bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Impact of Roads on Grassland Degradation in Shangri-La City
Authors: Zhou Zilin , Cheng Feng , Wang Jinliang , Yi Bangjin
Published: May 2023

Shangri-La is located in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has a fragile ecology. The plateau grassland has suffered from irreversible degradation under the influence of human activities. To address this issue, the Sentinel-2A data obtained is used in this study to calculate the RVI and build an inversion model of grassland degradation grade with GDI data, which was used to obtain the area and proportion of grassland degradation. Landscape indexes were then calculated for different degradation grades of grassland to examine the correlation between roads and degraded grassland in spatial distance and the spatial distribution characteristics of different degradation grades of grassland. The results show that the grassland area in Shangri-La was 2207.94 km2, of which the heavily degraded area reaches 824.03 km2, exceeding the undegraded grassland area by 172.62 km2, indicating that the grassland degradation is severe. From south to north, the proportion of heavily degraded and moderately degraded grassland in townships gradually decreased, while the proportion of lightly degraded and undegraded grassland gradually increased. The townships with high percentages of degraded grassland were predominantly located in the southern area, where there was a dense road network and well-developed transport networks, particularly along National Highway 214, which is the main road in Shangri-La. Conversely, townships with low percentages are generally located in the north with dispersed roads and sparse transport lines. The study’s outcomes are significant in providing a better understanding of the current status of grassland degradation and promoting the sustainable utilization of grassland resources in Shangri-La.
A Mathematical Theoretical Study of a Coupled Fully Hybrid (k, Φ)-Fractional Order System of BVPs in Generalized Banach Spaces
Authors: Boutiara Abdellatif , Etemad Sina , Thabet Sabri T. M. , Ntouyas Sotiris K. , Rezapour Shahram , Tariboon Jessada
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we study a coupled fully hybrid system of (k,Φ)–Hilfer fractional differential equations equipped with non-symmetric (k,Φ)–Riemann-Liouville (RL) integral conditions. To prove the existence and uniqueness results, we use the Krasnoselskii and Perov fixed-point theorems with Lipschitzian matrix in the context of a generalized Banach space (GBS). Moreover, the Ulam–Hyers (UH) stability of the solutions is discussed by using the Urs’s method. Finally, an illustrated example is given to confirm the validity of our results.
Updated Constraints on \({\mathcal{T}}\),\({\mathcal{P}}\)-Violating Axionlike-Particle-Mediated Electron–Electron and Electron–Nucleus Interactions from HfF+ Experiment
Authors: Prosnyak Sergey D. , Maison Daniel E. , Skripnikov Leonid V.
Published: May 2023

Recently, the upper bounds on the static time-reversal (\({\mathcal{T}}\)) and spatial parity (\({\mathcal{P}}\))-violating electron electric dipole moment (eEDM) and dimensionless constant, characterizing the strength of the \({\mathcal{T}}\),\({\mathcal{P}}\)-violating scalar–pseudoscalar nucleus–electron interaction, have been updated in the JILA experiment using the HfF+ cations. We considered two other sources of the \({\mathcal{T}}\),\({\mathcal{P}}\)-violation in HfF+–axion-like-particle (ALP)-mediated scalar–pseudoscalar electron–electron and nucleus–electron interactions. To estimate the magnitude of effects, induced by such interactions in HfF+ we have developed and applied a method which implies the direct use of the ab initio relativistic coupled cluster theory to calculate molecular parameters that characterize the interactions. Using these parameters, we showed that an order of magnitude updated laboratory constraints on the ALP-mediated electron–electron and nucleus–electron interactions can be derived from the experimental data on \({\mathcal{T}}\),\({\mathcal{P}}\)-violating effects in HfF+ for a wide range of ALP masses.
Environmental Sound Classification Framework Based on L-mHP Features and SE-ResNet50 Network Model
Authors: Huang Mengxiang , Wang Mei , Liu Xin , Kan Ruixiang , Qiu Hongbing
Published: May 2023

Environmental sound classification (ESC) tasks are attracting more and more attention. Due to the complexity of the scene and personnel mobility, there are some difficulties in understanding and generating environmental sound models for ESC tasks. To address these key issues, this paper proposes an audio classification framework based on L-mHP features and the SE-ResNet50 model and improves a dual-channel data enhancement scheme based on a symmetric structure for model training. Firstly, this paper proposes the L-mHP feature to characterize environmental sound. The L-mHP feature is a three-channel feature consisting of a Log-Mel spectrogram, a harmonic spectrogram, and a percussive spectrogram. The harmonic spectrogram and percussive spectrogram can be obtained by harmonic percussive source separation (HPSS) of a Log-Mel spectrogram. Then, an improved audio classification model SE-ResNet50 is proposed based on the ResNet-50 model. In this paper, a dual-channel data enhancement scheme based on a symmetric structure is promoted, which not only makes the audio variants more diversified, but also makes the model focus on learning the time–frequency mode in the acoustic features during the training process, so as to improve the generalization performance of the model. Finally, the audio classification experiment of the framework is carried out on public datasets. An experimental accuracy of 94.92%, 99.67%, and 90.75% was obtained on ESC-50, ESC-10 and UrbanSound8K datasest, respectively. In order to simulate the classification performance of the framework in the actual environment, the framework was also evaluated on a self-made sound dataset with different signal-to-noise ratios. The experimental results show that the proposed audio classification framework has good robustness and feasibility.
Two-Dimensional Moran Model
Authors: Althagafi Asma , Abdelkader Mohamed
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we consider a two-dimensional Moran model of random walks consisting of two queues evolving in parallel which can (at each unit of time) either increase by one or reset to 0. We analyze the joint law of their final altitude and prove that the asymptotic distribution of each component is a shifted geometric distribution and we analyze the maximum of these two components, also giving closed forms for the mean and variance.
Quantifying the Effects of Global Warming on the Plankton Population: An Asymmetric Multifactor Mathematical Model-Based Approach
Authors: Zhong Junbin , Li Jianji , Deng Jingtian , Fang Jinwei
Published: May 2023

