bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing the Intensity over Time of an Electric-Assist Bike Based on the User and Route: The Bike Becomes the Gym
Authors: De La Iglesia Daniel , De Paz Juan , Villarrubia González Gabriel , Barriuso Alberto , Bajo Javier , Corchado Juan
Published: January 2018

Nowadays, many citizens have busy days that make finding time for physical activity difficult. Thus, it is important to provide citizens with tools that allow them to introduce physical activity into their lives as part of the day’s routine. This article proposes an app for an electric pedal-assist-system (PAS) bicycle that increases the pedaling intensity so the bicyclist can achieve higher and higher levels of physical activity. The app includes personalized assist levels that have been adapted to the user’s strength/ability and a profile of the route, segmented according to its slopes. Additionally, a social component motivates interaction and competition between users based on a scoring system that shows the level of their performances. To test the training module, a case study in three different European countries lasted four months and included nine people who traveled 551 routes. The electric PAS bicycle with the app that increases intensity of physical activity shows promise for increasing levels of physical activity as a regular part of the day.
Design and Testing of a Flexible Inclinometer Probe for Model Tests of Landslide Deep Displacement Measurement
Authors: Zhang Yongquan , Tang Huiming , Li Changdong , Lu Guiying , Cai Yi , Zhang Junrong , Tan Fulin
Published: January 2018

The physical model test of landslides is important for studying landslide structural damage, and parameter measurement is key in this process. To meet the measurement requirements for deep displacement in landslide physical models, an automatic flexible inclinometer probe with good coupling and large deformation capacity was designed. The flexible inclinometer probe consists of several gravity acceleration sensing units that are protected and positioned by silicon encapsulation, all the units are connected to a 485-comunication bus. By sensing the two-axis tilt angle, the direction and magnitude of the displacement for a measurement unit can be calculated, then the overall displacement is accumulated according to all units, integrated from bottom to top in turn. In the conversion from angle to displacement, two spline interpolation methods are introduced to correct and resample the data; one is to interpolate the displacement after conversion, and the other is to interpolate the angle before conversion; compared with the result read from checkered paper, the latter is proved to have a better effect, with an additional condition that the displacement curve move up half the length of the unit. The flexible inclinometer is verified with respect to its principle and arrangement by a laboratory physical model test, and the test results are highly consistent with the actual deformation of the landslide model.
Development of Optical Fiber Based Measurement System for the Verification of Entrance Dose Map in Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Beam
Authors: Son Jaeman , Lee Se , Lim Youngkyung , Park Sung , Cho Kwanho , Yoon Myonggeun , Shin Dongho
Published: January 2018

This study describes the development of a beam monitoring system for the verification of entrance dose map in pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy based on fiber optic radiation sensors (FORS) and the validation of this system through a feasibility study. The beam monitoring system consisted of 128 optical fibers optically coupled to photo-multiplier tubes. The performance of the beam monitoring system based on FORS was verified by comparing 2D dose maps of square-shaped fields of various sizes, which were obtained using conventional dosimeters such as MatriXX and EBT3 film, with those measured using FORS. The resulting full-width at half maximum and penumbra were compared for PBS proton beams, with a ≤2% difference between each value, indicating that measurements using the conventional dosimetric tool corresponded to measurements based on FORS. For irregularly-shaped fields, a comparison based on the gamma index between 2D dose maps obtained using MatriXX and EBT3 film and the 2D dose map measured by the FORS showed passing rates of 96.9 ± 1.3% and 96.2 ± 1.9%, respectively, confirming that FORS-based measurements for PBS proton therapy agreed well with those measured using the conventional dosimetric tools. These results demonstrate that the developed beam monitoring system based on FORS is good candidate for monitoring the entrance dose map in PBS proton therapy.
A Sensor Dynamic Measurement Error Prediction Model Based on NAPSO-SVM
Authors: Jiang Minlan , Jiang Lan , Jiang Dingde , Li Fei , Song Houbing
Published: January 2018

Dynamic measurement error correction is an effective way to improve sensor precision. Dynamic measurement error prediction is an important part of error correction, and support vector machine (SVM) is often used for predicting the dynamic measurement errors of sensors. Traditionally, the SVM parameters were always set manually, which cannot ensure the model’s performance. In this paper, a SVM method based on an improved particle swarm optimization (NAPSO) is proposed to predict the dynamic measurement errors of sensors. Natural selection and simulated annealing are added in the PSO to raise the ability to avoid local optima. To verify the performance of NAPSO-SVM, three types of algorithms are selected to optimize the SVM’s parameters: the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO), the improved PSO optimization algorithm (NAPSO), and the glowworm swarm optimization (GSO). The dynamic measurement error data of two sensors are applied as the test data. The root mean squared error and mean absolute percentage error are employed to evaluate the prediction models’ performances. The experimental results show that among the three tested algorithms the NAPSO-SVM method has a better prediction precision and a less prediction errors, and it is an effective method for predicting the dynamic measurement errors of sensors.
Sum of the Magnitude for Hard Decision Decoding Algorithm Based on Loop Update Detection
Authors: Meng Jiahui , Zhao Danfeng , Tian Hai , Zhang Liang
Published: January 2018

