bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model Selection for Parametric Surfaces Approximating 3D Point Clouds for Deformation Analysis
Authors: Zhao Xin , Kargoll Boris , Omidalizarandi Mohammad , Xu Xiangyang , Alkhatib Hamza
Published: April 2018

Deformation monitoring of structures is a common application and one of the major tasks of engineering surveying. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has become a popular method for detecting deformations due to high precision and spatial resolution in capturing a number of three-dimensional point clouds. Surface-based methodology plays a prominent role in rigorous deformation analysis. Consequently, it is of great importance to select an appropriate regression model that reflects the geometrical features of each state or epoch. This paper aims at providing the practitioner some guidance in this regard. Different from standard model selection procedures for surface models based on information criteria, we adopted the hypothesis tests from D.R. Cox and Q.H. Vuong to discriminate statistically between parametric models. The methodology was instantiated in two numerical examples by discriminating between widely used polynomial and B-spline surfaces as models of given TLS point clouds. According to the test decisions, the B-spline surface model showed a slight advantage when both surface types had few parameters in the first example, while it performed significantly better for larger numbers of parameters. Within B-spline surface models, the optimal one for the specific segment was fixed by Vuong’s test whose result was quite consistent with the judgment of widely used Bayesian information criterion. The numerical instabilities of B-spline models due to data gap were clearly reflected by the model selection tests, which rejected inadequate B-spline models in another numerical example.
Weak Defect Identification for Centrifugal Compressor Blade Crack Based on Pressure Sensors and Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Li Hongkun , He Changbo , Malekian Reza , Li Zhixiong
Published: April 2018

The Centrifugal compressor is a piece of key equipment for petrochemical factories. As the core component of a compressor, the blades suffer periodic vibration and flow induced excitation mechanism, which will lead to the occurrence of crack defect. Moreover, the induced blade defect usually has a serious impact on the normal operation of compressors and the safety of operators. Therefore, an effective blade crack identification method is particularly important for the reliable operation of compressors. Conventional non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) methods can detect the blade defect effectively, however, the compressors should shut down during the testing process which is time-consuming and costly. In addition, it can be known these methods are not suitable for the long-term on-line condition monitoring and cannot identify the blade defect in time. Therefore, the effective on-line condition monitoring and weak defect identification method should be further studied and proposed. Considering the blade vibration information is difficult to measure directly, pressure sensors mounted on the casing are used to sample airflow pressure pulsation signal on-line near the rotating impeller for the purpose of monitoring the blade condition indirectly in this paper. A big problem is that the blade abnormal vibration amplitude induced by the crack is always small and this feature information will be much weaker in the pressure signal. Therefore, it is usually difficult to identify blade defect characteristic frequency embedded in pressure pulsation signal by general signal processing methods due to the weakness of the feature information and the interference of strong noise. In this paper, continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is used to pre-process the sampled signal first. Then, the method of bistable stochastic resonance (SR) based on Woods-Saxon and Gaussian (WSG) potential is applied to enhance the weak characteristic frequency contained in the pressure pulsation signal. Genetic algorithm (GA) is used to obtain optimal parameters for this SR system to improve its feature enhancement performance. The analysis result of experimental signal shows the validity of the proposed method for the enhancement and identification of weak defect characteristic. In the end, strain test is carried out to further verify the accuracy and reliability of the analysis result obtained by pressure pulsation signal.
Wireless Sensor Network Congestion Control Based on Standard Particle Swarm Optimization and Single Neuron PID
Authors: Yang Xiaoping , Chen Xueying , Xia Riting , Qian Zhihong
Published: April 2018

