bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religion and Depression in South Korea: A Comparison between Buddhism, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism
Authors: Seomun Jinhee , Park Junghyun , Geem Zong , Lee Hae-Jeung
Published: December 2017

Over the past few years, the occurrence of depression in South Korea has significantly increased. Even though Buddhism was the main religion in historical South Korea, Christianity has recently emerged as a dominant faith tradition. However, the relationship between religion and depression among older Korean adults is understudied. The present study is designed to investigate religious variations and the role of religious participation in depression among older Korean adults using the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA). From the KLoSA database, 6817 participants were extracted and analyzed. Utilizing the Korean version of the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D 10) and the generalized linear models (GLM), a significant difference in depressive symptoms between religious groups (p < 0.05) and religious nones surfaced. This significant difference remained even after adjusting for the confounding factors. When the levels of depressive symptoms were compared across various faith traditions, the lowest depression score was detected from Buddhists (7.04), followed by Roman Catholics (7.12), and Protestants (7.71). Moreover, a significant difference in depressive symptoms between Buddhists and Protestants was observed. With regard to the frequency of religious participation, a significant difference in the depression score was observed only for Protestants. That is, the depression score for those who reported attending religious meetings ‘once to six times a year’ was significantly higher than the others. It is concluded that those who are religiously involved had significantly less depression symptoms than religious nones. Moreover, of the three faith traditions, Buddhists and Protestants showed a significant difference in depressive symptoms.
The Role of Resolution in the Estimation of Fractal Dimension Maps From SAR Data
Authors: Di Martino Gerardo , Iodice Antonio , Riccio Daniele , Ruello Giuseppe , Zinno Ivana
Published: December 2017

This work is aimed at investigating the role of resolution in fractal dimension map estimation, analyzing the role of the different surface spatial scales involved in the considered estimation process. The study is performed using a data set of actual Cosmo/SkyMed Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images relevant to two different areas, the region of Bidi in Burkina Faso and the city of Naples in Italy, acquired in stripmap and enhanced spotlight modes. The behavior of fractal dimension maps in the presence of areas with distinctive characteristics from the viewpoint of land-cover and surface features is discussed. Significant differences among the estimated maps are obtained in the presence of fine textural details, which significantly affect the fractal dimension estimation for the higher resolution spotlight images. The obtained results show that if we are interested in obtaining a reliable estimate of the fractal dimension of the observed natural scene, stripmap images should be chosen in view of both economic and computational considerations. In turn, the combination of fractal dimension maps obtained from stripmap and spotlight images can be used to identify areas on the scene presenting non-fractal behavior (e.g., urban areas). Along this guideline, a simple example of stripmap-spotlight data fusion is also presented.
Monitoring Bare Soil Freeze–Thaw Process Using GPS-Interferometric Reflectometry: Simulation and Validation
Authors: Wu Xuerui , Jin Shuanggen , Chang Liang
Published: December 2017

Frozen soil and permafrost affect ecosystem diversity and productivity as well as global energy and water cycles. Although some space-based Radar techniques or ground-based sensors can monitor frozen soil and permafrost variations, there are some shortcomings and challenges. For the first time, we use GPS-Interferometric Reflectometry (GPS-IR) to monitor and investigate the bare soil freeze–thaw process as a new remote sensing tool. The mixed-texture permittivity models are employed to calculate the frozen and thawed soil permittivities. When the soil freeze/thaw process occurs, there is an abrupt change in the soil permittivity, which will result in soil scattering variations. The corresponding theoretical simulation results from the forward GPS multipath simulator show variations of GPS multipath observables. As for the in-situ measurements, virtual bistatic radar is employed to simplify the analysis. Within the GPS-IR spatial resolution, one SNOTEL site (ID 958) and one corresponding PBO (plate boundary observatory) GPS site (AB33) are used for analysis. In 2011, two representative days (frozen soil on Doy of Year (DOY) 318 and thawed soil on DOY 322) show the SNR changes of phase and amplitude. The GPS site and the corresponding SNOTEL site in four different years are analyzed for comparisons. When the soil freeze/thaw process occurred and no confounding snow depth and soil moisture effects existed, it exhibited a good absolute correlation (|R| = 0.72 in 2009, |R| = 0.902 in 2012, |R| = 0.646 in 2013, and |R| = 0.7017 in 2014) with the average detrended SNR data. Our theoretical simulation and experimental results demonstrate that GPS-IR has potential for monitoring the bare soil temperature during the soil freeze–thaw process, while more test works should be done in the future. GNSS-R polarimetry is also discussed as an option for detection. More retrieval work about elevation and polarization combinations are the focus of future development.
Diverse Responses of Vegetation Phenology to Climate Change in Different Grasslands in Inner Mongolia during 2000–2016
Authors: Ren Shilong , Yi Shuhua , Peichl Matthias , Wang Xiaoyun
Published: December 2017