In order to improve the performance of non-binary low-density parity check codes (LDPC) hard decision decoding algorithm and to reduce the complexity of decoding, a sum of the magnitude for hard decision decoding algorithm based on loop update detection is proposed. This will also ensure the reliability, stability and high transmission rate of 5G mobile communication. The algorithm is based on the hard decision decoding algorithm (HDA) and uses the soft information from the channel to calculate the reliability, while the sum of the variable nodes’ (VN) magnitude is excluded for computing the reliability of the parity checks. At the same time, the reliability information of the variable node is considered and the loop update detection algorithm is introduced. The bit corresponding to the error code word is flipped multiple times, before this is searched in the order of most likely error probability to finally find the correct code word. Simulation results show that the performance of one of the improved schemes is better than the weighted symbol flipping (WSF) algorithm under different hexadecimal numbers by about 2.2 dB and 2.35 dB at the bit error rate (BER) of 10−5 over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, respectively. Furthermore, the average number of decoding iterations is significantly reduced.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Scientia Pharmaceutica in 2017
Authors:   Scientia Pharmaceutica Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Scientia Pharmaceutica maintains high quality standards for its published papers.[...]
An Investigation of the Underlying Evolution of Shale Gas Research’s Domain Based on the Co-Word Network
Authors: Li Wen , Liu Yuxi , Xiao Siqi , Zhang Yu , Chai Lihe
Published: January 2018

With the increasing shortage energy, the exploration and utilization of shale gas (SG) have greatly changed the world’s natural gas supply pattern. In this study, based on a bibliometric review of the publications related to SG, by analyzing the co-word networks during the past years, we provide comprehensive analyses on the underlying domain evolution of shale gas research (SGR). Firstly, we visualize the topical development of SGR. We not only identify the key topics at each stage but also reveal their underlying dependence and evolutionary trends. The directions of SGR in the future are implied. Secondly, we find the co-word network has small-world and scale-free characteristics, which are the important mechanisms of driving the evolution of SGR’s domain. Thirdly, we analyze China’s SGR. We find the co-word network in China’s SGR has not yet emerged obvious differentiation. Nevertheless, it has a similar self-organized evolution process with the co-word network of international SGR. Our above results can provide references for the future SGR of scholars, optimization or control of the domain and the strategy/policy of countries or globalization.
Evolution of Integrated Open Aquaculture Systems in Hungary: Results from a Case Study
Authors: Popp József , Váradi László , Békefi Emese , Péteri András , Gyalog Gergő , Lakner Zoltán , Oláh Judit
Published: January 2018

This article presents the history of integrated farming in aquaculture through a Hungarian case study. The development of Hungarian integrated aquaculture is aligned with global trends. In the previous millennium, the utilization of the nutrients introduced into the system was the main aspect of the integration. In Hungary, technologies that integrated fish production with growing crops and animal husbandry appeared, including for example: large-scale fish-cum-rice production; fish-cum-duck production; and integrated pig-fish farming which were introduced in the second half of the 20th century. Today, the emphasis is on integrating the use of the kind of feed where the main goal is to minimize nutrient loads in the surrounding natural ecosystems and to maximize the utilization of the unit’s water resources. The various modern integrated freshwater aquaculture systems, such as intensive fish production combined with wetland, recirculation aquaculture system and multi-functional aquaculture, have proved their viability. However, the future opportunities for these systems have not always been properly recognized and acknowledged when the future of European aquaculture is discussed.
A Framework of Payment for Ecosystem Services to Protect Cropland: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta in China
Authors: Guo Jie , Zhu Tianqi , Ou Minghao , Pei Fengsong , Gan Xiaoyu , Ou Weixin , Tao Yu
Published: January 2018

Due to large land demand and insufficient economic incentives, stakeholders have little motivation to protect cropland during rapid urbanization. The considerable loss of cropland poses a serious threat to food security and ecological sustainability. This research proposes a framework of payment for ecosystem services (PES) to reconcile the large land demand and the need for cropland protection during economic development by identifying whom to compensate, what to pay, how much to pay, the mechanisms for payment, and verification of service delivery. Using the Yangtze River Delta as an example, the features of the PES based on supply-demand analysis, compensation quality and value standards, and payment regulation are demonstrated. The results show the effectiveness of this PES framework for handling the externality of environmental protection compared to traditional regulatory approaches. The framework will also aid in the protection of cropland by coordinating the benefits of stakeholders.
The Race to Document Archaeological Sites Ahead of Rising Sea Levels: Recent Applications of Geospatial Technologies in the Archaeology of Polynesia
Authors: McCoy Mark
Published: January 2018

Marine environments are rich in natural resources, and therefore, have been targeted for human occupation from at least the Pleistocene. In the modern day, the preservation and documentation of the physical archaeological evidence of human occupation and use of coasts, islands, and the ocean must now include mitigating the impacts of global climate change. Here, I review recent efforts to document archaeological sites across the islands of Polynesia using geospatial technology, specifically remote sensing, high-resolution documentation, and the creation of archaeological site geodatabases. I discuss these geospatial technologies in terms of planning for likely future impacts from sea level rise; a problem that will be felt across the region, and based on current evidence, will affect more than 12% of all known sites in New Zealand (Aotearoa).
Quantifying Urban Land Sprawl and its Driving Forces in Northeast China from 1990 to 2015
Authors: Chen Lin , Ren Chunying , Zhang Bai , Wang Zongming , Liu Mingyue
Published: January 2018