Aiming at the problem of network congestion caused by the large number of data transmissions in wireless routing nodes of wireless sensor network (WSN), this paper puts forward an algorithm based on standard particle swarm–neural PID congestion control (PNPID). Firstly, PID control theory was applied to the queue management of wireless sensor nodes. Then, the self-learning and self-organizing ability of neurons was used to achieve online adjustment of weights to adjust the proportion, integral and differential parameters of the PID controller. Finally, the standard particle swarm optimization to neural PID (NPID) algorithm of initial values of proportion, integral and differential parameters and neuron learning rates were used for online optimization. This paper describes experiments and simulations which show that the PNPID algorithm effectively stabilized queue length near the expected value. At the same time, network performance, such as throughput and packet loss rate, was greatly improved, which alleviated network congestion and improved network QoS.
On Target Localization Using Combined RSS and AoA Measurements
Authors: Tomic Slavisa , Beko Marko , Dinis Rui , Bernardo Luís
Published: April 2018

This work revises existing solutions for a problem of target localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), utilizing integrated measurements, namely received signal strength (RSS) and angle of arrival (AoA). The problem of RSS/AoA-based target localization became very popular in the research community recently, owing to its great applicability potential and relatively low implementation cost. Therefore, here, a comprehensive study of the state-of-the-art (SoA) solutions and their detailed analysis is presented. The beginning of this work starts by considering the SoA approaches based on convex relaxation techniques (more computationally complex in general), and it goes through other (less computationally complex) approaches, as well, such as the ones based on the generalized trust region sub-problems framework and linear least squares. Furthermore, a detailed analysis of the computational complexity of each solution is reviewed. Furthermore, an extensive set of simulation results is presented. Finally, the main conclusions are summarized, and a set of future aspects and trends that might be interesting for future research in this area is identified.
Neuromuscular Adaptations Following Training and Protein Supplementation in a Group of Trained Weightlifters
Authors: Taber Christopher , Carroll Kevin , DeWeese Brad , Sato Kimitake , Stuart Charles , Howell Mary , Hall Kenton , Bazyler Caleb , Stone Michael
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a recovery supplement compared with a placebo on muscle morphology in trained weightlifters. Vastus lateralis and muscle fiber cross sectional area of type I and type II fibers were compared between groups using a series of 2 × 2 (group × time) repeated measure ANOVAs. Both groups on average improved cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis, type I and type II muscle fibers from pre-to-post but individual response varied within both groups. Greater magnitude of changes in type I and type II muscle fibers were observed for the placebo group but not for vastus lateralis cross sectional area. Additionally, subjects were divided into large and small fiber groups based on combined fiber size at the start of the investigation. These findings indicate that the recovery supplement utilized provided no greater effect compared with a placebo in a 12-week block periodization protocol in trained weightlifters. The primary determinate of fiber size changes in the study was determined to be the initial fiber size of muscle fibers with larger practical changes observed in the small fiber group compared with the large fiber group in type I, II, and ultrasound cross-sectional area (CSA).
Urban Sustainability through Public Architecture
Authors: Kim Soomi , Kwon Hyun-ah
Published: April 2018

As the sustainability of contemporary cities has gained emphasis, interest in architecture has increased, due to its social and public responsibility. Since sustainability is linked to public values, research on sustainable public spaces is an important way to secure sustainability in cities. Based on this, we analyzed the sustainability of European cities by examining the design methods of public architecture according to the region. The aim of the study is to derive architectural methodology corresponding to local characteristics, and to suggest issues to consider in public architecture design to promote urban sustainability based on this. First, regarding the environmental aspect, it can be observed that there is an effort to secure sustainability. Second, in terms of social sustainability, historical value remains as a trace of architectural place, so that it continues in people’s memory. In addition, public architecture provides public places where citizens can gather and enjoy programs, while the architectural methods showed differences influenced by cultural conditions. Third, in economic sustainability, it was shown that energy saving was achieved through cost reduction through recycling of materials, facilities, or environmental factors. In conclusion, the issues to be considered in public architectural design are the voiding of urban space through architectural devices in the construction method. In other words, the intention is to form “ground” that attempts to be part of the city, and thereby create better places. Since skin and material have a deep relationship with the environment, they should have the durability and an outer skin that are suitable for the regional environment. Finally, sustainability is to be utilized through the influx of programs that meet local and environmental characteristics. Design research into public architecture that is oriented towards urban sustainability will be a task to be carried out by the present generation for the millennial generation.
Value Direction: Moving Crafts toward Sustainability in the Yangtze River Delta, China
Authors: Zhan Xiaofang , Walker Stuart
Published: April 2018

The paper presents ongoing research on craft and design for sustainability in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China. Based on previous research into the relationship between craft and design for sustainability, and literature on value, a typology of five values pertaining to craft is defined. This research investigates values and craft practices in the YRD through identifying the direction of craftwork development in the region and evaluating them against the defined five values. It is found that some crafts in the YRD are commercialized and strongly influenced by cosmopolitanism and consumerism, while some crafts with high intrinsic values are still in decline and need specific interventions. However, these interventions need more context-based consideration and evaluation. What might be regarded as “excessive” intervention in commercial promotion and mass-production could potentially homogenize local crafts, thereby undermining their distinctiveness and their intrinsic values. The aim of this paper is to (a) identify the direction of different craftworks categories in the YRD; and (b) evaluate them with the defined five values in order to inform future design intervention.
Risk Profile Indicators and Spanish Banks’ Probability of Default from a Regulatory Approach
Authors: Gómez-Fernández-Aguado Pilar , Parrado-Martínez Purificación , Partal-Ureña Antonio
Published: April 2018

This paper analyses the relationships between the traditional bank risk profile indicators and a new measure of banks’ probability of default that considers the Basel regulatory framework. First, based on the SYstemic Model of Bank Originated Losses (SYMBOL), we calculated the individual probabilities of default (PD) of a representative sample of Spanish credit institutions during the period of 2008–2016. Then, panel data regressions were estimated to explore the influence of the risk indicators on the PD. Our findings on the Spanish banking system could be important to regulatory and supervisory authorities. First, the PD based on the SYMBOL model could be used to analyse bank risk from a regulatory approach. Second, the results might be useful for designing new regulations focused on the key factors that affect the banks’ probability of default. Third, our findings reveal that the emphasis on regulation and supervision should differ by type of entity.
Incentive Mechanism of Prefabrication in Mega Projects with Reputational Concerns
Authors: Shi Qianqian , Zhu Jianbo , Hertogh Marcel , Sheng Zhaohan
Published: April 2018

As one of the most important sustainability project management practices, prefabrication has been drawing increasing attention to project construction practitioners. However, due to the needs of high technology and large capital investment, there is a great challenge for suppliers to adopt prefabrication in mega project construction. Therefore, designing an adequate incentive mechanism has become a daunting task for the project owner, which aims to ensure a socially and environmentally friendly project delivery. In this study, an incentive model with reputational concerns from the perspective of the project owner was established and how this incentive affects supplier’s effort and project owner’s profit was investigated. By contrasting to the incentive model without reputational concerns, when the reputation incentive is considered in the incentive contract, both supplier’s effort and project owner’s profit increase. In addition, adding reputation incentive implies more expenses, thus the project owner may not want to take this strategy due to the potential expense increase. Therefore, the study also considered an incentive mechanism with constant total incentive intensity. By comparison, the result shows that this strategy is also useful which can improve supplier’s effort and project owner’s profit.
Empirical Examination of Users’ Adoption of the Sharing Economy in China Using an Expanded Technology Acceptance Model
Authors: Liu Yupeng , Yang Yutao
Published: April 2018

With the popularity of sharing-based applications such as bicycle and car sharing, the sharing economy has attracted considerable global attention. The factors that affect users’ adoption of the sharing economy must be identified to facilitate the promotion of low-carbon lifestyles and help enterprises attract more active users. By employing the technology acceptance model (TAM) and herd behavior, this study implemented an expanded TAM and identified several factors affecting behavioral intention (BI) toward the sharing economy. A questionnaire was used to obtain the data, which were analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results revealed that perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) are the main factors affecting BI. Moreover, trust (TRU) was identified as a mediator of subjective norm (SN) and PEOU. Imitating others (IMI) affects BI, and SN affects TRU, PU, and PEOU. Gender moderates SN and IMI. This paper indicates that to improve users’ BI, enterprises should enhance PU, PEOU, and TRU; cooperate with organizations to enhance SN; and guide potential users to imitate others.
Korean Experimentation of Knowledge and Technology Transfer to Address Climate Change in Developing Countries
Authors: Huh Taewook , Kim Hyung-Ju
Published: April 2018

This paper explores two Korean cases of Knowledge and Technology Transfer (KTT) to address climate change in developing countries. The target technologies were carbon capture and utilization (CCU) in a project in Bantayan Island, Philippines, and waste-to-energy (WTE) technology in Santiago, Dominican Republic. These projects were conducted by the Republic of Korea’s Green Technology Center. The study analyses the rationale of KTT (“international environment” and “motives”), its objects (technology types) and activities (“informational contacts”, “research activities”, “consulting” and “education and training”). It concludes that the KTT efforts of these two case studies can be characterized as “uninformed transfer”, given a lack of information on situational factors. In particular, these projects faced cooperation problems between national and local governments in the target countries due to different levels of commitment among different stakeholder groups. In conclusion, this study identifies the implications of an acceptability gap between national and local actors in renewable energy projects of KTT.
Symmetry Reduction and Numerical Solution of Von K

a
´

rm

a
´

n Swirling Viscous Flow
Authors: Wang XiaoMin , Bilige SuDao
Published: April 2018

In this paper, the numerical solutions of von K a ´ rm a ´ n swirling viscous flow are obtained based on the effective combination of the symmetry method and the Runge-Kutta method. Firstly, the multi-parameter symmetry of von K a ´ rm a ´ n swirling viscous flow is determined based on the differential characteristic set algorithm. Secondly, we used the symmetry to reduce von K a ´ rm a ´ n swirling viscous flow to an initial value problem of the original differential equations. Finally, we numerically solve the initial value problem of the original differential equations by using the Runge-Kutta method.
Stability of Bounded Dynamical Networks with Symmetry
Authors: Dassios Ioannis K.
Published: April 2018

Motivated by dynamical models describing phase separation and the motion of interfaces separating phases, we study the stability of dynamical networks in planar domains formed by triple junctions. We take into account symmetry, angle-intersection conditions at the junctions and at the points at which the curves intersect with the boundary. Firstly, we focus on the case of a network where two triple junctions have all their branches unattached to the boundary and then on the case of a network of hexagons, with one of them having all its branches unattached to the boundary. For both type of networks, we introduce the evolution problem, identify the steady states and study their stability in terms of the geometry of the boundary.
A Modified Water-Table Fluctuation Method to Characterize Regional Groundwater Discharge
Authors: Yang Lihong , Qi Yongqiang , Zheng Chunmiao , Andrews Charles B. , Yue Shenghua , Lin Sijie , Li Yu , Wang Chengjian , Xu Yaqin , Li Haitao
Published: April 2018

A modified Water-Table Fluctuation (WTF) method is developed to quantitatively characterize the regional groundwater discharge patterns in stressed aquifers caused by intensive agricultural pumping. Two new parameters are defined to express the secondary information in the observed data. One is infiltration efficiency and the other is discharge modulus (recurring head loss due to aquifer discharge). An optimization procedure is involved to estimate these parameters, based on continuous groundwater head measurements and precipitation records. Using the defined parameters and precipitation time series, water level changes are calculated for individual wells with fidelity. The estimated parameters are then used to further address the characterization of infiltration and to better quantify the discharge at the regional scale. The advantage of this method is that it considers recharge and discharge simultaneously, whereas the general WTF methods mostly focus on recharge. In the case study, the infiltration efficiency reveals that the infiltration is regionally controlled by the intrinsic characteristics of the aquifer, and locally distorted by engineered hydraulic structures that alter surface water-groundwater interactions. The seasonality of groundwater discharge is characterized by the monthly discharge modulus. These results from individual wells are clustered into groups that are consistent with the local land use pattern and cropping structures.
Modeling Streambank and Artificial Gravel Deposit Erosion for Sediment Replenishment
Authors: Vonwiller Lukas , Vetsch David F. , Boes Robert M.
Published: April 2018

Sediment replenishment by artificial gravel deposits is a measure to increase sediment supply in gravel-bed rivers. Thereby, streambank erosion is the dominant process for gravel entrainment. In this contribution, we quantitatively validate a numerical morphodynamic 2D model and the relevant model approaches to reproduce non-cohesive streambank erosion. Therefore, a calibration and a sensitivity analysis of the relevant model approaches and parameters are carried out based on a reference laboratory experiment on streambank erosion in a straight channel from the literature. The relevant model approaches identified to successfully reproduce lateral streambank erosion are the gravitational bank collapse, the lateral bed slope effect on the bed load transport direction and the local bed slope effect on the critical Shields stress. Based on these findings, the numerical model was compared against data from laboratory experiments on gravel deposit erosion. Thereby, the focus was on the influence of the hydraulic discharge, the grain size distribution of the sediment and the geometrical quantities of the gravel deposits, such as the width, height and length of the deposit. It is shown that the dynamics of the erosion process were well reproduced by the numerical model using non-uniform sediment. Furthermore, the erosion rates were in good agreement with the laboratory experiments, except for the initial phase of the experiments, where the erosion rates were highest and settling of the gravel deposit was observed in the laboratory experiments. Overall, the numerical model proved to be a suitable tool to predict the erosion process of artificial gravel deposits, and hence, can be recommended for the design of sediment replenishment measures.
Experimental and In Silico Analysis of Cordycepin and its Derivatives as Endometrial Cancer Treatment
Authors: Fong Pedro , Ao Cheng N. , Tou Kai I. , Huang Ka M. , Cheong Chi C. , Meng Li R.
Published: April 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibition effects of cordycepin and its derivatives on endometrial cancer cell growth. Cytotoxicity MTT assays, clonogenic assays, and flow cytometry were used to observe the effects on apoptosis and regulation of the cell cycle of Ishikawa cells under various concentrations of cordycepin, cisplatin, and combinations of the two. Validated in silico docking simulations were performed on 31 cordycepin derivatives against adenosine deaminase (ADA) to predict their binding affinities and hence their potential tendency to be metabolized by ADA. Cordycepin has a significant dose-dependent inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. The combination of cordycepin and cisplatin produced greater inhibition effects than did cordycepin alone. Apoptosis investigations confirmed the ability of cordycepin to induce the apoptosis of Ishikawa cells. The in silico results indicate that compound MRS5698 is least metabolized by ADA and has acceptable drug likeness and safety profiles. This is the first study to confirm the cytotoxic effects of cordycepin on endometrial cancer cells. This study also identified cordycepin derivatives with promising pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties for further investigation in the development of new treatments for endometrial cancer.
Tourism, Macroeconomics, Growth, and the St. Louis Equation
Authors: Vanegas Sr. Manuel
Published: April 2018