Vegetation phenology in temperate grasslands is highly sensitive to climate change. However, it is still unclear how the timing of vegetation phenology events (especially for autumn phenology) is altered in response to climate change across different grassland types. In this study, we investigated variations of the growing season start (SOS) and end (EOS), derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data (2000–2016), for meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe in the Inner Mongolian grassland of Northern China. Using gridded climate data (2000–2015), we further analyzed correlations between SOS/EOS and pre-season average air temperature and total precipitation (defined as 90-day period prior to SOS/EOS, i.e., pre-SOS/EOS) in each grid. The results showed that both SOS and EOS occurred later in desert steppe (day of year (doy) 114 and 312) than in meadow steppe (doy 109 and 305) and typical steppe (doy 111 and 307); namely, desert steppe has a relatively late growing season than meadow steppe and typical steppe. For all three grasslands, SOS was mainly controlled by pre-SOS precipitation with the sensitivity being largest in desert steppe. EOS was closely connected with pre-EOS air temperature in meadow steppe and typical steppe, but more closely related to pre-EOS precipitation in desert steppe. During 2000–2015, SOS in typical steppe and desert steppe has significantly advanced by 2.2 days and 10.6 days due to a significant increase of pre-SOS precipitation. In addition, EOS of desert steppe has also significantly advanced by 6.8 days, likely as a result from the combined effects of elevated preseason temperature and precipitation. Our study highlights the diverse responses in the timing of spring and autumn phenology to preceding temperature and precipitation in different grassland types. Results from this study can help to guide grazing systems and to develop policy frameworks for grasslands protection.
Remote Sensing of Coral Bleaching Using Temperature and Light: Progress towards an Operational Algorithm
Authors: Skirving William , Enríquez Susana , Hedley John , Dove Sophie , Eakin C. , Mason Robert , De La Cour Jacqueline , Liu Gang , Hoegh-Guldberg Ove , Strong Alan , Mumby Peter , Iglesias-Prieto Roberto
Published: December 2017

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch program developed and operates several global satellite products to monitor bleaching-level heat stress. While these products have a proven ability to predict the onset of most mass coral bleaching events, they occasionally miss events; inaccurately predict the severity of some mass coral bleaching events; or report false alarms. These products are based solely on temperature and yet coral bleaching is known to result from both temperature and light stress. This study presents a novel methodology (still under development), which combines temperature and light into a single measure of stress to predict the onset and severity of mass coral bleaching. We describe here the biological basis of the Light Stress Damage (LSD) algorithm under development. Then by using empirical relationships derived in separate experiments conducted in mesocosm facilities in the Mexican Caribbean we parameterize the LSD algorithm and demonstrate that it is able to describe three past bleaching events from the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). For this limited example, the LSD algorithm was able to better predict differences in the severity of the three past GBR bleaching events, quantifying the contribution of light to reduce or exacerbate the impact of heat stress. The new Light Stress Damage algorithm we present here is potentially a significant step forward in the evolution of satellite-based bleaching products.
Sustainable Decision-Making in Civil Engineering, Construction and Building Technology
Authors: Zavadskas Edmundas , Antucheviciene Jurgita , Vilutiene Tatjana , Adeli Hojjat
Published: December 2017

Sustainable decision-making in civil engineering, construction and building technology can be supported by fundamental scientific achievements and multiple-criteria decision-making (MCDM) theories. The current paper aims at overviewing the state of the art in terms of published papers related to theoretical methods that are applied to support sustainable evaluation and selection processes in civil engineering. The review is limited solely to papers referred to in the Clarivate Analytic Web of Science core collection database. As the focus is on multiple-criteria decision-making, it aims at reviewing how the papers on MCDM developments and applications have been distributed by period of publishing, by author countries and institutions, and by journals. Detailed analysis of 2015–2017 journal articles from two Web of Science categories (engineering civil and construction building technology) is presented. The articles are grouped by research domains, problems analyzed and the decision-making approaches used. The findings of the current review paper show that MCDM applications have been constantly growing and particularly increased in the last three years, confirming the great potential and prospects of applying MCDM methods for sustainable decision-making in civil engineering, construction and building technology.
Towards Sustainability in Viral Marketing with User Engaging Supporting Campaigns
Authors: Jankowski Jarosław , Zioło Magdalena , Karczmarczyk Artur , Wątróbski Jarosław
Published: December 2017

While viral marketing has captured substantial academic and professional interest, the processes that underpin successful viral marketing campaigns remain poorly understood. High competition and pressure for successful campaigns lead to strategies based on persuasion, unsolicited messages, and other techniques that negatively affect brand perception. The need for more sustainable strategies with a limited negative impact on web users is observed. Therefore, the current study examines the effectiveness of viral marketing and a supporting campaign, where the main goal was to increase user engagement and overall campaign performance. Supporting campaigns were evaluated, to determine whether they enhanced viral activity, but without the need for high persuasion or intrusive techniques. Results showed that supporting actions could be integrated with lower performing campaigns to increase their effectiveness. Apart from the main scientific goal that is presented, the study demonstrates how virtual worlds can provide a laboratory-like environment for identifying the processes that underpin viral marketing.
African Leafy Vegetables: A Review of Status, Production and Utilization in South Africa
Authors: Maseko Innocent , Mabhaudhi Tafadzwanashe , Tesfay Samson , Araya Hintsa , Fezzehazion Melake , Plooy Christian
Published: December 2017