Drastic urbanization has resulted in numerous problems worldwide, and many studies were devoted to individual cities. There is an urgent need to quantify urbanization patterns and illustrate their driving forces in the regional area on a large scale over a longer time period. This study produced a land cover dataset to characterize sequential urban land expansion in Northeast China from 1990 to 2015 using object-based backdating classification and calculating the expansion index. The drivers were investigated using Pearson correlation analysis and the multiple linear stepwise regression model. The results revealed that the total area of urban land increased by 43.15% from 1990 to 2015, mainly in the middle part of the study area, and especially in the coastal area of Liaoning. Liaoning had the fastest growth rate, while Heilongjiang showed a decrease in growth rate rankings. Urban land expanded northward and southward within Harbin City, towards the west and east within Changchun City, and relatively equally in all directions within Shenyang City. Expansion patterns changed from edge expansion (42%) to outlying expansion (47%). Urban land of Liaoning and the Eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous region expanded with similar patterns as the entire area, but that of Heilongjiang grew in an opposite pattern, and Jilin maintained outlying major expansion. The influence of factors on urban land sprawl varied temporally. Tertiary industry product, gross domestic product, secondary industry product, total population and urban population were driving factors of urban land sprawl in Northeast China from 1990 to 2015. This research provides quantitative methods for better understanding urban land dynamics and devising feasible strategies for sustainable urban development.
A Comprehensive Review of Thermal Energy Storage
Authors: Sarbu Ioan , Sebarchievici Calin
Published: January 2018

Thermal energy storage (TES) is a technology that stocks thermal energy by heating or cooling a storage medium so that the stored energy can be used at a later time for heating and cooling applications and power generation. TES systems are used particularly in buildings and in industrial processes. This paper is focused on TES technologies that provide a way of valorizing solar heat and reducing the energy demand of buildings. The principles of several energy storage methods and calculation of storage capacities are described. Sensible heat storage technologies, including water tank, underground, and packed-bed storage methods, are briefly reviewed. Additionally, latent-heat storage systems associated with phase-change materials for use in solar heating/cooling of buildings, solar water heating, heat-pump systems, and concentrating solar power plants as well as thermo-chemical storage are discussed. Finally, cool thermal energy storage is also briefly reviewed and outstanding information on the performance and costs of TES systems are included.
Bounded Rationality in the Developmental Trajectory of Environmental Target Policy in China, 1972–2016
Authors: Mu Rui
Published: January 2018

This article applies the theoretical notion of “bounded rationality” to understand and to explain the updates of the Environmental Target Policy (ETP) in China during 1972–2016. An analytical framework is built up by combining the phase model and the stream model in policy science in order to trace the longitudinal transformation of the ETP. In addition, the article adopts the “event sequence method” to discover the dynamics of the problem, politics, and policy streams of the target policy and to identify the evolving coupling between the different streams. It shows that China’s ETP has experienced five phases of development. For each phase the central government had its specific bounded rationality to make the crucial decision on the ETP. The decisions on the ETP in different phases were made when policy windows were open with the coupling of the problem, politics, and policy streams. As for the updates of the ETP, we find that the rationalities of the central governments in the five phases were limited by the emergent practices during the ETP implementation, which gave momentum to the central government to seek new solutions and to revise and adapt the ETP.
Variations of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Land-Use Change in the Kashgar Region, Northwest China
Authors: Mamat Aynur , Halik Ümüt , Rouzi Aihemaitijiang
Published: January 2018

Increasing anthropogenic activities have significantly altered ecosystems in arid oasis regions. Estimating the impact on a wide range of ecosystem services is important for decision making and the sustainable development of these regions. This study analyzed time-series Landsat data to determine the influences of oasis land-use changes on the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region in Northwest China. The following results were found. The total value of the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region were approximately $10,845.3, $11,218.6, $10,291.7, and $10,127.3 million in 1986, 1996, 2005, and 2015, respectively. The water supply, waste treatment, biodiversity protection, and recreation and cultural services were the four ecosystem services with the highest service value, contributing 77.05% of the total ecosystem services. The combined contribution rate of food production and raw material value was only about 4.02%, relatively small. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated total ecosystem service value (ESV) for this study area was relatively inelastic with respect to the value coefficients. The findings of this study will be crucial for maintaining the stability and sustainable development of the oasis region, where socio-economic development and the integrity of the natural ecosystem complement each other. Furthermore, the results provide a scientific basis for decision makers in land use management, and provide a reference for researchers in the Northwest China.
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Symmetry in 2017
Authors:   Symmetry Editorial Office
Published: January 2018

Peer review is an essential part in the publication process, ensuring that Symmetry maintains high quality standards for its published papers. In 2017, a total of 328 papers were published in the journal.[...]
Comparative Response of the Hepatic Transcriptomes of Domesticated and Wild Turkey to Aflatoxin B1
Authors: Reed Kent , Mendoza Kristelle , Abrahante Juan , Coulombe Roger
Published: January 2018