A nonlinear dynamical model for the plankton population in a fixed sea area under the influence of asymmetric multiple factors, including atmospheric CO2 concentration, atmospheric temperature, nutrient concentration, seawater temperature, light intensity, and predator density is proposed to address the survival of the plankton population due to global warming. The model’s accuracy is confirmed by comparison with actual data, and numerical simulations are carried out to justify the relevant findings. The results suggest that increasing plankton’s ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 or regulate atmospheric temperature can help to mitigate global warming. Furthermore, if the population density of fish, the primary predator of plankton, falls within a certain range, the increase in atmospheric temperature will be mitigated. Additionally, the stability conditions for the suggested model are obtained, along with the equilibrium point of the system. Overall, this paper considers the effects of asymmetric multifactor interaction on plankton population density and establishes a mathematical connection between environmental ecosystems and plankton that might aid in addressing the challenges posed by global warming and preserving the plankton population.
Investigation of Upper Respiratory Carriage of Bacterial Pathogens among University Students in Kampar, Malaysia
Authors: Ong Hing Huat , Toh Wai Keat , Thong Li Ying , Phoon Lee Quen , Clarke Stuart C. , Cheah Eddy Seong Guan
Published: May 2023

The carriage of bacterial pathogens in the human upper respiratory tract (URT) is associated with a risk of invasive respiratory tract infections, but the related epidemiological information on this at the population level is scarce in Malaysia. This study aimed to investigate the URT carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa among 100 university students by nasal and oropharyngeal swabbing. The presence of S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa was assessed via swab culture on selective media and PCR on the resulting isolates. For S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and N. meningitidis, their presence was assessed via multiplex PCR on the total DNA extracts from chocolate agar cultures. The carriage prevalence of H. influenzae, S. aureus, S. pneumoniae, K. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis and P. aeruginosa among the subjects was 36%, 27%, 15%, 11%, 5% and 1%, respectively, by these approaches. Their carriage was significantly higher in males compared to females overall. The S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa isolates were also screened by the Kirby-Bauer assay, in which 51.6% of S. aureus were penicillin-resistant. The outcomes from carriage studies are expected to contribute to informing infectious disease control policies and guidelines.
Traveling Wave Solutions and Conservation Laws of a Generalized Chaffee–Infante Equation in (1+3) Dimensions
Authors: Sebogodi Motshidisi Charity , Muatjetjeja Ben , Adem Abdullahi Rashid
Published: May 2023

This paper aims to analyze a generalized Chaffee–Infante equation with power-law nonlinearity in (1+3) dimensions. Ansatz methods are utilized to provide topological and non-topological soliton solutions. Soliton solutions to nonlinear evolution equations have several practical applications, including plasma physics and the diffusion process, which is why they are becoming important. Additionally, it is shown that for certain values of the parameters, the power-law nonlinearity Chaffee–Infante equation allows solitons solutions. The requirements and restrictions for soliton solutions are also mentioned. Conservation laws are derived for the aforementioned equation. In order to comprehend the dynamics of the underlying model, we graphically show the secured findings. Hirota’s perturbation method is included in the multiple exp-function technique that results in multiple wave solutions that contain new general wave frequencies and phase shifts.
A Serosurvey of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Monkeys and Humans Living in Proximity in Thailand
Authors: Lakhotia Divya , Tun Yin May , Mongkol Nanthanida , Likhit Oranit , Suthisawat Sarocha , Mangmee Suthee , Tongthainan Daraka , Fungfuang Wirasak , Tulayakul Phitsanu , Boonnak Kobporn
Published: May 2023

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a member of the Flaviviridae family and one of Asia’s most common causes of encephalitis. JEV is a zoonotic virus that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes of the Culex species. While humans are dead-end hosts for the virus, domestic animals such as pigs and birds are amplification hosts. Although JEV naturally infected monkeys have been reported in Asia, the role of non-human primates (NHPs) in the JEV transmission cycle has not been intensively investigated. In this study, we demonstrated neutralizing antibodies against JEV in NHPs (Macaca fascicularis) and humans living in proximity in two provinces located in western and eastern Thailand by using Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT). We found a 14.7% and 5.6% seropositive rate in monkeys and 43.7% and 45.2% seropositive rate in humans living in west and east Thailand, respectively. This study observed a higher seropositivity rate in the older age group in humans. The presence of JEV neutralizing antibodies in NHPs that live in proximity to humans shows the occurrence of natural JEV infection, suggesting the endemic transmission of this virus in NHPs. According to the One Health concept, regular serological studies should be conducted especially at the animal–human interface.
Tenofovir-Containing Antiretroviral Therapy and Clinical Outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in People Living with HIV
Authors: Rombini María F. , Cecchini Diego , Diana Menendez Sofía , Calanni Liliana , Cuini Rosana , Obieta Elena , Greco María M. , Morales Fabricio , Morganti Laura , Migazzi Claudia , El Kozah Yasmin , Parenti Pablo , Cassetti Isabel ,   on behalf of the COVIDARE Study Team
Published: May 2023