African leafy vegetables (ALVs) are mostly gathered from the wild, with few selected species being cultivated, usually as part of a mixed cropping system in home gardens or smallholder plots. They have important advantages over exotic vegetable species, because of their adaptability to marginal agricultural production areas and their ability to provide dietary diversity in poor rural communities. Despite their significance in food and nutrition security, there is limited availability or access to these crops leading to underutilisation. The objective of this review was to document the state of utilisation and production of ALVs in South Africa. A qualitative systematic approach review of online sources, peer reviewed papers published in journals, books and other publications was conducted. There is lack of suitable production systems, innovative processing, and value-adding techniques that promote utilisation of ALVs. Furthermore, there is a perception that ALVs are food for the poor among the youth and urban folks, while, among the affluent, they are highly regarded as being nutritious. To promote ALVs from household consumption and commercialisation, further research on agronomy, post-harvest handling, storage and processing is required in South Africa.
Low-Carbon Transportation Oriented Urban Spatial Structure: Theory, Model and Case Study
Authors: Ye Yuyao , Wang Changjian , Zhang Yuling , Wu Kangmin , Wu Qitao , Su Yongxian
Published: December 2017

Optimising the spatial structure of cities to promote low-carbon travel is a primary goal of urban planning and construction innovation in the low-carbon era. There is a need for basic research on the structural characteristics that help to reduce motor traffic, thereby promoting energy conservation. We first review the existing literature on the influence of urban spatial structure on transport carbon dioxide emissions and summarise the influence mechanisms. We then present two low-carbon transportation oriented patterns of urban spatial structure including the traditional walking city and the modern transit metropolis, illustrated by case studies. Furthermore, we propose an improved model Green Transportation System Oriented Development (GTOD), which is an extension of traditional transit-oriented development (TOD) and includes the additional features of a walking city and an emphasis on the integration of land use with a green transportation system, consisting of the public transportation and non-auto travel system. A compact urban form, effective mix of land use and appropriate scale of block are the basic structural features of a low-carbon transportation city. However, these features are only effective at promoting low-carbon transportation when integrated with the green traffic systems. Proper integration of the urban structural system with the green space system is also required. The optimal land use/transportation integration strategy is to divide traffic corridors with wedge-shaped green spaces and limit development along the transit corridors. This strategy forms the basis of the proposed urban structural model to promote low-carbon transportation and sustainable urban growth management.
The Traditional Technological Approach and Social Technologies in the Brazilian Semiarid Region
Authors: Machado Letícia , Rovere Emilio
Published: December 2017

There are different technological approaches to deal with the social-ecological adversities found in the Brazilian Semiarid region (BSA). They vary according to the interpretation of what the roots of these adversities and the causes of the resulting vulnerability are. This paper analyses two technological approaches to the BSA, the first provided by the government through public policies and the other driven by civil society. It focuses on the initiatives promoted by each approach during the 20th and 21st centuries, and discusses how they have enhanced or reduced the sustainability of the Brazilian Semiarid region. This assessment is based on document analysis, fieldwork and open/semi-structured interviews. The traditional technological approach did not reduce the social-ecological vulnerability of the BSA system or increase resilience of family farmers and of the deciduous forest, the most vulnerable parties. It has boosted development from a classical development perspective, promoting macro-infrastructure and growth, but also contributed to keep the same pattern of dependence of farmers. Social technologies have been promoting the BSA sustainability and can have a long-lasting impact if extensively applied. While the traditional approach mostly benefits large landowners, social technologies benefit family farmers, the deciduous forest and the entire social-ecological system.
Groundwater Level Dynamics in Bengaluru City, India
Authors: Sekhar M. , Tomer Sat , Thiyaku S. , Giriraj P. , Murthy Sanjeeva , Mehta Vishal
Published: December 2017

Groundwater accounts for half of Indian urban water use. However, little is known about its sustainability, because of inadequate monitoring and evaluation. We deployed a dense monitoring network in 154 locations in Bengaluru, India between 2015 and 2017. Groundwater levels collected at these locations were analyzed to understand the behavior of the city’s groundwater system. At a local scale, groundwater behavior is non-classical, with valleys showing deeper groundwater than ridge-tops. We hypothesize that this is due to relatively less pumping compared to artificial recharge from leaking pipes and wastewater in the higher, city core areas, than in the rapidly growing, lower peripheral areas, where the converse is true. In the drought year of 2016, groundwater depletion was estimated at 27 mm, or 19 Mm3 over the study area. The data show that rainfall has the potential to replenish the aquifer. High rainfall during August–September 2017 led to a mean recharge of 67 mm, or 47 Mm3 for the study area. A rainfall recharge factor of 13.5% was estimated from the data for 2016. Sustainable groundwater management in Bengaluru must account for substantial spatial socio-hydrological heterogeneity. Continuous monitoring at high spatial density will be needed to inform evidence-based policy.
Green Eco-Driving Effects in Non-Congested Cities
Authors: Coloma Juan Francisco , García Marta , Wang Yang , Monzón Andrés
Published: December 2017