The food-borne mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) poses a significant risk to poultry, which are highly susceptible to its hepatotoxic effects. Domesticated turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are especially sensitive, whereas wild turkeys (M. g. silvestris) are more resistant. AFB1 toxicity entails bioactivation by hepatic cytochrome P450s to the electrophilic exo-AFB1-8,9-epoxide (AFBO). Domesticated turkeys lack functional hepatic GST-mediated detoxification of AFBO, and this is largely responsible for the differences in resistance between turkey types. This study was designed to characterize transcriptional changes induced in turkey livers by AFB1, and to contrast the response of domesticated (susceptible) and wild (more resistant) birds. Gene expression responses to AFB1 were examined using RNA-sequencing. Statistically significant differences in gene expression were observed among treatment groups and between turkey types. Expression analysis identified 4621 genes with significant differential expression (DE) in AFB1-treated birds compared to controls. Characterization of DE transcripts revealed genes dis-regulated in response to toxic insult with significant association of Phase I and Phase II genes and others important in cellular regulation, modulation of apoptosis, and inflammatory responses. Constitutive expression of GSTA3 was significantly higher in wild birds and was significantly higher in AFB1-treated birds when compared to controls for both genetic groups. This pattern was also observed by qRT-PCR in other wild and domesticated turkey strains. Results of this study emphasize the differential response of these genetically distinct birds, and identify genes and pathways that are differentially altered in aflatoxicosis.
Causation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis by Myelitis and Myositis in Enterovirus-D68 Infected Mice Deficient in Interferon αβ/γ Receptor Deficient Mice
Authors: Morrey John , Wang Hong , Hurst Brett , Zukor Katherine , Siddharthan Venkatraman , Van Wettere Arnaud , Sinex Donal , Tarbet E.
Published: January 2018

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) caused a large outbreak in the summer and fall of 2014 in the United States. It causes serious respiratory disease, but causation of associated paralysis is controversial, because the virus is not routinely identified in cerebrospinal fluid. To establish clinical correlates with human disease, we evaluated EV-D68 infection in non-lethal paralysis mouse models. Ten-day-old mice lacking interferon responses were injected intraperitoneally with the virus. Paralysis developed in hindlimbs. After six weeks of paralysis, the motor neurons were depleted due to viral infection. Hindlimb muscles were also infected and degenerating. Even at the earliest stage of paralysis, muscles were still infected and were degenerating, in addition to presence of virus in the spinal cord. To model natural respiratory infection, five-day-old mice were infected intranasally with EV-D68. Two of the four infected mice developed forelimb paralysis. The affected limbs had muscle disease, but no spinal cord infection was detected. The unique contributions of this study are that EV-D68 causes paralysis in mice, and that causation by muscle disease, with or without spinal cord disease, may help to resolve the controversy that the virus can cause paralysis, even if it cannot be identified in cerebrospinal fluid.
Biomarkers of Progression after HIV Acute/Early Infection: Nothing Compares to CD4+ T-cell Count?
Authors: Turk Gabriela , Ghiglione Yanina , Hormanstorfer Macarena , Laufer Natalia , Coloccini Romina , Salido Jimena , Trifone César , Ruiz María , Falivene Juliana , Holgado María , Caruso María , Figueroa María , Salomón Horacio , Giavedoni Luis , Pando María , Gherardi María , Rabinovich Roberto , Pury Pedro , Sued Omar
Published: January 2018

Progression of HIV infection is variable among individuals, and definition disease progression biomarkers is still needed. Here, we aimed to categorize the predictive potential of several variables using feature selection methods and decision trees. A total of seventy-five treatment-naïve subjects were enrolled during acute/early HIV infection. CD4+ T-cell counts (CD4TC) and viral load (VL) levels were determined at enrollment and for one year. Immune activation, HIV-specific immune response, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) and C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) genotypes, and plasma levels of 39 cytokines were determined. Data were analyzed by machine learning and non-parametric methods. Variable hierarchization was performed by Weka correlation-based feature selection and J48 decision tree. Plasma interleukin (IL)-10, interferon gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, soluble IL-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Rα) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels correlated directly with baseline VL, whereas IL-2, TNF-α, fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β correlated directly with CD4+ T-cell activation (p < 0.05). However, none of these cytokines had good predictive values to distinguish “progressors” from “non-progressors”. Similarly, immune activation, HIV-specific immune responses and HLA/CCR5 genotypes had low discrimination power. Baseline CD4TC was the most potent discerning variable with a cut-off of 438 cells/μL (accuracy = 0.93, κ-Cohen = 0.85). Limited discerning power of the other factors might be related to frequency, variability and/or sampling time. Future studies based on decision trees to identify biomarkers of post-treatment control are warrantied.
Interferons: Reprogramming the Metabolic Network against Viral Infection
Authors: Raniga Kavita , Liang Chen
Published: January 2018

