NPS problems. The most relevant point pollution sources are the effluents from factories, sewage treatment plant, and public or household facilities. It was found that the most used methodology was unquestionably the monitoring activity, used in 49 of analyzed studies, accounting for 86%. Sometimes, data from historical databases were used as well. It can be seen that taking samples from the water body and then carry on laboratory work (chemical analyses) is important because it can give an understanding of the water quality. 6 papers (11%) used a method that combined monitoring data and modeling. 6 papers (11%) just applied a model to estimate the quality of water. Modeling is a useful resource when there is limited budget since some models are of free download and use. In particular, several of used models come from the U.S.A, but they have their own purposes and features, meaning that a careful application of the models to other countries and a critical discussion of the results are crucial. 5 papers (9%) focus on a method combining monitoring data and statistical analysis. When there is a huge data matrix, the researchers need an efficient way of interpretation of the information which is provided by statistics. 3 papers (5%) used a method combining monitoring data, statistical analysis and modeling. These different methods are all valuable to evaluate the water quality. It was also found that the evaluation of water quality was made as well by using other types of sampling different than water itself, and they also provide useful information to understand the condition of the water body. These additional monitoring activities are: Air sampling, sediment sampling, phytoplankton sampling and aquatic animal tissues sampling. Despite considerable progress in developing and applying control regulations to point and NPS pollution, the pollution status of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in Asian countries is not improving. In fact, this reflects the slow pace of investment in new infrastructure for pollution control and growing population pressures. Water laws or regulations and public involvement in enforcement can play a constructive and indispensable role in environmental protection. In the near future, in order to protect water from further contamination, rapid action is highly needed to control the various kinds of effluents in one region. Environmental remediation and treatment of industrial effluent and municipal wastewaters is essential. It is also important to prevent the direct input of agricultural and mine site runoff. Finally, stricter environmental regulation for water quality is required to support protection and management strategies. It would have been possible to get further information based in the 57 sample of papers. For instance, it would have been interesting to compare the level of concentrations of some pollutants in the diferente Asian countries. However the limit of three months duration for this study prevented further work to take place. In spite of this, the study objectives were achieved: the work provided an overview of the most relevant water quality problems in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in Asian countries, and also listed and analyzed the most common methodologies.

Contrastive terminology: semitic, anglo-germanic and latin concept building through complex terms. (avoiding one-way method procedures in translation

This paper aims to present a contrastive approach between three different ways of building concepts after proving the similar syntactic possibilities that coexist in terms. However, from the semantic point of view we can see that each language family has a different distribution in meaning. But the most important point we try to show is that the differences found in the psychological process when communicating concepts should guide the translator and the terminologist in the target text production and the terminology planning process. Differences between languages in the information transmission process are due to the different roles the different types of knowledge play. We distinguish here the analytic-descriptive knowledge and the analogical knowledge among others. We also state that none of them is the best when determining the correctness of a term, but there has to be adequacy criteria in the selection process. This concept building or term building success is important when looking at the linguistic map of the information society.

The Moving Text. Localization, translation and distribution

For some years now, translation theorist and educator Anthony Pym has been trying to establish a dialogue between the academic tradition he comes from and the world of the language industries into which he is meant to introduce his students: in other words, between the Translation Studies discipline and the localisation sector. This rapprochement is also the stated aim of his new book The Moving Text (p. 159). Rather than collect and synthesise what was previously dispersed over several articles, Pym has rewritten his material completely, both literally and conceptually, all in the light of the more than three decades of research he has conducted into the field of cross--cultural communication. The theoretical arguments are ably supported by a few short but telling and well-exploited examples.

Literature, translation and national identity: Christina Rossetti and Rosalía de Castro in the work of Plácido Castro

Plácido Castro‘s work has aroused our interest, because it evolves around the question of Galician personality and identity. While working as a journalist and a translator or while writing essays on different literary issues, Plácido Castro has never forgotten his roots or his nation. One could even say that his whole life turns around Galicia. Our purpose is to make a critical analysis of his work, especially as a translator, and try to show how he used translation in order to develop national conscience and identity and to see how far his ideology interfered in the interpretation and translation of Rossetti‘s poetry, in which he found a great similarity with Rosalìa de Castro‘s work.