Despite technological advances in engines and fuels, the transportation sector is still one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG). Driving patterns, including eco-driving techniques, are a complementary measure for saving GHG emissions. Most eco-driving studies so far have been conducted in large cities suffering chronic congestion problems. The aim of this research is therefore to analyse the potential of driver behaviour for reducing emissions in a small non-congested city. Driver performance parameters such as travel speeds, number of stops, revolutions per minute, and maximum acceleration-deceleration are also studied. The methodology is designed to measure the effect of both eco-driving and eco-routing under real traffic conditions. A campaign was carried out in the city of Caceres (Spain) to collect data on various types of roads under different traffic conditions. This research concludes that eco-driving leads to CO2 savings on all routes and road types of 17% in gasoline engines and 21% in diesel, although travel times are increased by 7.5% on average. The shortest route is also the most ecological, regardless of the traffic volume and characteristics, implying that consumption in non-congested cities depends mainly on distance travelled rather than driving patterns in terms of number of stops, speed and acceleration.
Carbon Dioxide Mediates the Response to Temperature and Water Activity Levels in Aspergillus flavus during Infection of Maize Kernels
Authors: Gilbert Matthew , Medina Angel , Mack Brian , Lebar Matthew , Rodríguez Alicia , Bhatnagar Deepak , Magan Naresh , Obrian Gregory , Payne Gary
Published: December 2017

Aspergillus flavus is a saprophytic fungus that may colonize several important crops, including cotton, maize, peanuts and tree nuts. Concomitant with A. flavus colonization is its potential to secrete mycotoxins, of which the most prominent is aflatoxin. Temperature, water activity (aw) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are three environmental factors shown to influence the fungus-plant interaction, which are predicted to undergo significant changes in the next century. In this study, we used RNA sequencing to better understand the transcriptomic response of the fungus to aw, temperature, and elevated CO2 levels. We demonstrate that aflatoxin (AFB1) production on maize grain was altered by water availability, temperature and CO2. RNA-Sequencing data indicated that several genes, and in particular those involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, exhibit different responses to water availability or temperature stress depending on the atmospheric CO2 content. Other gene categories affected by CO2 levels alone (350 ppm vs. 1000 ppm at 30 °C/0.99 aw), included amino acid metabolism and folate biosynthesis. Finally, we identified two gene networks significantly influenced by changes in CO2 levels that contain several genes related to cellular replication and transcription. These results demonstrate that changes in atmospheric CO2 under climate change scenarios greatly influences the response of A. flavus to water and temperature when colonizing maize grain.
Computational Studies of Snake Venom Toxins
Authors: Ojeda Paola , Ramírez David , Alzate-Morales Jans , Caballero Julio , Kaas Quentin , González Wendy
Published: December 2017

Most snake venom toxins are proteins, and participate to envenomation through a diverse array of bioactivities, such as bleeding, inflammation, and pain, cytotoxic, cardiotoxic or neurotoxic effects. The venom of a single snake species contains hundreds of toxins, and the venoms of the 725 species of venomous snakes represent a large pool of potentially bioactive proteins. Despite considerable discovery efforts, most of the snake venom toxins are still uncharacterized. Modern bioinformatics tools have been recently developed to mine snake venoms, helping focus experimental research on the most potentially interesting toxins. Some computational techniques predict toxin molecular targets, and the binding mode to these targets. This review gives an overview of current knowledge on the ~2200 sequences, and more than 400 three-dimensional structures of snake toxins deposited in public repositories, as well as of molecular modeling studies of the interaction between these toxins and their molecular targets. We also describe how modern bioinformatics have been used to study the snake venom protein phospholipase A2, the small basic myotoxin Crotamine, and the three-finger peptide Mambalgin.
WetSpass-Based Study of the Effects of Urbanization on the Water Balance Components at Regional and Quadrat Scales in Beijing, China
Authors: Zhang Yueqiu , Liu Shiliang , Cheng Fangyan , Shen Zhenyao
Published: December 2017

China is the largest country in terms of population and its booming urbanization has exerted negative effects on ground-surface hydrological processes at different spatial scales, land-use types, and water balance, such as surface runoff, groundwater recharge, and evapotranspiration. However, it is not yet well understood as to how the modifications of the spatial patterns of landscapes affect the water balance on a regional scale. In this study, the water and energy transfer among soil, plants, and atmosphere (WetSpass) model was applied to evaluate the urbanization effects on the water balance on a regional scale by using Beijing as the case city for this current study. The relationships among impervious surfaces, landscape pattern indices, and water balance components were also quantified. Results indicated built-up land in 2012 was 673 km2 larger than it in 2000, mostly converted from croplands. WetSpass model also indicated the variation rates of annual average surface runoff, evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge were 7%, 0.4% and −2% in the whole Beijing area, while they reached 52%, 6% and −24% in the urban area of Beijing from 2000 to 2012, respectively. At a city scale, four districts—Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, and Haidian—were characterized by higher impervious percentage, as reflected by lower groundwater recharge and higher surface runoff than other districts. At quadrat scale, however, groundwater recharge (surface runoff) was negatively (positively) correlated with impervious percentages. For landscape indices, the Aggregation Index was positively correlated with surface runoff and negatively correlated with groundwater recharge while Patch Density Index, Splitting Index, Patch Richness Density Index, and Shannon’s Diversity Index presented opposite relationships. The results of this study can help to develop human knowledge about the impacts of urbanization on hydrological cycles on a regional scale.
Characterization of Microsatellite Primers in the Endangered Orchid Phaius australis and Cross‐Amplification to P. bernaysii (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Simmons Catherine L. , Lamont Robert W. , Shapcott Alison
Published: December 2017