Viruses exploit the host and induce drastic metabolic changes to ensure an optimal environment for replication and the production of viral progenies. In response, the host has developed diverse countermeasures to sense and limit these alterations to combat viral infection. One such host mechanism is through interferon signaling. Interferons are cytokines that enhances the transcription of hundreds of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) whose products are key players in the innate immune response to viral infection. In addition to their direct targeting of viral components, interferons and ISGs exert profound effects on cellular metabolism. Recent studies have started to illuminate on the specific role of interferon in rewiring cellular metabolism to activate immune cells and limit viral infection. This review reflects on our current understanding of the complex networking that occurs between the virus and host at the interface of cellular metabolism, with a focus on the ISGs in particular, cholesterol-25-hydroxylase (CH25H), spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) and sterile alpha motif and histidine/aspartic acid domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1), which were recently discovered to modulate specific metabolic events and consequently deter viral infection.
Frequency Measurement of Musical Instrument Strings Using Piezoelectric Transducers
Authors: Lynch-Aird Nicolas , Woodhouse Jim
Published: January 2018

The use of a piezoelectric transducer to monitor the tuning of a musical instrument string has been investigated. It has been shown that the transverse resonance frequencies of the string can be identified by electrical measurements on a low-cost actuator/sensor, sufficiently discreetly to be done during a performance. This frequency measurement approach can be used as the basis for a tuning control mechanism to maintain a musical instrument string at the required pitch, without it having to be plucked or played. Such a system would be of direct benefit to harp players in particular, who have no other means to adjust a mistuned string during a performance. Some of the practical issues and implications of adding such a tuning control system to the harp are considered.
Caractérisation préliminaire des poteries marqueurs d’échanges en mer de Chine méridonale à la fin de la préhistoire
Authors: Bellina Bérénice , Epinal Guillaume , Favereau Aude
Published: January 2018

Depuis 2005, la mission archéologique franco-thaïe en Thaïlande péninsulaire fouille et prospecte des sites appartenant à divers environnements, impliquant différents groupes sociaux et révélant des fonctions multiples. Parmi ces sites figurent Khao Sam Kaeo, une implantation proto-urbaine de nature cosmopolite, ainsi que des grottes ayant servi de campements ou de cimetières, tels les sites côtiers de Tham Tuay ou Tham Pla (province de Chumphon), et le site insulaire de Koh Din (province de Surat Thani). Certaines des poteries trouvées sur ces sites partagent un même répertoire morpho-stylistique, y compris un type apparenté au type Sa Huynh-Kalanay, qui pourrait indiquer des liens avec la sphère culturelle de la mer de Chine méridionale. Cet assemblage permet d’aborder la question des interactions entre les différents groupes présents ou en contact avec la péninsule thaïe et comment leurs déplacements et échanges ont joué un rôle dans l’élaboration de leur identité culturelle.
À propos d’un crâne gravé de Bornéo au Musée des Confluences de Lyon
Authors: Guerreiro Antonio J.
Published: January 2018

La réorganisation des anciennes collections anthropologiques du Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Lyon, dans le cadre du projet en cours du Musée des Confluences, permet d’aborder à partir d’une pièce exceptionnelle – un crâne finement gravé de motifs foliacés dont l’état de conservation est parfait – le statut des crânes ornés de l’ouest de Bornéo. La pièce étudiée fait partie de la catégorie des «crânes trophées » , des objets rituels que les populations bidayuh du Sarawak (Malaisie orientale) et des groupes apparentés de Kalimantan Ouest (Indonésie) chérissaient comme des biens de prestige (pusaka). Il faut souligner que très peu de sources récentes traitent des trophées humains conservés dans les musées d’anthropologie ou d’ethnographie. En croisant les données sur la question, l’auteur aborde différents aspects qui éclairent le contexte culturel, scientifique et l’histoire de cette pièce depuis le milieu du XIXe siècle jusqu’à nos jours.
Pascal-Jean-Balthazar and his Timorese Background: New Materials on an Old Issue
Authors: Hägerdal Hans
Published: January 2018

Timor was not well-known to the European public in the early-modern era, although it was partly dominated by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Portuguese. Nevertheless a previous study by Anne Lombard-Jourdan has mapped the captivating career of Pascal-Jean-Balthazar, a person of Asian origins who arrived to France in 1750 and claimed to be the son of the ruler of Solor and Timor, corresponding to the Black Portuguese leader Gaspar da Costa (died 1749). Pascal-Jean-Balthazar passed away in poverty around 1800 without ever having returned to the Indies. The true identity of this supposed prince of Timor may be highlighted by new-found Dutch archival material. On French intervention, a Dutch delegation visited the Black Portuguese stronghold Oecussi in 1779 and interviewed the local leaders about their possible knowledge about Pascal-Jean-Balthazar. The Oecussi aristocracy denied that he was sprung from their line and opined that he was rather the son of a Chinese trader. After outlining the historical setting of the Black Portuguese on Timor at the time, the article discusses the significance of the new information and the Chinese influences on Timor in the early-colonial era.
Chinese Bird Imports from Maritime Southeast Asia, c. 1000-1500
Authors: Ptak Roderich
Published: January 2018

