Il mundus muliebris nelle fonti latine e nei contesti Pompeiani

The subject of the study is the classical Latin concept 'mundus muliebris', usually translated simply as women’s toiletry items. The task of the research is, on one hand, to find a more accurate and comprehensive literary definition for the concept as used in the early Imperial period, and on the other, to examine whether it is possible to find corresponding groupings of material objects among the finds from Pompeian houses destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. The study is based on two different bodies of evidence, literary and material, and consequently uses two independent methods of research. In the philological part of the study, all occurrences of the concept 'mundus muliebris' in classical Latin texts were identified and analysed in their proper literary context, paying special attention to information about the nature of the objects included (name, owner, quantity, value, location in the house). On the basis of this analysis, mirrors were chosen as the key elements of the archaeological research, being ̶ hypothetically ̶ the most probable objects to be found among any extant 'mundus muliebris' contexts in Pompeian houses. In the archaeological part of the study, all mirrors deposited in the Archaeological Storerooms of Pompeii, mostly unpublished, were examined, together with their original find contexts. For more detailed documentation, classification, as well as quantitative and functional analysis, the fifty-nine best preserved household or shop contexts were chosen. Among these contexts, only a few ‘ideal’ groups closely corresponding to the literary definitions were found. However, in most cases a functional artifact pattern of toiletry items could indeed be found grouped together with the mirror. The arrangement of the contexts in the domestic space also revealed a clear pattern. Firstly, the contexts consistently seem to be found in the place of storage, inside locked boxes, not in the place of use. Secondly, they show that for the storage of such objects small closed rooms flanking the main entrance of the house were preferred. Culturally, 'mundus muliebris' can be described as a very complex multi-layered concept intimately interrelated with the female gender, an instrument of its bodily creation and a symbol of its nature. Concretely, it has at its core mirrors and instruments for the care of skin and hair, and includes, in more technical definitions, washing equipment as well. In the Roman domus, lacking specific women’s quarters, this box containing toiletries and other personal objects could be defined as the true, although mobile, private space of the household’s female members.

A H-1-NMR STUDY OF BILIRUBIN IX-ALPHA SOLUBILIZATION BY CHOLATE MICELLES - APPLICATION OF NUCLEAR OVERHAUSER EFFECTS

The solubilization of bilirubin IX-Alpha in aqueous solution by sodium cholate micelles has been examined by 270 MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Incorporation of bilirubin into the micelles is accompanied by specific shifts of bilirubin vinyl and bridgehead protons and the C18 and C19 methyl groups of the steroid. The observed chemical shifts show a monotonic concentration dependence suggesting that changes in aggregation size are continuous. Nuclear Overhauser effects (NOE) have been shown to be a useful probe or micellization. A 4:1 cholate/bilirubin mixture has been investigated by difference NOE spectroscopy. The observation of intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects between peripheral protons of bilirubin and cholate are diagnostic of spatially proximate groups. Inter-cholate nuclear Overhauser effects increase in magnitude upon bilirubin incorporation suggesting closer packing of steroid molecules on solubilization of the pigment. Intramolecular nuclear Overhauser effects observed for solubilized bilirubin are consistent with a compact intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded conformation resembling that determined for bilirubin in the solid state.

Englanniksiko maailmanmaineeseen? : Suomalaisen proosakaunokirjallisuuden kääntäminen englanniksi Isossa-Britanniassa vuosina 1945 2003

This doctoral thesis focuses on the translation of Finnish prose literature into English in the United Kingdom between 1945 and 2003. The subject is approached using translation archaeology, interviews, archival material, detailed text analysis and reception material. The main theoretical framework is Descriptive Translation Studies, and certain sociological theories (Bourdieu s field theory, actor-network theory) are also used. After charting the published translations, two periods of time are selected for closer analysis: an earlier period from 1955 to 1959, involving eight translations, and a later one from 1990 to 2003, with a total of six translations. While these translation numbers may appear low, they are actually rather high in proportion to the total number of 28 one-author literary prose translations published in the UK over the approximately 60 years being studied. The two periods of time, the 1950s and 1990s, are compared in terms of the sociological context of translation activity, the reception of translations and their textual features. The comparisons show that the main changes in translation practice between these two periods are increased completeness (translations in the 1950s group often being shortened by hundreds of pages) and lesser use of indirect translation via an intermediary language (about half of the 1950s translations having been translated via Swedish). Otherwise, translation practices have not changed much: except for large omissions, which are far more frequent in the 1950s, variation within each group is larger than between groups. As to the sociological context, the main changes are an increase in long-term institution-level contacts and an increase in the promotion of foreign translation rights by Finnish publishing houses. This is in contrast to the 1950s when translation rights were mainly sold through personal contacts by individual authors and translators. The reception of translations is difficult to study because of scarce material. However, the 1950s translations were aggressively marketed and therefore obtained far more reviews and reprints than the 1990s translations. Several of the 1950s books, mostly historical novels by Mika Waltari, were mainstream bestsellers at the time, while current translations are frequently made for niche markets. The thesis introduces ample new material on the translation of Finnish prose literature into English in the UK. The results are also relevant to translation from a minority literature into a majority one. As to translation theory, they lead us to question the social nature of translation norms and the assumption of a static target culture. The translations analysed here are located in a very fragmented interculture and gain a stronger position in the Finnish culture than in the British one.