Premise of the study: The swamp orchid, Phaius australis (Orchidaceae), is nationally endangered due to illegal collection and habitat loss and fragmentation, resulting in a disjunct distribution in spring and coastal wetland ecotones along Australia's east coast. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed to study genetic diversity and population structure for conservation and restoration purposes.

Methods and Results: Illumina HiSeq high‐throughput sequencing was used to develop 15 nuclear microsatellite markers, including 10 polymorphic markers for P. australis. Polymorphism at each marker was evaluated using 90 individuals from four natural populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to three, and the observed and expected heterozygosity varied from 0.036 to 0.944 and from 0.035 to 0.611, respectively. These markers transferred successfully to congener P. bernaysii.

Conclusions: The microsatellite markers will be useful for revealing levels of genetic diversity and gene flow for P. australis and may inform future conservation efforts.
Reactivity of bromoselenophenes in palladium-catalyzed direct arylations
Authors: Skhiri Aymen , Ben Salem Ridha , Soulé Jean-François , Doucet Henri
Published: December 2017

The reactivity of 2-bromo- and 2,5-dibromoselenophenes in Pd-catalyzed direct heteroarylation was investigated. From 2-bromoselenophene, only the most reactive heteroarenes could be employed to prepare 2-heteroarylated selenophenes; whereas, 2,5-dibromoselenophene generally gave 2,5-di(heteroarylated) selenophenes in high yields using both thiazole and thiophene derivatives. Moreover, sequential catalytic C2 heteroarylation, bromination, catalytic C5 arylation reactions allowed the synthesis of unsymmetrical 2,5-di(hetero)arylated selenophene derivatives in three steps from selenophene.
A STUDY OF CHINA’S MAJOR DOMESTIC AIRLINES’ SERVICE QUALITY AT SHANGHAI’S HONGQIAO AND PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
Authors: JIANG Hongwei , BAXTER Glenn S. , WILD Graham
Published: December 2017

In a highly competitive market, service quality can be the core competitive advantage for airline’s profitability and sustained development. This paper has investigated the differences in the passengers’ expectations and perceptions of the service quality of China’s four major domestic airlines: Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines in China’s domestic market. The results will assist airline management to improve service quality by reducing the difference. Surveys were conducted with domestic passengers at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport and Shanghai Pudong Airport in China. The results show that there are significant differences of service quality between passengers’ expectations and perceptions among major Chinese airlines. Passengers consistently rate ‘good safety records’ as the first priority of seven SERVQUAL dimensions, but low price remains the most important factor that passengers consider when choosing a Chinese airline. The conclusions reached in this work suggest that Chinese airlines should consider improving service quality rather than providing cheaper air tickets in order to gain competitive advantage.
DO REGIONAL AIRLINES IN EASTERN EUROPE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SURVIVE IN THE EUROPEAN SINGLE SKY ENVIRONMENT?
Authors: KUKEMELK Sven
Published: December 2017

The European aviation market can be characterised by extreme growth and turbulence ever since the markets were deregulated and low cost carriers emerged on the continent. Initially the biggest toll was paid by main legacy carriers when low costs emerged on trunk routes, which lead to the bankruptcy of Sabena, Swiss airlines and Spanair. However, once big legacy carriers started merging and creating more alliances, sustainability was once again reached. Despite this, as low cost carriers entered the Eastern-European market and looked to stimulate even smaller regional routes, smaller carriers started to suffer. This article is assessing the status quo of the current European regional aviation, highlighting the recent trends and ultimately coming to a conclusion that regional airlines can be sustainable provided that certain key criteria have been met.
Le recours au marché comme processus politique
Authors: Hassenteufel Patrick , de Maillard Jacques
Published: December 2017

Cet article porte sur la mise en place d’instruments de mimétisme marchands de l’État dans deux secteurs en Angleterre : la santé et la police. Trois aspects sont mis en avant : le recours à des prestataires privés, la mise en concurrence par l’évaluation de la performance et la création d’un marché interne. Leur mise sur agenda, leur adoption et leur mise en œuvre sont analysées lors de la séquence du gouvernement de coalition (2010-2015) en mettant en avant l’importance des processus politiques qui permettent aussi de comprendre les limites du recours aux instruments marchands et les différences inter-sectorielles.
Par le corps et pour l’État : l’ itorero et les techniques réflexives du corps au Rwanda
Authors: Sundberg Molly , Fouéré Marie-Aude
Published: December 2017

Lorsque le corps des citoyens devient objet d’instruction idéologique, que pouvons-nous en déduire de la relation entre subjectivités politiques et techniques du corps, ou entre la performance corporelle prise sur l’instant et des expériences politiques passées ? Cet article se fonde sur une analyse ethnographique du programme d’éducation civique appelé itorero au Rwanda. En étudiant la participation de quelques citoyens rwandais à ce programme et les expériences qu’ils en tirent, il analyse les forces et les limites du pouvoir de persuasion du gouvernement tel qu’il s’exerce à travers et sur les corps citoyens.
Du « Mess des officiers » à « Haleluya FC » : politiques du corps, pratique sportive et inflexion de l’héritage nationaliste au Burundi
Authors: Manirakiza Désiré
Published: December 2017

À partir d’une analyse historicisée de la société burundaise, cet article montre comment les lieux d’affrontements politiques dans le pays ont changé. Jadis circonscrit à Bujumbura et ses lieux de prestige comme le « Mess des officiers », le jeu politique se déroule désormais en grande partie dans les villages et dans les espaces sportifs. Cette nouvelle dynamique, fortement critiquée par l’opposition politique, s’appuie sur la réinstauration des travaux de développement communautaire ainsi que sur l’activisme ludosportif des autorités publiques. Si ce dispositif permet au CNDD-FDD, parti au pouvoir, d’occuper efficacement l’espace politique, il est aussi un outil de contrôle des populations, d’équilibre entre les espaces sociaux et de déploiement de nouvelles figures de la représentativité des hommes politiques.
Des corps connectés : les Ghana Young Pioneers, tête de proue de la mondialisation du nkrumahisme (1960-1966)
Authors: Nicolas Claire
Published: December 2017

Créé en 1960 à l’initiative de Kwame Nkrumah, le mouvement de jeunesse des Ghana Young Pioneers (GYP) devait œuvrer à la construction d’un État-nation ghanéen libéré de l’impérialisme britannique. Cet article analyse ses modes d’organisation et les pratiques corporelles des jeunes. La formation des pionniers consistait à encadrer et à discipliner les nouveaux corps de la nation nkrumahiste et à transmettre les codes de conduite propres à l’institution. Le mouvement puisait son efficacité pédagogique dans des ressources matérielles, pratiques et idéelles issues des quatre coins du monde (Grande-Bretagne, URSS, Israël, Chine). Ce faisant, les jeunes pionniers incarnaient et intériorisaient la mondialisation nkrumahiste.
Archéologies sauvages : Freud et Foucault au péril de Kittler
Authors: Ebeling Knut
Published: December 2017

Au xxe siècle, les avant-gardes intellectuelles furent souvent archéologiques. Archéologie du psychisme chez Freud, du discours chez Foucault ou enfin des médias chez Kittler. Adoptant le point de vue de ce dernier, l’article interroge les continuités et les ruptures entre ces penseurs. Des projets freudien et foucaldien, Kittler fait tout d’abord surgir le refoulé technique avant de les soumettre à une critique historique radicale – Foucault se voyant, en dernier lieu, confier le rôle d’archiviste de l’âge classique. Ayant en effet échoué à poser la question des médias techniques, ce dernier ne pouvait dépasser dans ses analyses le milieu du xixe siècle – ce à quoi l’on répondra à Kittler que puisque Foucault n’a pas dépassé le milieu du xixe siècle, il n’avait pas besoin d’aborder les médias techniques. La question dépasse cependant la simple polémique ; elle engage la définition de l’a priori qui, de « transcendantal » chez Kant était devenu « historique » chez Foucault jusqu’à devenir « média-technique » chez Kittler – au risque de retrouver un statut quasi-transcendental.
Quand Kittler renouvelle la métaphysique
Authors: Déotte Jean-Louis
Published: December 2017

Kittler livre dans ses Cours berlinois de 1999, les Médias optiques, une remarquable histoire des médias optiques, depuis leur préhistoire (camera obscura, perspective) jusqu’à l’ordinateur qui absorbe les médias intermédiaires comme la lanterne magique, la photographie, le cinéma et la télévision. Il apporte beaucoup s’agissant de domaines très techniques comme la télévision. Il procède selon les principes d’un structuralisme strict, évacuant ainsi les grandes déterminations de la philosophie classique et moderne, en particulier l’opposition entre sujet et objet. Pour autant, toute métaphysique est-elle écartée ? Certes le modèle de la théorie de la communication élaborée par Shannon est radical, mais n’est-il pas tributaire in fine de la théorie aristotélicienne de la forme-matière (hylémorphisme), le contenant (médium) rendant raison du contenu (message) ? Par ailleurs, sa lecture de l’histoire de la technique est positiviste et téléologique, européocentrique, alors qu’il laisse une part importante au hasard dans sa description des inventions. Se référant au premier Foucault, il déclare vouloir donner toute son importance au corps, mais ce dernier est réduit aux deux organes sensoriels essentiels (vision, audition), interprétés à partir de la théorie de l’information. On pourrait dire que ce corps aurait bien besoin d’être innervé (Walter Benjamin) pour rendre compte de l’historicité de la réception, ou qu’une dimension esthétique devrait être mobilisée entre lui et les médias optiques.
Rendre invisible – L’infographie et la fin des Médias optiques
Authors: Montaña Ricardo Cedeño , Vagt Christina
Published: December 2017