This article, which is mostly based on Song, Yuan and early Ming sources, investigates a neglected chapter in animal and trade history – China’s import of exotic birds from Southeast Asia. From a commercial point of view the exchange of rare animals across Asia’s maritime spaces was negligible, but not infrequently, “ rare commodities” left a strong visible impact on the recipient culture ; one may treat this as a longue durée phenomenon in the Braudelian sense. That also applies to the case of precious birds, which were kept as pets in China, inspiring the literary elite to produce pictures and poems. At the same time, avian products came to be used in medicine, for decorative purposes and in other ways. The article, organised in the form of a “ commodity study”, contains separate chapters on various creatures such as huoji (cassowaries ?), hornbills, “ talking birds”, kingfishers, etc. Each section establishes a structured panorama of why and when particular birds / bird products were sent to China – and thus, how Southeast Asia contributed to making life in China more colourful.
The Problem of the Ancient Name Java and the Role of Satyavarman in Southeast Asian International Relations Around the Turn of the Ninth Century CE
Authors: Griffiths Arlo
Published: January 2018

One of the most familiar narratives of ancient Southeast Asian history is the account of how Cambodian king Jayavarman II liberated his country from Javā, and consequently declared himself emperor in the year 802 CE. These events and this year are widely considered to represent the beginning of the Angkorian “ empire”. Recent years have seen several new scholarly contributions questioning parts of this narrative. One issue is the very historicity of the narrative elements about Jayavarman II, another topic of debate is the identity of Javā in the narratives related to Jayavarman II, and, more generally, in the history of Southeast Asia. After revealing the very weak foundations of certain recent attempts to argue that references to Javā in sources of the Southeast Asian mainland denoted a place on the continent or the Malay peninsula, this paper argues that the Khmer inscriptions refer to the island of Java when they use the term Javā. The paper shows, furthermore, that narratives involving Javā do not exclusively concern Jayavarman II, but that a certain Satyavarman is in some sources attributed a role very similar to that of the much more famous king Jayavarman II. It is proposed that this Satyavarman may well have been the king of that name who ruled in southern Campā around 800 CE, and hence that the epigraphical record of Satyavarman in Campā is likely to hold important clues not only for the history of Campā itself, but equally for international political relations between the Khmer, Cam and Javanese polities in the late 8th and early 9th century of our era.
Maritime Routes Between Indochina and Nusantara to the 18th Century
Authors: Wade Geoffrey
Published: January 2018

This article offers an overview of historical Chinese, Arab and Vietnamese sources which describe maritime links between the Indochina world and Maritime Southeast Asia from the first century CE until the 18th century. It is in fact from the seventh century that texts begin to provide a number of identifiable toponyms, and the burgeoning of Tang relations with distant societies and polities in the following century saw new maritime routes developing in Southeast Asia. In the 9th century, Chinese sources are supplemented with Arab accounts. Chinese sources of the first millenium CE also contain details regarding the ships which sailed the seas between Indochina and Nusantara, the 10th century being a key period of change in long distance trade through Southeast Asia. By the 14th century the majority of the long-distance trading ships which connected Nusantara and Indochina were Chinese and some possibly Southeast Asian. The beginning of the 15th century brings new maritime route details in connection with the well known voyages led by Zheng He. Further details are provided through three 16th century and 17th century Chinese sources. The article ends with a presentation of data found in a Vietnamese maritime guide dating to 1810 but based on earlier materials.
Vietnamese Ceramics in the Malay World
Authors: Dupoizat Marie-France
Published: January 2018

Vietnamese ceramics were exported to the Malay World during periods when the ceramics supply from China was restricted or reduced for domestic reasons, giving a rather clear illustration of the importance and the structure of the trade networks in the China Sea. Specific Vietnamese trade wares have been found in many places of the Malay World, from Sumatra to the Philippines. The earliest group consists of underglaze black decorated bowls and monochrome glazed bowls dating to the 14th century. Blue-and-white bowls, dishes and covered boxes were the most frequently exported Vietnamese wares during the following century, while monochrome wares were also in demand but to a lesser extent. Towards the end of the 15th century, Vietnamese polychrome wares started to be exported along the same maritime routes. The export of blue-and-white Vietnamese wares to the Malay World seems to have ceased at the beginning of the 16th century. Again, under-supply of Chinese ceramics in the late second half of the 17th century led to the export of a type of coarse Vietnamese ware to the Malay World. Moreover, Vietnamese ceramics were also produced to respond to specific orders, as was the case in the 15th century, with the Vietnamese wall tiles of Majapahit.
The Hạ châu or Southern Countries as Observed by Vietnamese Emissaries (1830-1844)
Authors: Salmon Claudine
Published: January 2018

Although commercial relations between Vietnam and Insulinde go back to the remote past, the Vietnamese have shown very little curiosity about their Southern neighbours ; this explains why travel accounts are so scarce. Here we intend to reflect on the reports and travel impressions written by demoted civil servants who were sent to the Hạ châu or “ Southern Countries” to redeem their faults when the Nguyễn court became interested in obtaining reports on the conditions and views of the European based in Bengal, the Straits, Java, and Luzon. The original versions of these reports have apparently not survived, but several copies are kept in various public libraries in Hanoi. The first was Lý Văn Phức (1785-1849) demoted in 1829 and dispatched to Calcutta in early 1830 via Singapore, Malacca and Penang. He wrote three texts of which a record in prose and a brief account in verse and prose more or less arranged in chronological order have survived. Cao Bá Quát (1809-1854) who in 1844 accomplished a mission to Singapore and Batavia was apparently the last demoted civil servant sent to the Hạ châu (after the arrival of the French in Vietnam the Nguyễn court developed its relations with Hong Kong). He was the first to realise that the Europeans were a particular danger to the region. In order to perceive the political situation in the Malay world the emissaries had to rely on the Chinese merchants who shared the same culture and who were the only people with whom they could communicate at least by mean of the brush.
Daripada Pelarian Kepada Usahawan: Pengalaman Masyarakat Cam di Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia
Authors: Nor Awang Siti
Published: January 2018

De réfugiés à entrepreneurs : l’expérience d’une communauté Cam de Pekan, Pahang, Malaisie.

Cette étude, basée sur un travail de terrain conduit durant les années 2000, est centrée sur une communauté musulmane originaire du Cambodge et aujourd’hui installée dans l’État de Pahang, précisemment dans la région de Pekan. Ses membres font partie des premiers réfugiés, d’abord hébergés à Kelantan avant de quitter cet État afin d’entamer une nouvelle vie indépendante au début des années 1980. Dans la région de Pekan, ils vont retrouver un environnement proche de celui qu’ils ont connu au Cambodge et l’aquaculture en eau douce figure au nombre des activités économiques qu’ils pratiquent jusqu’à aujourd’hui. Cet article décrit cette activité que la communauté a débutée vers 1984, et qui représente aujourd’hui l’activité principale de la communauté Cam dans trois villages de la région de Pekan. Cette communauté constitue l’un des cas d’intégration réussie de réfugiés d’origine indochinoise, qui de plus est parvenue à s’épanouir économiquement en devenant l’acteur le plus important de l’aquaculture en eau douce de la région de Pekan.
Czech Tropics
Authors: Mrázek Jan
Published: January 2018

Bohemia, a small land-locked country which never had an Asian colony, was itself for long periods “ colonized” and exoticized by its more powerful European neighbours. What do the jungle, the ocean, brave Acehnese fighters, mestizos, or self-confident British and Dutch colonists mean to Czechs ? What dreams and nightmares, truths and half-lies do these images embody ? How do they mirror and refract both fresh perceptions and inherited imagery ? How can one write about them without explaining away the raw power and truth of personal impressions, fictional narratives, or poetic metaphors, without fitting them into pre-existent colonial and postcolonial schemes of power and meaning – such as labelling them as colonial, anti-colonial, Orientalist, European, Czech, same or different ? Starting from the avant-garde poet Konstantin Biebl, who visited Java in 1926, the essay goes on to reflect on the writings of other Czechs who travelled to the Malay archipelago in the colonial period.
Méthodes de mesure de la surface des particules
Authors: Escard J.
Published: January 2018

La connaissance de l'aire superficielle des corps solides est un élément important dans la compréhension et l'étude de nombreux phénomènes : activité catalytique des masses de contact utilisées dans les synthèses de la grande industrie chimique, vitesses de dissolution des matières pulvérulentes, qualité des pigments de peinture., fini des vernis et des laques, prise du ciment, fixation des colorants sur les tissus, forces de liaison et de frottement entre les fibres d'un fil textile ou d'un papier, filtration à travers une couche granulaire, poli d'un métal, graissage des pièces mécaniques, etc...

Le problème de la mesure des surfaces se pose différemment d'une part selon les renseignements qu'on en attend, et d'autre part selon qu'il s'agit d'une poudre formée de particules séparées ou bien d'un bloc poreux. Dans le cas d'une poudre on ne s'intéresse souvent qu'à la taille de ses particules et la "surface externe" n'est qu'une autre mesure de cette taille. Quand il s'agit d'un bloc poreux on s'intéresse au contraire surtout à la surface interne de cette masse ; la surface externe (géométrique) n'a que peu d'utilité et ne renseigne nullement sur la structure fine du matériau.
The Montmorillonite differential thermal curve. I. - General Variability in the Dehydroxylation Region
Authors: Mackenzie R.C.
Published: January 2018

The various types of curves given by montmorillonite samples are discussed and compared ; possible reasons for differences are considered. The exchangeable cations, and the fixation of cations, affect not only the hygroscopic moisture region but also the dehydroxylation region of the curve. The reasons for this can at present only be surmised, but eventual solution would undoubtedly lead to clarification of the true montmorillonite structure .
A graphic approach to the interpretation of variations in the size frequency distribution of silty clays
Authors: Doeglas D.J.
Published: January 2018

Les sables, les sablons et les particules argileuses ne se sédimentent pas en même temps. D'autre part, les argiles sableuses ou très sabloneuses sont feuilletées, chaque feuillet pouvant être très fin, mais formé d'une alternance de sables bien classés, de sablons et d'argiles.

C'est pourquoi, les échantillons prélevés dans des sédiments finement feuilletés, en vue d'une analyse mécanique, contiennent deux (ou même davantage) constituants fondamentaux ; les résultats de l'analyse sont donc complexes.