Tenofovir has been hypothesized to be effective against COVID-19 and is available as two prodrugs, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), both part of antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens. People living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) might be at higher risk for COVID-19 progression; however, information about the impact of tenofovir on COVID-19 clinical outcomes remains controversial. The COVIDARE is a prospective observational multicentric study in Argentina. PLWH with COVID-19 were enrolled from September 2020 to mid-June 2022. Patients were stratified according to baseline ART into those with tenofovir (TDF or TAF) and those without. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of tenofovir vs. non-tenofovir-containing regimens on major clinical outcomes. Of the 1155 subjects evaluated, 927 (80%) received tenofovir-based ART (79% TDF, 21% TAF) whilst the remaining population was under non-tenofovir regimens. The non-tenofovir group had older age and a higher prevalence of heart and kidney disease. Regarding the prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19, tomographic findings, hospitalization, and mortality, no differences were observed. The oxygen therapy requirement was higher in the non-tenofovir group. In the multivariate analyses, a first model with adjustment for viral load, CD4 T-cell count, and overall comorbidities showed that oxygen requirement was associated with non-tenofovir ART. In a second model with adjustment by chronic kidney disease, tenofovir exposure was not statistically significant.
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Specific Mutations Affecting Infectivity, Fusogenicity, and Partial TMPRSS2-Independency
Authors: Strobelt Romano , Broennimann Karin , Adler Julia , Shaul Yosef
Published: May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted from the global spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since its first appearance in 2019, new SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have emerged frequently, changing the infection’s dynamic. SARS-CoV-2 infects cells via two distinct entry routes; receptor-mediated endocytosis or membrane fusion, depending on the absence or presence of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), respectively. In laboratory conditions, the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 strain inefficiently infects cells predominantly via endocytosis and is phenotypically characterized by decreased syncytia formation compared to the earlier Delta variant. Thus, it is important to characterize Omicron’s unique mutations and their phenotypic manifestations. Here, by utilizing SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirions, we report that the specific Omicron Spike F375 residue decreases infectivity, and its conversion to the Delta S375 sequence significantly increases Omicron infectivity. Further, we identified that residue Y655 decreases Omicron’s TMPRSS2 dependency and entry via membrane fusion. The Y655H, K764N, K856N and K969N Omicron revertant mutations, bearing the Delta variant sequence, increased the cytopathic effect of cell–cell fusion, suggesting these Omicron-specific residues reduced the severity of SARS-CoV-2. This study of the correlation of the mutational profile with the phenotypic outcome should sensitize our alertness towards emerging VOCs.
Orthohantavirus Replication in the Context of Innate Immunity
Authors: LaPointe Autumn , Gale Michael , Kell Alison M.
Published: May 2023

Orthohantaviruses are rodent-borne, negative-sense RNA viruses that are capable of causing severe vascular disease in humans. Over the course of viral evolution, these viruses have tailored their replication cycles in such a way as to avoid and/or antagonize host innate immune responses. In the rodent reservoir, this results in life long asymptomatic infections. However, in hosts other than its co-evolved reservoir, the mechanisms for subduing the innate immune response may be less efficient or absent, potentially leading to disease and/or viral clearance. In the case of human orthohantavirus infection, the interaction of the innate immune response with viral replication is thought to give rise to severe vascular disease. The orthohantavirus field has made significant advancements in understanding how these viruses replicate and interact with host innate immune responses since their identification by Dr. Ho Wang Lee and colleagues in 1976. Therefore, the purpose of this review, as part of this special issue dedicated to Dr. Lee, was to summarize the current knowledge of orthohantavirus replication, how viral replication activates innate immunity, and how the host antiviral response, in turn, impacts viral replication.
Research on Subsidence Induced by the Dewatering–Curtain Interaction in the Deep Foundation Pit of the Shield Launching Shaft in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Zhang Xingsheng , Hu Mengke , Chen Xing , Dong Jinyu , Liu Shipeng
Published: May 2023

The waterproof curtain plays an important role in the dewatering of a deep foundation pit. Recognition of the depth of the waterproof curtain inserted into the confined aquifer at different depths may help control ground subsidence due to dewatering, but subsidence analysis of the interaction between dewatering and the waterproof curtain requires further study. In this study, we mainly analyze the relationship between ground subsidence and dewatering based on the shield shaft pit of the Qianhai-Nanshan deep tunnel project in Shenzhen. Our numerical simulation results show that the ground subsidence around the foundation pit decreases with an increase in the depth of the waterproof curtain inserted into the confined aquifer, and when the waterproof curtain completely penetrates the confined aquifer, the ground subsidence caused by pit dewatering is minimal. Our numerical simulation results are consistent with the actual on-site dewatering monitoring data. Our results suggest that the diaphragm wall is an effective measure to control the ground subsidence in deep foundations, helping to reduce excessive dewatering.
Balancing Physical Channel Stability and Aquatic Ecological Function through River Restoration
Authors: Mielhausen Josie , Cockburn Jaclyn M. H. , Villard Paul V. , Baril André-Marcel
Published: May 2023