L’article relit la thèse de Kittler selon laquelle l’avènement des médias optiques constituerait la fin des beaux-arts à partir d’un texte contemporain aux Médias optiques. Cours berlinois 1999 : « Infographie. Une introduction semi-technique ». Les auteurs interrogent l’idée selon laquelle les médias optiques trouveraient leur fin dans les procédés algorithmiques de l’infographie, et développent une réflexion sur la surface de l’image et ses dessous techniques. Dans un premier temps, ils examinent la sous-face de l’image à partir de trois problèmes rencontrés par l’infographie à ses débuts. Puis ils explorent les enjeux de l’historiographie kittlérienne des médias optiques et de leur fin présumée dans l’infographie, du point de vue de la philosophie du sujet et de sa disparition. Ces analyses sont l’occasion d’une discussion autour des réflexions de Vilém Flusser sur la techno-imagination ainsi que des travaux de l’artiste contemporaine Hito Steyerl sur les techniques d’invisibilisation.
Hiletus walterrossii new species from Sierra Leone, Africa (Coleoptera Carabidae, Hiletini)
Authors: Allegro Gianni , Giachino Pier Mauro
Published: December 2017

Hiletus walterrossii new species is described from Sierra Leone, Africa. Only six Hiletus species were known so far, all confined to tropical Africa. The new species belongs to the alluaudi group sensu Erwin & Stork (1985). An identification key to this species group is provided and the features useful to distinguish species are discussed and illustrated.
Severe alterations caused by the indigenous pyralid Denticera divisella (Dup.) on the cultivated Euphorbia x lomi Rauh (Euphorbiaceae) in Sicily, with notes on some agronomic aspects (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Bella Salvatore , Spina Alfio , Salamone Adele , Fascella Giancarlo
Published: December 2017

In this contribution, we report information on the severe alterations caused by the stem boring moth Denticera divisella (Duponchel, 1842) (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) on the cultivated Euphorbia x lomi Rauh (Euphorbiaceae). This plant is an ornamental hybrid of recent origin, much appreciated for the attractive inflorescences, used both as an apartment plant and, especially in Sicily, as an outdoor plant. In this region, this species is an important source of income for many nursing businesses that have replaced it with some species whose market was in crisis. The pyralid is an indigenous species with an European distribution, while Euphorbia x lomi is a hybrid from Thailandia native to Madagascar, with many varieties currently cultivated in the world. The observations were conducted in Sicily in 2014 and 2015.
In memory of Hugues E. Bomans
Authors: Bartolozzi Luca
Published: December 2017

Hugues Eli Bomans was born in Sclessin (Belgium) on 4 May 1928. Hugo (as he was commonly called by friends and relatives) followed humanistic studies at a Jesuit College, then did his military service in 1947. After that he attended the School of Tropical Medicine in Anvers (Belgium) and finally he was hired by the Medical Services of the Government of the Belgian Congo [...]
The Danacea of Turkey: a contribution to their knowledge (Coleoptera, Cleroidea, Dasytidae)
Authors: Liberti Gianfranco
Published: December 2017

Genus Danacea, in turkey, currently include 36 species (plus 4 that are considered uncertain). Out of them, 5 are here described as new: D. anemoura, D. dumifera, D. mersini, D. phrygia and D. tekirdagi. two changes of status and four new synonymies are proposed: D. reitteri Prochazka, 1894, previously considered a synonym of D. marginata (Küster, 1851) has been re-established as a good species; D. zolotarewi, previously considered subspecies of D. nigritarsis (Küster, 1850) has been raised to good species; D. conicicollis Schilsky, 1897 and D. tauricola Pic, 1904 = D. cavifrons Pic, 1895; D. valida Heyden, 1878 = D. olivacea baudi, 1873; D. holtzi Pic, 1904 = D. sequensi reitter, 1901. A determination key is also proposed, which includes all the 36 species known, or reported, to live in turkey. All these species have been described and discussed except 9 which, also present in the balkans, have been recently included in a previous paper (Liberti 2009). Drawings of all median lobes, several tegmens and other dissected parts have been added, together with several photographs of the whole insect. Five names could not be reliably associated with a known species and remained uncertain; they have been separately listed and discussed. this paper cannot be considered a revision (although nearly all types have been retrieved and studied), rather a contribution to the knowledge of the turkish Danacea: indeed many problems, both taxonomic and distributional, have not been satisfactorily solved due to the amounts of materials available for study, which in several instances resulted to be insufficient.
Genetic diversity study of various β-lactamase-producing multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolates from a tertiary care hospital using ERIC-PCR
Authors: Jena Jayanti , Debata Nagen Kumar , Sahoo Rajesh Kumar , Gaur Mahendra , Subudhi Enketeswara
Published: December 2017

Background & objectives:

The prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli isolates producing β-lactamase enzyme is a growing problem across the globe. Strain typing is an epidemiologically important tool not only for detecting the cross transmission of nosocomial pathogens but also for determining the source of infection. The present study was conducted to understand the clonal relationship among various β-lactamase-producing MDR E. coli isolates using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Methods:

A total of 41 MDR E. coli isolates were randomly collected from various clinical samples and processed. Isolated organisms were tested for antibiotics resistance pattern. Phenotypic detection of metallo β-lactamases (MBL) was carried out by the imipenem-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid disc diffusion/double-disc synergy test. AmpC enzyme production was tested by a modified three-dimensional extract test.

Results:

Almost all isolates were found sensitive to colistin. A high percentage of drug resistance was observed in these isolates against ceftazidime (100%), cefotaxime (100%), cefepime (100%), ofloxacin (97.56%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (97.56%) and norfloxacin (85.36%). Of the 41 isolates, ESBL producers were found to be predominant, i.e., 22 (53.65%), followed by AmpC (6, 14.63%) and MBL (5, 12.19%).

Interpretation & conclusions:

At 60 per cent similarity cut-off value, the dendrogram analysis showed that there were a total of 14 unique clusters of ERIC (CL-1 - CL-14) within the 41 E. coli isolates, which revealed the genetic diversity existing between them.
Exploring quinolone resistance-determining region in Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from across India
Authors: Sood Seema , Agarwal Madhav , Bala Manju , Mahajan Neeraj , Singh Rajendra , Kapil Arti , Sreenivas Vishnubhatla , Ram R.J. , Kar Hemanta Kumar , Sharma Vinod Kumar
Published: December 2017

Background & objectives:

Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhoea, is a subject of worldwide attention. The present study was undertaken to examine the rates of ciprofloxacin resistance, to correlate mutations in gyrA and parC genes with the level of resistance and to look for a variation in mutation pattern, if any, in isolates from across the country.

Methods:

A total of 113 isolates of N. gonorrhoeae collected from sexually transmitted infection patients in six centres during November 2010 to October 2013 were investigated. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination was done by E-test and results interpreted as per Calibrated Dichotomous Sensitivity criteria. DNA sequence analysis of gyrA and parC genes was done.

Results:

Of the 113 isolates, only three (2.6%) were susceptible whereas eight (7.07%) were less susceptible, 32 [28.3%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 20.4-37.6%] resistant (MIC 1-3 µg/ml) and 70 (61.9%, 95% CI: 52.2-70.7%) exhibited high-level resistance (HLR) (MIC ≥4 µg/ml) to ciprofloxacin. A S91F substitution in gyrA gene was demonstrated in all ciprofloxacin non-susceptible isolates. All resistant and HLR isolates had a double mutation in gyrA gene. However, only 5.7 per cent of HLR isolates showed double mutations in parC gene. One isolate (MIC 32 µg/ml) had a previously undescribed G85D substitution in the parC gene.

Interpretation & conclusions:

A S91F substitution in gyrA gene was seen in all non-susceptible isolates of N. gonorrhoeae. It may be used as a marker for ciprofloxacin resistance for molecular surveillance approaches to complement the culture-based methods.
Análisis de los estudios de Periodismo y Comunicación en las principales universidades del mundo. Competencias, objetivos y asignaturas
Authors: Tejedor Calvo Santiago , Cervi Laura
Published: December 2017

El artículo presenta los resultados de un estudio descriptivo que analiza 12 planes de estudios sobre Comunicación y Periodismo de las 8 universidades más prestigiosas del mundo en el ámbito de la Comunicación, según el Índice QS World University. Metodología: Bajo una perspectiva metodológica cuantitativa y cualitativa, el trabajo analiza los objetivos, las competencias, las áreas temáticas, el tipo de asignaturas y la distribución en el currículo académico a partir del estudio de los planes de estudio y de un total de 542 asignaturas. Se identifican buenas prácticas y se señalan tendencias en el diseño curricular de los planes de estudio. Resultados y conclusiones: El estudio permite señalar que las universidades apuestan por planes de estudios con un predominio de asignaturas optativas que garanticen una formación humanista de base para el alumno. El estudiante se convierte en el responsable de definir gran parte de su itinerario formativo.
Variability in the Syntax of Idioms
Authors: Hladnik Marko
Published: December 2017

Given that the meaning of idioms is not predictable from the literal meaning of their parts, we can broadly define idioms as expressions with a non-compositional interpretation. Since language is a compositional system, this characteristic of idioms might suggest that they are atomic building blocks of language with no internal syntax. However, that turns out not to be the case. This paper explores the syntax of English verbal idioms and their degree of compositionality. Idioms do have an internal syntactic structure that is actually variable to an extent and, despite being superficially similar, different idioms exhibit different syntactic properties. The topics discussed include the variability of determiners in idioms, the subcategorisation of idioms based on their relative compositionality into two groups that behave differently with respect to their syntactic flexibility, and the identification of grammatical categories that are obligatory components of certain idioms but not others.