Handling of Two Tropical Australian Sharks to Improve Quality and to Identify the Cause of Tough Texture

Sharks caught in tropical Australian waters occasionally exhibit tough texture. Two species of Carcharinid shark, originally known as the sorrah shark (Carcharinus sorrah) and the black spot shark (Carcharinus tilstoni), compose the majority of the catch. Experiments were conducted to identify the cause of tough texture and to improve the overall quality of the catch. The possibility that a cold shock reaction may occur was investigated by observing the contraction of fillets under a range of temperature conditions before freezing. The effect of on-board handling practices were evaluated using frozen shark fillets, which had been stored prior to freezing in refrigerated seawater at different rigor stages, temperatures and times as trunks. Fillets were analyzed for nucleotides, lactate, thaw pH, sarcomere length and raw and cooked shear force values. The existence of thaw rigor was also investigated. There was little difference in the texture between the individual strips of a fillet exposed to different temperatures but there were significant differences between individual sharks. A cold shock reaction could not be demonstrated in these species. The main influences on texture were of biological origin. The species, sex and size were found to have significant links with texture of fillets. The quality of the fillets deteriorated quicker during the warmer season and were at their worst if the trunks were kept on deck till post-rigor or held in 15 degree C refrigerated seawater before freezing

Volatile components associated with bacterial spoilage of tropical prawns

Analysis of headspace volatiles by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry from king (Penaeus plebejus), banana (P. merguiensis), tiger (P. esculentus/semisulcatus) and greasy (Metapenaeus bennettae) prawns stored in ice or ice slurry, which is effectively an environment of low oxygen tension, indicated the presence of amines at the early stages of storage (less than 8 days) irrespective of the nature of the storage media. Esters were more prevalent in prawns stored on ice (normal oxygen conditions) at the latter stages of storage (more than 8 days) and were only produced by Pseudomonas fragi, whereas sulphides and amines occurred whether the predominant spoilage organism was Ps.fragi or Shewanella putrefaciens. The free amino acid profiles of banana and king prawns were high in arginine (12–14%) and low in cysteine (0.1–0.17%) and methionine (0.1–0.2%). Filter sterilised raw banana prawn broth inoculated with a total of 15 cultures of Ps. fragi and S. putrefaciens and incubated for two weeks at 5°C, showed the presence of 17 major compounds in the headspace volatiles analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). These were mainly amines, sulphides, ketones and esters. Principal Component Analysis of the results for the comparative levels of the volatiles produced by pure cultures, inoculated into sterile prawn broth, indicated three subgroupings of the organisms; I, Ps. fragi from a particular geographic location; II, S. putrefaciens from another geographic location; and III, a mixture of Ps. fragi and S. putrefaciens from different geographic locations. The sensory impression created by the cultures was strongly related to the chemical profile as determined by GC/MS. Organisms, even within the same subgrouping classified as identical by the usual tests, produced a different range of volatiles in the same uniform substrate.

Effects of Low Dose Irradiation on the K-Value and Hypoxanthine Concentration of Fish Fillets

Fillets of five fish species were irradiated at 0, 1 and 3kGy to investigate whether the K-value test of freshness can be applied to irradiated fish. Following irradiation, the fillets were stored on ice and sampled regularly for K-value analysis. Hypoxanthine (Hx) and total nucleotide content were also determined on fillets of two species. K-values of irradiated fillets were generally lower than those of unirradiated controls. Hypoxanthine levels paralleled the K-value changes. These results indicated that quality standards based on K-values or Hx levels that have been set for unirradiated species cannot be directly applied to fish that has been irradiated. Total nucleotide content did not appear to be affected by irradiation.