Vortex rock weirs (VRW) are often used in natural channel design applications to maintain channel form and function, provide physical channel stability, and enhance aquatic habitats. A balanced approach is required to address (often) conflicting goals of VRWs, which include providing erosion protection and grade control while facilitating fish passage for target species. This research evaluated a sequence of modified VRWs in a small-scale watercourse in Southern Ontario, Canada. To determine passage suitability for the target fish species, the water level, water temperature, and channel geometries at 10 VRWs and 11 adjacent pools were monitored under different water level conditions. The structural dimensions and velocity at each VRW were compared to the burst swim speed of local small-bodied fish species to determine fish passage suitability and identify the best practices for VRW design and construction. The results concluded that VRWs provided suitable passage for small-bodied fish species through gap and over-weir flow pathways, particularly during low water level conditions. Further, appropriate design considerations based on the VRW gradient, VRW width, keystone size, and pool length contributed to 100% fish ‘passability’ under all water level conditions. The methodology is provided for predicting the velocity and small-bodied fish passage suitability through VRWs, informing the best practices for VRW design and construction while balancing the requirements for channel stability and fish passage, and contributing to fish population management strategies.
An Integrated Approach to Evaluating Crop Water Requirements and Irrigation Schedule for Optimizing Furrow Irrigation Design Parameters in Kurnool District, India
Authors: Shaw Souvick Kumar , Sharma Anurag , Khatua Kishanjit Kumar , Oliveto Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

In Kurnool district, due to the hot, arid climatic conditions, proper study of crop evapotranspiration and its effect on crop water demand for various crops is an extremely important issue. More focus will be given to the design and development of surface irrigation systems based mostly on furrow irrigation, as the rainfall pattern for this district was irregular in 2005. The crop water requirement and furrow irrigation design parameters for optimising the beneficial utilisation of available water resources and field performances are studied in this research. Some major crops, such as cotton, sugarcane, sorghum, maize, and sunflower, are considered when adopting a suitable furrow irrigation system for soil conditions of the types black clay, red loamy, and medium loam. The reference crop evapotranspiration was estimated for 2005 based on the Penman–Monteith equation as per FAO guidelines by the CROPWAT 8.0 model. Crop Water Requirement (CWR), Net Irrigation Requirement (NIR), and Gross Irrigation Requirement (GIR) were determined for available climatic and soil conditions. Soil surface characteristics were studied using AQUACROP 6.1 and compared with CROPWAT 8.0 for model accuracy. Various conservative and non-conservative crop characteristics were studied under limited set conditions, and correlation equations were developed between different parameters. Moreover, different furrow irrigation design parameters were considered by FURDEV (a module of the SURDEV model) for three modes of operation (i.e., fixed flow, cutback flow, and tailwater reuse method) under modified SCS (Soil Conservation Service) families of soil infiltration characteristics. NIR values were 200 mm, 1423.2 mm, 220 mm, 150 mm, and 150 mm for cotton, sugarcane, maize, sorghum, and sunflower, respectively. A maximum significant dry yield was observed for maize (13.586 tonnes/ha). Additionally, the maximum application efficiency and storage efficiency were obtained at 95.5% for sorghum and 99.3% for sunflower, which would be a beneficial outcome of this research. In general, the results of this research might be very effective for the irrigation authority of Kurnool District to plan suitable approaches for designing and developing proper water management systems.
Emoqol-100: Development and validation of a single question for low mood in primary care. A retrospective audit.
Authors: Dahle Nina Edel , Matthew Carolyn , Roskvist Rachel Petronella , Moir Fiona , Arroll Bruce
Published: May 2023

Background

Patients with depression need to be diagnosed and managed effectively in primary care. However, current inventories for case-finding low mood are time-consuming when considering the limited time available during appointments.

Aim

To validate the diagnostic accuracy of a single question on the emotional quality of life (Emoqol-100) as a measure of depression in symptomatic patients.

Design & setting

A retrospective clinical audit, validating the Emoqol-100 compared with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Burns Depression Scale Today (BDST) in South Auckland, New Zealand.

Method

Consecutive patients with suspected low mood, seen over 22 months in a single primary care clinic by one of the authors, were eligible for this retrospective audit (n= 160). The index test was the verbally asked Emoqol-100: 'How is your emotional quality of life now, with 100 being perfect and 0 being the worst imaginable?' The reference standard was the PHQ-9 (n= 426 visits) with a cut-off point of ≥10 or BDST (n= 513 visits) with a cut-off point of ≥6.

Results

The Emoqol-100 range 0–20 had a likelihood ratio (LR) of 25.2 for low mood compared with the BDST as the reference standard; and for Emoqol-100 scores of 21–40, 41–60, 61–80, and 81–100 the LRs were 3.6, 1.7, 0.35, and 0.09, respectively. For the PHQ-9, these were 10.1, 2.9, 1.3, 0.40, and 0.2, respectively. Any score ≤60 was associated with a low mood.

