Finely aware and ironically responsible: Rorty and the functions of literature

Richard Rorty’s conception of literature has been criticised more than acclaimed. While Rorty certainly has impacted literary studies, a comprehensive account of his understanding of literature is still lacking. Moreover, while literature is seen as significant to his later work, the philosophical role this plays in Rortyan thought is underexamined and underappreciated. This paper aims to provide an account of the role of literature and the “literary” in Rorty’s philosophy and the functions he assigns to literature and poetry – in a broad and narrow sense – in democratic cultures. Beginning with an account of Rorty’s conceptions of metaphor and “unfamiliar” language, it draws on this to explain Rorty’s parallel view of literature in the “narrower sense” as playing the same role in culture as metaphors do in language. “Stimulating” literature unsettles settled selves and beliefs and expands human imagination. Using Rorty’s readings of Lolita and 1984 as examples, it shows that to him, literature not only plays a part in increasing empathy and solidarity but has a distinct therapeutic epistemological task: it helps individuals and societies adopt a more pluralist, ironist, post-metaphysical outlook. Both are important democratic functions. For these reasons, Rorty recommends that we work to realise a “literary” culture that rejects any ontologically inflected distinctions between kinds of texts, where philosophy becomes comparative “literary” criticism, and we see literature in the “narrower sense” as equally necessary material for making selves, communities and just institutions as any philosophical or political treatise

Ice tectonic deformation during the rapid in situ drainage of a supraglacial lake on the Greenland Ice Sheet.

We present detailed records of lake discharge, ice motion and passive seismicity capturing the behaviour and processes preceding, during and following the rapid drainage of a 4 km<sup>2</sup> supraglacial lake through 1.1-km-thick ice on the western margin of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Peak discharge of 3300 m<sup>3</sup> s<sup>−1</sup> coincident with maximal rates of vertical uplift indicates that surface water accessed the ice–bed interface causing widespread hydraulic separation and enhanced basal motion. The differential motion of four global positioning system (GPS) receivers located around the lake record the opening and closure of the fractures through which the lake drained. We hypothesise that the majority of discharge occurred through a 3-km-long fracture with a peak width averaged across its wetted length of 0.4 m. We argue that the fracture's kilometre-scale length allowed rapid discharge to be achieved by combining reasonable water velocities with sub-metre fracture widths. These observations add to the currently limited knowledge of in situ supraglacial lake drainage events, which rapidly deliver large volumes of water to the ice–bed interface

A decade (2002–2012) of supraglacial lake volume estimates across Russell Glacier, West Greenland

Supraglacial lakes represent an ephemeral storage buffer for meltwater runoff and lead to significant, yet short-lived, episodes of ice-flow acceleration by decanting large meltwater and energy fluxes into the ice sheet's hydrological system. Here, a methodology for calculating lake volume is used to quantify storage and drainage across Russell Glacier, West Greenland, between 2002 and 2012. Using 502 MODIS scenes, water volume at ~200 seasonally occurring lakes was derived using a depth–reflectance relationship, which was independently calibrated and field validated against lake bathymetry. The inland expansion of lakes is strongly correlated with air temperature: during the record melt years of 2010 and 2012, lakes formed and drained earlier, attaining their maximum volume 38 and 20 days earlier than the 11 yr mean, as well as occupying a greater area and forming at higher elevations (> 1800 m) than previously. Despite occupying under 2% of the study area, lakes delay the transmission of up to 7–13% of the bulk meltwater discharged. Although the results are subject to an observational bias caused by periods of cloud cover, we estimate that across Russell Glacier, 28% of supraglacial lakes drain rapidly (< 4 days). Clustering of such events in space and time suggests a synoptic trigger mechanism. Further, we find no evidence to support a unifying critical size or depth-dependent drainage threshold

Pollen profile MUCKROSS, Muckross, Ireland

The EPD (http://www.europeanpollendatabase.net) accepted species name is given in the parameter comment. This dataset was archived on 2010-05-11 from the EPD database

Growing up with chronic pain: a systematic review of the evidence in transitional care for young people with chronic pain