L'auteur discute une méthode pour distinguer les différents matériaux constitutifs de ces feuillets, à partir des données de l'analyse granulométrique (distribution des fréquences de grains de dimensions données). Il emploie un diagramme rectangulaire qui montre les rapports de toutes les classes granulométriques étudiées. Le mélange des matériaux sous l'influence de ce mode de dépôt en feuillets peut être mis en évidence graphiquement.
Hypothèse sur la genèse de certains minéraux du groupe de la kaolinite dans une poche de sables sidérolithiques du Mont Vuache (Savoie)
Authors: Vernet J.-P.
Published: January 2018

Dans un karst du Mont Vuache, on observe un remplissage de sables sidérolithiques . La circulation des eaux a lessivé et blanchi ceux-ci et les oxydes de fer ont été entraînés ; ce qui en reste forme deux auréoles concentriques, l'une d'hématite et l'autre de goethite. Entre cette dernière et la paroi des calcaires massifs de l'Urgonien dans lesquels est creusé le karst s'est déposé une couche de gibbsite d'allophane et d'halloysite de néoformation. Cette couche est exempte de grains de quartz car l'auréole de goethite a servi de filtre, perméable aux solutions ioniques, mais imperméable aux sables du remplissage. Ces solutions proviennent de l'altération de la kaolinite accompagnant les sables sidérolithiques. Cette kaolinite est l'unique composant de la fraction argileuse du centre de la poche, alors qu'elle est totalement absente dans la dernière auréole, au contact du calcaire encaissant. Dans celle-ci apparaissent seules l'halloysite, l'allophane et la gibbsite. Ces trois minéraux sont indubitablement de néoformation. On les observe toujours associés, sauf dans certaines régions de l'auréole où l'halloysite est translucide et a une teinte bleu ciel. Dans ce cas, l'halloysite est accompagnée uniquement par l'allophane. Cette constatation nous a conduit à émettre l'hypothèse que dans le cas de ce gisement on a une filiation allant de la gibbsite à l'halloysite en ayant comme stade intermédiaire la série de minéraux mal définis chimiquement et morphologiquement, et surtout mal cristallisés, que l'on convient d'appeler "allophane". Ceci correspond à une progression dans la teneur en silice et une régression parallèle de la teneur en eau. Cette néoformation d'halloysite d'origine purement sédimentaire semble se poursuivre encore de nos jours dans ce gisement.
Détermination des groupes hydroxyles superficiels de la kaolinite par les organo-métalliques (CH3Mgl et CH3Li)
Authors: Uytterhoeven J.
Published: January 2018

La surface hydroxylique et son évolution en fonction de la température a été étudiée en se fondant sur les valeurs de la surface spécifique, la nature de l'ion échangeable et le packing des groupes hydroxyles. Une distinction entre l'eau d'hydratation du cation et les hydroxyles de constitution a été rendue possible.
Etude des complexes kaolinite -hydroxyde d'aluminium. Synthèse et genèse des trihydrates cristallisés
Authors: Herbillon A. , Gastuche Marie-Claire
Published: January 2018

Deux modes de vieillissement des gels d'alumine sont comparés l'un dans la solution-mère, l'autre en milieu dialysé.

Si les gels mûris au sein de la solution-mère présentent les caractères amorphes ou pseudocristallins déjà décrits par de nombreux auteurs, ceux vieillis en milieu dialysé cristallisent en trihydrates. Les conditions expérimentales règlent la nature cristalline ou amorphe du produit final .

Des expériences en tout point semblables menées en présence de quantités croissantes de kaolinite montrent que cette forme cristalline n'exerce qu'une influence du second ordre sur l'évolution cristalline. Le vieillissement en milieu dialysé entraîne ici encore l'apparition des trihydrates.

Ces expériences jettent un jour nouveau sur les conditions de genèse des bauxites en région tropicale.
Mobilité des hydrogènes et propriétés mécaniques des argiles
Authors: Ducros P.
Published: January 2018

Il est proposé de tenter de réconcilier les théories concernant la nature des forces qui s'exercent entre les particules d'argiles (théorie de la couche diffuse et théorie de l'état anormal de l'eau absorbée).

Ceci semble possible à condition de tenir compte des variations de constante diélectrique en fonction de la teneur en eau et de leurs répercussions sur la couche ionique diffuse.
Formation de radicaux libres sur la surface des montmorillonites
Authors: Fripiat José Jean , Helsen J. , Vielvoye L.
Published: January 2018

Des recherches récentes menées dans les laboratoires de Ducros, de Chaussidon et de Fripiat ont montré que l'eau résiduelle fortement adsorbée par les surfaces internes de la mont-morillonite était caractérisée par un degré de dissociation particulièrement élevé. Il en découle diverses conséquences tant dans le domaine des propriétés physiques que chimiques.

Le but de cette contribution est de montrer que des dérivés polycycliques adsorbés par la montmorillonite subissent de profondes modifications de structure.

Le triphénylcarbinol forme l'ion triphénylcarbonium par réaction avec les ions hydrogène provenant de la décomposition de l'eau résiduelle.

Le coronène et l'ovalène adsorbés par les montmorillonites subissent des modifications dont la nature est encore hypothétique. La spectroscopic dans l'ultraviolet a été la technique principalement utilisée mais la diffraction des rayons X a également fourni des indications intéressantes .