Conclusion

The Emoqol-100 appears to have high validity, so when it is low (≤60), it is suggestive of a high PHQ-9 or BDST score, and a mood issue probably exists. Emoqol-100 could be helpful for busy primary care professionals and other clinicians.
Longitudinal realist evaluation of the Dementia PersonAlised Care Team (D-PACT) intervention: protocol
Authors: Wheat Hannah , Weston Lauren , Oh Tomasina M , Morgan-Trimmer Sarah , Ingram Wendy , Griffiths Sarah , Sheaff Rod , Clarkson Paul , Medina-Lara Antonieta , Musicha Crispin , Spicer Stuart , Ukoumunne Obioha , Allgar Victoria , Creanor Siobhan , Clark Michael , Quinn Cath , Gude Alex , McCabe Rose , Batool Saqba , Smith Lorna , Richards Debra , Shafi Hannah , Warwick Bethany , Lasrado Reena , Hussain Basharat , Jones Hannah , Dalkin Sonia , Bate Angela , Sherriff Ian , Robinson Louise , Byng Richard
Published: May 2023

Background

Different dementia support roles exist but evidence is lacking on which aspects are best, for whom, and in what circumstances, and on their associated costs and benefits. Phase 1 of the Dementia PersonAlised Care Team programme (D-PACT) developed a post-diagnostic primary care-based intervention for people with dementia and their carers and assessed the feasibility of a trial.

Aim

Phase 2 of the programme aims to 1) refine the programme theory on how, when, and for whom the intervention works; and 2) evaluate its value and impact.

Design & setting

A realist longitudinal mixed-methods evaluation will be conducted in urban, rural, and coastal areas across South West and North West England where low-income or ethnic minority populations (for example, South Asian) are represented. Design was informed by patient, public, and professional stakeholder input and phase 1 findings.

Method

High-volume qualitative and quantitative data will be collected longitudinally from people with dementia, carers, and practitioners. Analyses will comprise the following: 1) realist longitudinal case studies; 2) conversation analysis of recorded interactions; 3) statistical analyses of outcome and experience questionnaires; 4a) health economic analysis examining costs of delivery; and 4b) realist economic analysis of high-cost events and ‘near misses’. All findings will be synthesised using a joint display table, evidence appraisal tool, triangulation, and stakeholder co-analysis.

Conclusion

The realist evaluation will describe how, why, and for whom the intervention does or does not lead to change over time. It will also demonstrate how a non-randomised design can be more appropriate for complex interventions with similar questions or populations.
Eranos and the Religions of the Greeks and Romans
Authors: Graf Fritz
Published: May 2023

Cette étude se penche sur le rôle que la religion grecque a joué dans le contexte des rencontres d’Eranos. Après une introduction sur les objectifs d’Eranos et le rôle que l’étude des religions a joué dans ce contexte, je me concentre sur l’un des principaux membres de ces rencontre entre 1940 et 1950, l’éminent historien de la religion grecque antique, Karl Kerényi (1897-1973). J’analyse sa place dans l’étude des religions de la Méditerranée antique en général, le rôle que le rituel a joué dans ses recherches, et ses contributions aux rencontres d’Eranos ainsi que leur impact sur le projet Eranos et son développement.
Mircea Eliade’s Perennial Conceptual Placeholders : An Eranos Intellectual Itinerary
Authors: Iricinschi Eduard
Published: May 2023

The topic of this article, «Mircea Eliade, C. G. Jung, and the Eranos meetings » , recently received considerable attention and a good number of critical analyses. Steven M. Wasserstrom and Hans Thomas Hakl both provided excellent reconstructions, from different perspectives, of the Eranos circle, especially in the period this article deals with, the 1950s. Moshe Idel, Florin Turcanu, Dan Dana, and Natale Spineto contributed a great deal to cast a light on Eliade’s literary, personal, and academic outcome during the 1940s and 1950s. While the present text does not claim to have uncovered new historical data in the relationship between Eliade and Jung at Eranos, already magisterially probed by Turcanu, it pursues three new avenues of interpretation. It first mines Eliade’s 1950s diaries to analyze the role of personal dream interpretation as secondary data for Mircea Eliade’s history of religion. It turns next to Eliade’s correspondence with Jung to re-examine the historian of religions’ involvement with analytical psychology. It finally advances the proposal for a new trajectory of Eliade’s development of the set of perennial conceptual placeholders, such as «sacred/ profane » , «labyrinth/ center » , «axis mundi » , «initiation » , «trans-conscious » , and «cosmic Christianity » . We dubbed them perennial conceptual placeholders in virtue of the epistemic and ontological work, of universalizing bent, Eliade had asked them to carry out in his scholarship. This article suggests that Eliade forged some of them in his cultural journalism, written in Romanian, and fully developed them during the 1950s Eranos meetings, as a form of personalized history of religion and cure for the souls.
L’État africain typique : lieu ou instrument ?
Authors: Morice Alain
Published: May 2023

The original african state : instrument or arena ?

The author disrusses first the book edited by Fauré and Medard on Ivory Coast, then the one edited by Bernstein and Campbell Contradictions of Accumulation in Africa. Reviewing the various papers and case studies (Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea, Nigeria, Kenya), Morice demonstrates that we are in the post-dependency era. «Public» and «private» interests are mingled and the state is more than an instrument. The reproductive system is sometimes akin to a mafia kind of government. A clientelist system allows for civil servants, traders, middle men and «bourgeois» to belong to the intimate sphere of the state. Even, and maybe especially, so-called socialist states, are good examples of this system which in no way is dysfunctional. The papers by Kitching and Beckman demonstrate positively this analysis.
Dubaï Street, Zanzibar...
Authors: Constantin François , Le Guennec-Coppens Françoise
Published: May 2023

«Dubaï Street», principale rue commerçante de Zanzibar, symbolise la pérennité historique des relations arabo-africaines. Les flux de biens et de personnes, fondés sur les réseaux familiaux, alimentent une économie parallèle qui échappe largement aux pouvoirs publics. Ceux-ci s’efforcent de contrôler les dynamiques socioculturelles, voire les turbulences politiques qui en résultent.
Les Noirs dans l’Algérie contemporaine
Authors: Blin Louis
Published: May 2023

Fortement minoritaires (environ 5% de la population totale), les Noirs d’Algérie sont surtout présents dans le sud du pays. Bien qu’ils aient activement participé à la lutte de libération nationale, ils sont l'objet d’une discrimination de fait. La prolétarisation semble être la voie la plus recherchée d’intégration. Elle permet aux Noirs de sortir de leur ancien statut d’esclave. Seules les confréries islamiques auxquelles ils adhèrent semblent traduire leur culture spécifique.
Les cycles de la dette
Authors: Vallée Olivier
Published: May 2023

The debt cycles.

Over the last twenty years the Congo has been confronted by a cyclical financial crisis characterised by a considerable foreign debt. Petroleum resources have permitted massive investments in unproductive sectors which have accentuated the debt. Today, the Congo is totally submitted to external market and financial fluctuations.
«A chacun son prophète !»
Authors: Kouvouama Abel
Published: May 2023

To every one his prophet.

The development of religious movements of a prophetic character appears to be a response to the crisis and corresponds to new modes of individual sociability. The attitude of the central authority in the face of these movements is uncertain. At Independence the emerging state depended on these movements with nationalist demands. Today, the state hesitates between proscription for ideological reasons and compromise due to the generalised ressort of the population to these movements.
Marx et l’ombre des fétiches. Pouvoir local contre ndjobi dans le Nord-Congo
Authors: Tonda Joseph
Published: May 2023

Marx and the shadow of the fetish.

500 kilometers to the North of Brazzaville, a powerful non-syncretic group «Njobi», whose declared aim is the fight against witch craft exercises an important sway on the population. The local representatives of the central authority are thus necessarily led to negotiate with this group. In a general manner, for the adherents of the different mouvments in the struggle against witchcraft, there is no contradiction between the use of these practices and subscription to the tenets of the socialist state.
Les chefs traditionnels face au pouvoir politique
Authors: Vaughn Olufemi
Published: May 2023

Les caractéristiques des chefs traditionnels du Nigeria ont beaucoup évolué depuis la fin des années cinquante. Souvent diplômés, disposant d’expériences professionnelles à un haut niveau dans la fonction publique ou le secteur privé, ils disposent de réseaux de relations qui ont assuré un renouveau de leur influence. Depuis le retour du Nigeria à un régime militaire, les autorités traditionnelles ont amorcé une certaine relève, par le biais d’associations dites culturelles qui jouent le rôle de pré-partis dans la perspective de 1992.
Le CNR face au monde rural : le discours à l’épreuve des faits
Authors: Tallet Bernard
Published: May 2023

CNR and the rural sector : confronting discourse with facts.

Burkina Faso’s revolutionary programme of social transformation is anchored on the peasant question, at least on the level of political discourse. It does not seem however, that the Revolution of August 1983 represented an historical break in the relations between the State and the Peasantery. On the contrary, the policy of the CNR is characterised more by continuity than change.
Prêtre à la Briqueterie
Authors: Abega Prosper
Published: May 2023

Le quartier de la Briqueterie à Yaoundé abrite 30 000 personnes. L’alcool, le désœuvrement, la prostitution, l’entassement, les agressions, la pollution, le trafic, sont l’unique environnement de ce bidonville. Cependant mosquées, chapelles, salles paroissiales, attirent une masse énorme parmi la population. Pour échapper à l’insalubrité, il faudrait reconstruire la Briqueterie : c’est le seul moyen d’obtenir un assainissement général.
Pouvoir, violence et accumulation
Authors: Mbembe Achille J.
Published: May 2023

Power, violence and accumulation.

In discussing the relationship between power, violence and accumulation in contemporary Africa, one must keep one’s distance from pseudo-scientific analysis, clichés and phantasms which see only the pathological aspects of African politics. The use of force not only is the necessary condition for domination, but also the way to obtain labour and an essential element in the struggle for the monopoly of accumulation.
Perspectives africaines et bouleversements internationaux
Authors: Constantin François , Contamin Bernard
Published: May 2023

Marginalisation stratégique, clientélisme décadent dans les relations internationales, repli sur l’informel : autant de facteurs d’accroissement de la solitude de l’Afrique. Mais la nouvelle ordinalité, fondée sur l’ajustement économique, conduit à des restructurations susceptibles de revitaliser les besoins de l’Afrique. Il n’est pas impossible d’être afro-optimiste.
Les grandes peurs de l’an 2000
Authors: Gendreau Francis , Bris Emile Le
Published: May 2023

Les discours actuels sur l’Afrique charrient de nombreux fantasmes ; de vieilles peurs sont réveillées par l’actualité : croissance démographique, explosion urbaine, SIDA, destruction des sols, montée du chômage, etc., génèrent une peur politique, combinaison dramatique des précédentes. Mais face aux scenarii catastrophiques, l’analyse scientifique doit se substituer aux discours alarmistes.
Innovations et contestations religieuses
Authors: Otayek René , Toulabor Comi Molevo
Published: May 2023

Religious innovation and contestation.

In Africa today, all religions - Islam, Christianity, paganism - are on the move. Far from returing to the past, the resurgence of religions questions modernity and for this reason needs to be studied from a political viewpoint. Even though religion may not present a completed alternative project to occidental modernity, it does indicate that secularization does not represent the only future for human societies.
Pluralisme juridique et pratiques successorales loméennes
Authors: Adjamagbo-Johnson Kafui
Published: May 2023

Legal pluralism and successional practices in Lomé.

The city of Lomé was created by Anlo merchants for whom land was a commodity, the basis of patrimonial strategies in the shadow of the colonial power. Midway between internal and external notions of law, these strategies were reinforced by Togo legislators in the domain of successional law. Property transf errai, in particular of parcenary family dwellings, requires the consensus of lineage members and government authorities and results in new regulatory processes characterized mainly by syncretism and conflict resolution based on negotiations within the originating group.
Compromis locaux et concurrences foncières dans deux villes maliennes
Authors: Bertrand Monique
Published: May 2023

Local compromise and competition for land in two malian towns.

Sikasso and Koutiala, two towns in southern Mali, have benefited from recycling cotton revenues into urban land. Profits on sales and speculation have, thus, complicated land access or its lineage transfer. Difficulties and conflicts are presented to land commissions whose role was strengthened by the Land Code of 1986.

Their operations, however, largely bypass official principles or judicial classification. Negotiation, the nature of the protagonists, political patronage are factors which explain the regulative restructurations and crossed logic : legitimacy, based falsely on custom or naively on the Land Code, confronts the arduous need to manage family patrimonies within a context of fully-fledged transformation.
Le monopole juridictionnel de l’État et le règlement des affaires de sorcellerie au Cameroun
Authors: Fisiy Cyprian F. , Copans Jean
Published: May 2023

Le code pénal de 1967 a permis, entre autre, de sanctionner la sorcellerie alors que le Droit colonial l’ignorait. Mais sa formulation assimilant l’action positive et préventive des guérisseurs et l’intervention maléfique des sorciers, sa mise en œuvre a conduit à faire condamner plus souvent les guérisseurs que les sorciers, au grand dam des populations. En outre, les politiciens y ont trouvé un moyen commode pour liquider des adversaires, non sans contradictions également, puisqu’ils condamnent dans leurs discours officiels des pratiques qu’ils exploitent dans la compétition politique ou administrative. Une autre conception de la loi et de l’organisation judiciaire ne devrait-elle pas répondre aux justes aspirations des populations ?
L’inéluctable défi des transports
Authors: Pourtier Roland
Published: May 2023

La déliquescence des transports zaïrois conduit à la raréfaction des échanges et au fractionnement de l’espace national. La réhabilitation de réseaux n’est envisagée que pour permettre l’acheminement des produits du sous-sol. La crise des transports renvoie aux dysfonctionnements principaux du système zaïrois, et pose un problème essentiel pour le développement du pays.
Protestantisme zaïrois et déclin du mobutisme. Ajustement de discours ou rupture de stratégie
Authors: Kabongo-Mbaya Philippe B.
Published: May 2023

Le protestantisme zaïrois est le plus important du monde francophone. Apparu parfois comme un ferment de pluralisme et de liberté de conscience, ce protestantisme n’a pas toujours marqué sa distance avec le régime autoritaire de Mobutu. Il a donc besoin aujourd’hui de se réapproprier sa mémoire historique. La question qui se pose à lui est d’abord une question d’identité et non de positionnement social conjonctural ou durable.
Les racines de la violence contemporaine en Afrique
Authors: Chrétien Jean-Pierre
Published: May 2023

La violence en Afrique ne se réduit pas à des héritages du passé précolonial ou colonial. Elle se situe dans une crise contemporaine. Les enjeux économiques de la survie et de la promotion sociale, les logiques du clientélisme et l’absolutisme des pouvoirs entretiennent un esprit de guerre civile. Des discours politiques légitiment la haine entre des groupes entiers, définis notamment sur une base ethnique. L’État autoritaire, loin d’unir et de développer, a favorisé la dérive des mouvements sociaux vers des intégrismes pseudo-traditionnels sans issue où les passions et la peur l’emportent sur tout projet.
Autoritarismes et démocraties en Afrique noire
Authors: Médard Jean-François
Published: May 2023

Avant toute réflexion sur les perspectives de la démocratie en Afrique, un bilan des autoritarismes s’impose. Trois grands types sont à distinguer : autoritarismes démesurée particulièrement sanglants, autoritarismes durs engendrant violence, et autoritarisme modéré, laissant une marge d’autonomie plus importante à la société civile. La complexité de ces phénomènes ne fait qu’accroître celle de la démocratie en Afrique.
Réflexion sur la presse écrite
Authors: Keita Mamadou Konoba
Published: May 2023

A reflexion about written news.

