University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
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If-you and interpersonal meaning in women’s instructive texts (1700- 1899)
No full textThis study investigates mitigation strategies in 18th- and 19th-century English instructive texts
written by women, with a particular focus on conditional constructions such as If you… These
structures, central to the attenuation of directives and recommendations, played a key role in
shaping the pragmatic force of instructional discourse. By softening imperatives, they reflect
contemporary norms of politeness and social hierarchy, providing insight into the ways female
authors negotiated authority within their discursive constraints. The research is based on the
COWITE18 (Alonso-Almeida et al. 2025a) and COWITE19 (Alonso-Almeida et al. 2025b)
subcorpora, which were specifically compiled to analyze contemporary used of language as
well as the rhetorical and pragmatic strategies employed in women’s instructive writing.
Despite the significance of these constructions in instructional genres, little research has
systematically examined their diachronic evolution, particularly from a sociolinguistic and
discourse-analytical perspective. Additionally, the broader influence of historical
transformations, including industrialization, rising literacy levels, and shifting gender roles, on
the frequency and function of mitigation strategies remains largely uncharted.
This study employs both quantitative and qualitative analyses to explore the frequency,
distribution, and function of If you… constructions in women’s instructive texts. The findings
reveal a strong reliance on explicit politeness markers in the 18th century (Leech, 2014; Mills,
2003), exemplified by expressions such as If you please, which emphasize relational
politeness and social deference. Over time, however, a shift towards more pragmatic and direct
constructions, such as If you want, emerges in the 19th century. This transition aligns with
broader sociocultural shifts that encouraged a more functionally driven and accessible
communicative style, suited to an expanding and increasingly literate audience.
Beyond their pragmatic function in softening directives (Brown & Levinson, 1987; AlonsoAlmeida, 2015), If you… constructions serve as indicators of evolving discourse norms and
changing social expectations regarding women’s textual authority. The comparison of 18thand 19th-century texts suggests that while earlier constructions foregrounded politeness and
indirectness, later examples increasingly reflect a shift toward practicality and reader engagement. These patterns underscore how women’s instructive writing adapted to ongoing
historical conditions, revealing an intricate balance between politeness, persuasion, and
rhetorical adaptability in instructional discourse.
Ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) does not cause cellular stress in a phytoplankton community of the subtropical Atlantic Ocean
No full textA natural plankton community from oligotrophic subtropical waters of the Atlantic near Gran Canaria, Spain, was subjected to varying degrees of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) to assess the potential physiological effects in the context of the application of ocean carbon dioxide removal (CDR) techniques. We employed nine mesocosms with sediment traps attached to the bottom, each enclosing a volume of 8.3 m3, to create a gradient in total alkalinity (TA). OAE was based on the addition of carbonates (NaHCO3 and Na2CO3). The lowest point on this gradient was 2400 mu molL-1, which corresponded to the natural alkalinity of the environment, and the highest point was 4800 mu molL-1. Over the course of the 33 d experiment, the plankton community exhibited two distinct phases. In phase I (days 5-20), a notable decline in the photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) was observed. This change was accompanied by substantial reductions in the abundances of picoeukaryotes, small-size nanoeukaryotes (nanoeukaryotes-1), and microplankton. The cell viability of picoeukaryotes, as indicated by fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis by cellular esterases (FDA green fluorescence), slightly increased by the end of phase I, whilst the viability of nanoeukaryotes-1 and Synechococcus spp. did not change. Reactive oxygen species levels (ROS green fluorescence) showed no significant changes for any of the functional groups. In contrast, in phase II (days 21-33), a pronounced community response was observed. Increases in Fv/Fm in the intermediate OAE treatments of Delta 900 to Delta 1800 mu molL-1 and in chlorophyll a (Chl a), chlorophyll c2 (Chl c2), fucoxanthin, and divinyl Chl a were attributed to the emergence of blooms of large-size nanoeukaryotes (nanoeukaryotes-2) from the genera Chrysochromulina, as well as picoeukaryotes. Synechococcus spp. also flourished towards the end of this phase. In parallel, we observed a significant change of 20 % in the overall metaproteome of the phytoplankton community. This is considered a significant alteration in protein expression, having a substantial impact on cellular functions and the physiology of the organisms. Medium levels of Delta TA showed more upregulated and less-downregulated proteins than higher Delta TA treatments. Under these conditions, cell viability significantly increased in pico- and nanoeukaryotes-1 at intermediate alkalinity levels, while in Synechococcus spp., nanoeukaryotes-2 and microplankton remained stable. ROS levels did not significantly change in any functional group. The pigment ratios DD+DT : FUCO and DD+DT : Chl a increased in medium Delta TA treatments, supporting the idea of nutrient deficiency alleviation and the absence of physiological stress. When all data are taken together, this study shows that OAE did not cause cellular stress in the phytoplankton community studied, and physiological fitness was not impaired. The drawdown in phytoplankton cell numbers that was observed at times seemed to have been most likely caused by nutrient limitation.18861865221,7673,9Q1Q1SCIE10,
Metabolite profiling and antioxidant Activities in seagrass biomass
No full textIn this work, metabolite profiling of seeds and antioxidant analysis of fragments of two marine seagrasses, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa, were carried out to identify metabolite signature involved in seed viability and to evaluate the potential of fragments as a source of bioactive compounds. Using HILIC/QTOF-MS, UHPLC-MS and spectrophotometric analysis, seed metabolites and polyphenols and antioxidant activities, such as those of radical scavenging (RSA), reduction (FRAP, CUPRAC) and complexation (CCA), of rhizome fragments were evaluated. Metabolite comparison between seeds revealed differences across development stages (germinated and non-germinated) and seed types (dormant and non-dormant), providing insights into metabolic activity potentially associated with germination processes and seed viability. Furthermore, polyphenol analysis showed the highest content of caffeic acid in mature leaves (17.00 ± 0.02 μg g−1 dw for P. oceanica and 98.00 ± 0.03 μg g−1 dw for C. nodosa). Total phenolic content was correlated with flavonoids and with reduction and complexation activities. The combination of radical scavenging activity and t1/2 was higher in P. oceanica than C. nodosa and also surpassed the commercial synthetic antioxidant BHA. We conclude P. oceanica and C. nodosa exhibit distinct seed metabolite profiles related to germination and type of seeds, and that fragments are rich in antioxidants, with potential as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds.190,884,9Q1Q1SCIE10,
A comparative analysis of brewery effluents in Africa
No full textLas aguas residuales producidas por la industria cervecera presentan características complejas, lo que plantea importantes retos a los ingenieros medioambientales a la hora de buscar métodos eficaces para su tratamiento y reutilización. El objetivo principal de este estudio es comparar las propiedades fisicoquímicas de las aguas residuales de cervecerías de Mozambique y Sudáfrica.6,
Valorización del sector primario de Tías (Lanzarote) y promoción de sus productos ¿Necesidad de un estudio de héroes sociales en Moya?
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