Nucleotide Degradation Profiles of Iced Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and Nile Perch (Lates niloticus) Muscle

Adenine nucleotides and their related compounds were determined in muscle extracts from two species of fish that were stored in ice after thawing. The fish were the closely related species, Australian barramundi (Lates calcarifer ) and Kenyan Nile perch (Lates niloticus ) which had different process histories. For all samples, adenine nucleotides did not exceed 6% of the total nucleotide pool. Inosine monophosphate (IMP) decreased steadily with storage. Hypoxanthine (Hx) was the major product of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation in both barramundi and Nile perch, showing a steady increase with days of iced storage. The Hx level did not reach a maximum during the 9d storage period. The K-value also increased regularly with time of storage and for the later stages (i.e., 7 and 9d) and was significantly different (P < 0.01) for the two species. The iced storage life of these typical samples of barramundi and Nile perch was estimated to be 3d after thawing using a K-value of < 30% to indicate excellent quality. Despite the differences in process history the nucleotide profiles were remarkably similar during storage. This precludes the use of nucleotide levels as a means of differentiating between these species.

The microbiological status of prawns from retail and wholesale outlets in the Brisbane region

Cooked prawns from retail and wholesale outlets in the Brisbane region included a large proportion with high bacterial counts (10(6)-10(8)/g) indicating a short remaining shelflife. Microbially inferior product entering the wholesale and retail trade indicated poor handling and storage practices from point of capture all along the distribution chain to the retail outlets. Current handling practices need to be upgraded and HACCP principles adopted.

Alternatives to sodium metabisulphite for blackspot prevention in prawns

In Australia, prawns are usually treated with a 1% sodium metabisulphite solution to prevent black spot. Two alternatives, Bacterol and Snow Fresh, were compared to the standard metabisulphite treatment used by industry. Bacterol gave similar protection to sodium metabisulphite, while Snow Fresh showed potential as a substitute. The concentrations most appropriate were determined from residue levels after treatment.

Spoilage pattern of five species of Australian prawns: Deterioration is influenced by environment of capture and mode of storage

Five species of commercial prawns Penaeus plebejus, P. merguiensis, P. semisulcatus/P. esculentus and M. bennettae, were obtained from South-East and North Queensland, chilled soon after capture and then stored either whole or deheaded on ice and ice slurry, until spoilage. Total bacterial counts, total volatile nitrogen, K-values and total demerit scores were assessed at regular intervals. Their shelf lives ranged from 10-17 days on ice and >20 days on ice slurry. Initial bacterial flora on prawns from shallower waters (4-15m) were dominated by Gram-positives and had lag periods around 7 days, whereas prawns from deeper waters (100m) were dominant in Pseudomonas spp. with no lag periods in bacterial growth. The dominant spoiler in ice was mainly Pseudomonas fragi whereas the main spoiler in ice slurry was Shewanella putrefaciens. Bacterial interactions seem to play a major role in the patterns of spoilage in relation to capture environment and pattern of storage

Influence of environmental and instrumental variables on the non-invasive prediction of Brix in pineapple using near infrared spectroscopy

The Brix content of pineapple fruit can be non-invasively predicted from the second derivative of near infrared reflectance spectra. Correlations obtained using a NIRSystems 6500 spectrophotometer through multiple linear regression and modified partial least squares analyses using a post-dispersive configuration were comparable with that from a pre-dispersive configuration in terms of accuracy (e.g. coefficient of determination, R2, 0.73; standard error of cross validation, SECV, 1.01°Brix). The effective depth of sample assessed was slightly greater using the post-dispersive technique (about 20 mm for pineapple fruit), as expected in relation to the higher incident light intensity, relative to the pre-dispersive configuration. The effect of such environmental variables as temperature, humidity and external light, and instrumental variables such as the number of scans averaged to form a spectrum, were considered with respect to the accuracy and precision of the measurement of absorbance at 876 nm, as a key term in the calibration for Brix, and predicted Brix. The application of post-dispersive near infrared technology to in-line assessment of intact fruit in a packing shed environment is discussed.

Non-invasive assessment of pineapple and mango fruit quality using near infra-red spectroscopy

The potential of near infra-red (NIR) spectroscopy for non-invasive measurement of fruit quality of pineapple (Ananas comosus var. Smooth Cayenne) and mango (Magnifera indica var. Kensington) fruit was assessed. A remote reflectance fibre optic probe, placed in contact with the fruit skin surface in a light-proof box, was used to deliver monochromatic light to the fruit, and to collect NIR reflectance spectra (760–2500 nm). The probe illuminated and collected reflected radiation from an area of about 16 cm2. The NIR spectral attributes were correlated with pineapple juice Brix and with mango flesh dry matter (DM) measured from fruit flesh directly underlying the scanned area. The highest correlations for both fruit were found using the second derivative of the spectra (d2 log 1/R) and an additive calibration equation. Multiple linear regression (MLR) on pineapple fruit spectra (n = 85) gave a calibration equation using d2 log 1/R at wavelengths of 866, 760, 1232 and 832 nm with a multiple coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.75, and a standard error of calibration (SEC) of 1.21 °Brix. Modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression analysis yielded a calibration equation with R2 = 0.91, SEC = 0.69, and a standard error of cross validation (SECV) of 1.09 oBrix. For mango, MLR gave a calibration equation using d2 log 1/R at 904, 872, 1660 and 1516 nm with R2 = 0.90, and SEC = 0.85% DM and a bias of 0.39. Using MPLS analysis, a calibration equation with R2 = 0.98, SEC = 0.54 and SECV = 1.19 was obtained. We conclude that NIR technology offers the potential to assess fruit sweetness in intact whole pineapple and DM in mango fruit, respectively, to within 1° Brix and 1% DM, and could be used for the grading of fruit in fruit packing sheds.

Role of Melt Convection on the Thermal Performance of Heat Sinks with Phase Change Material

The role of melt convection oil the performance of beat sinks with Phase Change Material (PCM) is presented in this paper. The beat sink consists of aluminum plate fins embedded in PCM and heat flux is supplied from the bottom. The design of such a heat sink requires optimization with respect to its geometrical parameters. The objective of the optimization is to maximize the heat sink operation time for the prescribed heat flux and the critical chip temperature. The parameters considered for optimization are fin number and fill thickness. The height and base plate thickness of heat sink are kept constant in the present analysis. An enthalpy based CFD model is developed, which is capable Of Simulating phase change and associated melt convection. The CFD model is Coupled with Genetic Algorithm (GA) for carrying out the optimization. Two cases are considered, one without melt convection (conduction regime) and the other with convection. It is found that the geometrical optimizations of heat sinks are different for the two cases, indicating the importance of inch convection in the design of heat sinks with PCMs.

Across the Oceans : Development of Overseas Business Information Transmission, 1815-1875

Earlier studies have shown that the speed of information transmission developed radically during the 19th century. The fast development was mainly due to the change from sailing ships and horse-driven coaches to steamers and railways, as well as the telegraph. Speed of information transmission has normally been measured by calculating the duration between writing and receiving a letter, or between an important event and the time when the news was published elsewhere. As overseas mail was generally carried by ships, the history of communications and maritime history are closely related. This study also brings a postal historical aspect to the academic discussion. Additionally, there is another new aspect included. In business enterprises, information flows generally consisted of multiple transactions. Although fast one-way information was often crucial, e.g. news of a changing market situation, at least equally important was that there was a possibility to react rapidly. To examine the development of business information transmission, the duration of mail transport has been measured by a systematic and commensurable method, using consecutive information circles per year as the principal tool for measurement. The study covers a period of six decades, several of the world's most important trade routes and different mail-carrying systems operated by merchant ships, sailing packets and several nations' steamship services. The main sources have been the sailing data of mail-carrying ships and correspondence of several merchant houses in England. As the world's main trade routes had their specific historical backgrounds with different businesses, interests and needs, the systems for information transmission did not develop similarly or simultaneously. It was a process lasting several decades, initiated by the idea of organizing sailings in a regular line system. The evolution proceeded generally as follows: originally there was a more or less irregular system, then a regular system and finally a more frequent regular system of mail services. The trend was from sail to steam, but both these means of communication improved following the same scheme. Faster sailings alone did not radically improve the number of consecutive information circles per year, if the communication was not frequent enough. Neither did improved frequency advance the information circulation if the trip was very long or if the sailings were overlapping instead of complementing each other. The speed of information transmission could be improved by speeding up the voyage itself (technological improvements, minimizing the waiting time at ports of call, etc.) but especially by organizing sailings so that the recipients had the possibility to reply to arriving mails without unnecessary delay. It took two to three decades before the mail-carrying shipping companies were able to organize their sailings in an optimal way. Strategic shortcuts over isthmuses (e.g. Panama, Suez) together with the cooperation between steamships and railways enabled the most effective improvements in global communications before the introduction of the telegraph.

Studies in Nonlinear Optical Materials: Structure of Methyl 2-(4-Ethyl-5-methyl- 2-thioxo-2,3-dihydro-l,3-thiazol- 3-yl) propionate

CIoH15NO282, Mr=245"0, orthorhombic, P21212 ~, a = 6.639 (2), b = 8.205 (2), c = 22.528(6)A, V= I227.2(6)A 3, z=4, Dm= 1.315, Dx= 1.326gem -3, MoKa, 2=0.7107A, 12= 3.63 cm -1, F(000) = 520, T= 293 K, R = 0.037 for 1115 significant reflections. The second-harmonicgeneration (SHG) efficiency of this compound is only 1/10th of the urea standard. The observed low second-order nonlinear response may be attributed to the unfavourable packing of the molecules in the crystal lattice.