On the 26 march 1991, president Moussa Traoré’s regim was overthrown. It had muzzled the press for years. There was then a blooming of newspapers in the wake of independent papers like «Les Echos», «Aurore» and «La Roue» (which resisted in spite of difficult conditions); beside the State press, several independent newspapers appeared. But the presence of so many titles on the market with an extremely narrow readership cause many problems : growth, economical problems, lack of professionalism and distribution.
L’intellectuel exotique
Authors: Eboussi Boulaga Fabien
Published: May 2023

The exotic intellectual.

The african authentic intellectual is a marginal, conscious of his marginality. He is an amphibious being the social and historical context of his emergence leads to understand.
Quand les Églises entrent en politique...
Authors: Urfer Sylvain
Published: May 2023

When churches turn to politics.

In the conflictual situation created in Madagascar by the July-August 1991 events, the FFKM, the Council of the Christian Madagascan churches appeared beyond doubt the only one able to arbitrate, despite the fact that Christians form no more than 40% of the Madagascan people. The FFKM has little by little become a partner in the négociations, has signed the Panorama Convention, organized a National Forum in which it worked to pass the whole text of the constitution it supported. It has acted apart from the various ecclesiastical hierarchies and discouraged a number of different Christian laymen, therefore dispossessing them of their responsibilities.
Methodology of facticity in general theory of law and some inconvenient questions thereto
Authors:   Mariupol State University, Chernykh Yevgeniy
Published: May 2023

The article presents research of the problems arising under methodology of national general theory of law. The problems arise under dominance of empirical and naturalistic scientific tools whose cognitive ideal lies in scientific rationality, the tools bringing knowledge out of the scope of facts perceived via experience. An example of this methodology in national juridical studies is the “needs-based” approach presented by P. M. Rabinovych, a famous theoretician. It is emphasized that the methodology of facticity has some typical drawbacks whose highlight presents a part of the goal of the present work along with justification of underestimated possibilities of the idealistic methodology. It is emphasized that the needs-based approach presented by P. M. Rabinovych is the outcome and a variation of more general methodological concepts and theories of empirical and naturalistic character. The article describes the drawbacks typical thereof, in particular interpretation of socio-political reality as facticity, rejection of a priori irrational fundamentals in the phenomena of state and law as well as inability to resolve the main problems of moral consciousness and moral and ethical philosophy. The article defines the boundaries of empiric methods’ cognitive possibilities based on the methods and techniques of scientific rationality. It is emphasized that in the field of socio-political phenomena, i.e. in the field of the morally obligatory, which is also constituted by value-necessitated fundamentals as well as by irrational ones, scientific rationality preaching the values-neutral approach becomes incapacitated. Therefore, it is impossible to rationalize the methodology of social and juridical sciences to the fullest extent. This drawback can be eliminated by the opposite methods of idealistic character resulting from acceptance of irrational and a priori fundamentals in the phenomena of state and law. Among these methods are the teachings of unbiased idealistic character, such as Christian idealism or the teachings of biased idealistic character, such as existentialism, the dynamics of the theory of law, the temporal theory of law and the communicative theory of law. The author makes a conclusion that development of those methodological concepts is a promising strategy for further research in general theory of law aimed at eliminating the dominance of the empirical methodology of facticity.
Plano e projeto no alcance ao direito à cidade: uma experiência didática
Authors: E Silva Beatriz Fleury , Nunes Layane Alves
Published: May 2023

O presente trabalho se propõe a refletir sobre a experiência da disciplina Urbanismo II, a qual foi ministrada desde 2011, ao terceiro ano do curso de Arquitetura e Urbanismo, da Universidade Estadual de Maringá. O desafio colocado pela disciplina é debater o alcance do direito à cidade no processo de planejamento urbano municipal através do exercício que perpasse a escala do plano e do projeto urbano. Desta forma o conteúdo é desenvolvido em equipe a partir de três etapas: inicia-se com debate a cerca dos marcos em direção ao direito à cidade desde o Movimento Nacional pela Reforma Urbana criado em 1985, Constituição Federal promulgada em 1988, Estatuto da Cidade (Lei 10.257/01) e a ressignificação dos Planos Diretores. Na segunda etapa é desenvolvida uma leitura-diagnóstico de um município de pequeno porte, seguida da construção da síntese da problemática levantada, elaboração de uma hipótese e estratégia para estruturação da paisagem. A terceira etapa consiste na proposta de um projeto urbano a partir do uso do instrumento Operação Urbana Consorciada, tendo como elemento obrigatório a inserção de habitação de interesse social, mobilidade urbana e sustentabilidade ambiental-urbana.