Abstract Objective Paediatric chronic pain presents a significant individual and societal burden, with an estimated prevalence of 11–38%. A large proportion of adolescents with chronic pain will have unresolved pain that continues into adulthood and thus requires transitional care. The aim of this review was to investigate the current evidence for the core components of effective transitional care interventions designed for young people with chronic pain. Methods Studies were identified by searching the Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases. A search strategy using terms such as ‘Adolescent’, ‘Persistent long-term pain’ and ‘Transition’ (or variations of such words) was implemented. Inclusion criteria were sample population age 10–24 years, a confirmed diagnosis of a condition characterized by chronic pain, any healthcare setting, any service provider, published peer reviewed and English language. Results Ninety-eight articles were identified by the search and 14 were selected after abstract screening. Two independent reviewers screened the articles, followed by a senior reviewer. Of the 14 articles, full-text review found that none of the articles looked specifically at evidence with respect to core components of effective transitional care designed for young people with chronic pain. Conclusion Chronic pain is a feature of many long-term health conditions. It remains unknown as to whether there are any pain-specific aspects of transitional care. How pain management is addressed in existing transitional care provision and the relationship of pain to outcomes needs further research. If effective interventions can be provided during these crucial years, the trajectory of these young people can potentially be improved into adulthood. </jats:sec

Functional genomics of ozone stress in Arabidopsis.

The gas ozone (O3) functions as a protector against ultra-violet radiation in the stratosphere. However, in the troposphere it is toxic to plants and causes significant reductions in crop yields. Ozone is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) and can cause oxidative damage directly by entering stomata and interacting with cell wall and membrane components. Ozone can also form other ROS such as hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals that can cross the plasma membrane and cause further damage, leading to reduced transpiration, accelerated senescence and decreased photosynthesis. A plant-derived oxidative burst also occurs after plants have been exposed to ozone. This closely resembles the hypersensitive response (HR) displayed when plants are challenged by a pathogen. Plants react to oxidative stress by increasing their antioxidant defences in an attempt to neutralise harmful ROS. The individual roles of several antioxidants have been extensively studied, however their regulation and interaction in planta have yet to be fully elucidated. The specificity of antioxidants and other stress-related molecules to each unique stress is also poorly understood. In this work a functional genomics approach has been used to identify novel genes in Arabidopsis thaliana, that are regulated by ozone. A DNA microarray has been utilised to determine gene regulation at the transcriptional level and NMR spectroscopy has been employed to investigate ozone-induced changes to the metabolite profile of Arabidopsis. Twenty genes, which are significantly up-regulated and one gene that is down-regulated by ozone treatment have been identified. The expression of these genes in response to a range of ozone concentrations and time points has been further investigated

A multilateral technology initiative on ocean energy

The Implementing Agreement on Ocean Energy Systems (OES-IA) is one of ten International Energy Agency (IEA) Implementing Agreements within the renewable energy domain. The OES-IA is an important platform for a wide range of international collaborative R&D activities in ocean energy. The OES-IA has the following mission: To facilitate and co-ordinate ocean energy research, development and demonstration through international co-operation and information exchange, leading to the deployment and commercialisation of sustainable, efficient, reliable, cost-competitive and environmentally sound ocean energy technologies. The first term of the OES-IA, which ran from 2001 until 2006, was extended until 2011 and 3rd 5-year term is being contemplated. The mechanisms of collaboration have been through the activities of specific work programmes (known as Annexes to the OES-IA work programme). During the present period, 4 Annexes have been in force, one of which was initiated in 2009: Assessment of Environmental Effects and Monitoring Efforts for Ocean Wave, Tidal, and Current Energy Systems. In late 2009 the Executive Committee (ExCo) approved the preparation of an OES-IA document to summarise the position, direction and opportunities for ocean energy in the future. The document, an International Vision for Ocean Energy will provide a firm but interim vision for ocean energy to 2020 with a perspective on developments towards 2050. This Vision is summarized in this paper and the main achievements of OES-IA during 2009-2010 are presented.Peer reviewe

The wetlands of Greater Manchester North west wetlands survey 2

Includes map of Chat Moss inside back coverAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:5145.7605(3) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo