Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian legal system opened up for study in the West. However, there is little research of Russian legal theory, and translation available in English. As legal translators, it is apparent that legal documents are not created in a vacuum, but are products of the culture’s history and values. And, in order to translate these documents, translators must be aware of the source culture’s legal tradition and how it manifests itself into the documents.

Under the guidance of Dr. Tatyana Bystrova I engaged in a multi part systematic analysis of Russian law and legal texts. First, I extensively researched Russian history, culture, and linguistics, and found its basis in Russian law. Second, I translated many different legal documents from Bills of Sale to the Russian Constitution. Then, I analyzed these documents and qualitatively compared them against their American counterparts. Finally, I detailed how these above factors impact the documents.

This research demonstrated the complexities of Russian legal theory and its implications for students of legal translation. Many translation students primarily study broad translation theory, which is taught amongst students studying various language pairs. But, they may lack education in advanced practical applications of theory, especially in an esoteric subset of translation. This research aims to provide this practical demonstration.

By undertaking this research future legal translators are able to have a strong corpus of legal texts to which they can refer during their education.

Why are some genes multi-copy? In some organisms an additional gene copy with the same function may increase protein product output. In others, the subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization of a duplicated ancestral gene confers an advantage. In the case of the non-recombining Y-chromosome, the transposition of these duplicated genes is of particular interest due to the lack of research into the underlying mechanisms. It has been hypothesized that an autosomal CDYL gene is the progenitor of the Y-chromosome chromodomain (CDY) genes, created via duplication and retrotransposition events. To investigate whether CDY copy number may be associated with increased fitness in primates, we have designed a Copy Number Variation (CNV) assay, and applied it to samples of two macaque monkey species, Macaca mulatta and M. fascicularis. Hybridization of the species has led to Y-chromosome introgression from the former into the latter. We hypothesize the successful introgression may be due to a greater CDY copy number because this gene plays a major role in chromatin condensation in the testes. More CDY output would lead to increased sperm production – a distinct advantage in animals that experience significant sperm competition, like macaques. We believe further investigation of Y-chromosomal genes will reveal a similar history of autosomal gene duplication and transposition events, likely evolutionarily maintained by increased fitness.

Sluice Pond (Lynn, MA, USA), has experienced fluctuations in algal communities and temperature. Throughout the Holocene, based on measurements from a sediment core raised from its anoxic central basin, changes in these proxies related to properties can be depicted. The variability in the core’s composition can be studied using wavelet analysis of Visible Derivative Spectroscopy signals extracted by varimax-rotated, principal component analysis (VPCA). This information is plotted against time using an AMS 14C constrained age model. The temporal history provides insight into the extent of preserved natural and human events. Thirteen separate constituents were present in the core, as mixtures of six different orthogonal (or independent) VPCA components that account for 97.1% of the variance in the data set. A detailed look at two of the components is presented in this project. They were plotted against the age model to show changes in relative concentration of 6VPCA1 showing algal blooms and turbidity (related to: Chlorite, Smectite, and phycocyanin), and 6VPCA4 used to indicate temperature (related to: Hematite and Goethite). The components oscillate with dominant periods of 4 ka and 7 ka, respectively. Major climate events such as the Younger Dryas and the 8.2-kiloyear event are represented in the data and in the past 200 years, the data shows fluctuations increasing dramatically. The data and methods used in this project give a representation of the natural variance over the Holocene and forms timelines that allow for a better understanding for the past and reference for the future.

Ancient Greek Armor

This semester I will be researching and compiling information to do with Ancient Greek armor as part of the Athens Experience theater course, where we will travel to Athens, Greece, from March 23^rd until the 30^th, in order to do on-site research. As a Costume Design major, it is important for me to have a good understanding of historical attire, and be able to analyze it through a historical lens, and see how it has impacted modern fashions.

My research is a passion project, with the goal of getting an in-depth view of the history of armor between the beginning of the Trojan War c.1260 BC, and into the Peloponnesian War in 401 BC. Armor -although Greeks were participants in some of the most famous wars in history- is not what usually comes to mind when discussing Ancient Greece, for this reason I’d like to explore this topic. I wish to learn how armor evolved through that time, along with the crafting techniques, symbolism in design, and whether it influenced other fashions.

Researcher: Alex Heffner

Presentation Title: Ancient Greek Technology in War

School: Kent State University

Type: Poster Presentation

The purpose of this study was to travel to Athens, Greece and study ancient Greek technology in war on-site in addition to research completed prior to the trip in order to develop the research further with first-hand knowledge and experiences. This study shows the influence the Grecians have had in developing technology as a precursor to contemporary technology, specifically in warfare. The Grecians were one of the first people to figure out how to create some of the earliest technology we have seen in humanity, specifically in warfare. Some of these included, triremes, phalanx or spears, and catapults which were used to assist them in invading their enemies. The Greeks continued to establish new ways to further their country and their culture however they could, and are even responsible for the oldest known analog computer, which tracked the astronomical positions of the planets. There have been several great engineers who have emerged from the Greek culture and went on to influence other cultures, such as, Philon of Byzantium and Heron of Alexandria. Since then we have taken the influence of Greek technology and advanced it decades further into the weaponry and technology we have today. And while we as the United States have advanced technologically in things such as warfare, it all started with the Greeks.