This study tested the following research questions: (a) Is tourism development helping to untangle the exogenous from the endogenous of monetary and fiscal policies behavior? (b) Is tourism development a determinant of economic growth in the presence of the macroeconomic variables?
(c) Is there a stable long-run relationship among economic growth, tourism development, monetary, and fiscal policies in Nicaragua? (d) Is there a presence of Granger causality? Using nominal and real values, this study tested the adequacy of the expanded St. Louis equation with three methodologies:
the Almon lag-distributed methodology; the autoregressive distributed lag bounds testing approach to cointegration; and the Granger methodology was applied to investigate causality. The data covered the period 1960–2016. First, the results have indicated that tourism development and
monetary policy bear the task of the short-run adjustment to a long-run equilibrium. In the long-run, a 1% of sustained growth rate in tourism development would imply an estimated increase in gross domestic product (in real terms) of nearly 0.41%. Second, there is a log-run relationship among
economic growth, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and tourism developments. Third, the results confirm the hypothesis that tourism development is an important, direct, and independent economic sector in explaining economic activity changes, in the case of Nicaragua. Fourth, there is unidirectional
or one-way (TR → GDP) Granger causal effect running from tourism development to economic growth. This study has provided useful guidance for policymakers engaged in tourism policy formulation, a modeling and quantitative reference material to academia, and other researchers who might
be interested in conducting research in similar or related areas of the study.
The Effect of Delisting a Hotel Market from Online Travel Agency Websites: Evidence from Columbus, Georgia
Authors: McLeod Brumby , Litvin Stephen W. , Heriot Kirk C. , Jauregui Andres , Dempsey Erin
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this article is to further explore the relationship and balance of power between online travel agencies (OTAs) and hotel properties, specifically addressing and generally supporting the established but contentious concept of the billboard effect. The research also introduces
the concept of chain immunity, an ancillary benefit that unlisted hotels receive as a function of the billboard effect. The empirical study conducted suggests that OTAs have less power than is generally perceived versus hotels. The findings further provide hoteliers with strong justification
to support experimentation with their property's sales distribution systems as they seek to determine the most effective balance of OTA versus Brand.com promotional efforts for their properties.
Wine Tourism in Burgundy, France: An Analysis of Marketing Practices
Authors: Thach Liz , Cogan-Marie Laurence
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this research study was to assess the development of wine tourism in Burgundy, France. As a famous wine region, Burgundy has traditionally focused on the export of their product and has not been as proactive as other wine regions in the promotion of tourism. However,
this is slowly changing as the industry begins to transform itself and create more welcoming experiences for tourists. The methodology involved both quantitative and qualitative approaches. An analysis of 133 winery websites was conducted to assess readiness for wine tourism. In addition,
a series of 18 indepth interviews with various sized wineries was completed to analyze existing marketing practices, including direct to consumer sales derived from wine tourism. Finally, an online content analysis of existing Burgundian wine tourism organizations was conducted. Results show
that some Burgundy wineries are serving as trailblazers in opening cellar doors and offering more tours and experiences to wine tourists. However, the website analysis suggests that Burgundian wineries should upgrade their digital marketing strategies to attract more tourists and create more
positive brand perception. From a regional branding viewpoint, Burgundy seems to be excelling at differentiating themselves from other wine regions and creating a compelling brand proposition.
von Kármán–Howarth Equation for Hall Magnetohydrodynamics: Hybrid Simulations
Authors: Hellinger Petr , Verdini Andrea , Landi Simone , Franci Luca , Matteini Lorenzo
Published: April 2018

A dynamical vectorial equation for homogeneous incompressible Hall-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence together with the exact scaling law for third-order correlation tensors, analogous to that for the incompressible MHD, is rederived and applied to the results of two-dimensional hybrid simulations of plasma turbulence. At large (MHD) scales the simulations exhibit a clear inertial range where the MHD dynamic law is valid. In the sub-ion range the cascade continues via the Hall term, but the dynamic law derived in the framework of incompressible Hall-MHD equations is obtained only in a low plasma beta simulation. For a higher beta plasma the cascade rate decreases in the sub-ion range and the change becomes more pronounced as the plasma beta increases. This break in the cascade flux can be ascribed to nonthermal (kinetic) features or to others terms in the dynamical equation that are not included in the Hall-MHD incompressible approximation.
Optimal Target Stars in the Search for Life
Authors: Lingam Manasvi , Loeb Abraham
Published: April 2018

The selection of optimal targets in the search for life represents a highly important strategic issue. In this Letter, we evaluate the benefits of searching for life around a potentially habitable planet orbiting a star of arbitrary mass relative to a similar planet around a Sun-like star. If recent physical arguments implying that the habitability of planets orbiting low-mass stars is selectively suppressed are correct, we find that planets around solar-type stars may represent the optimal targets.
Austrian economics and its reception in different countries
Authors: Avtonomov Vladimir
Published: April 2018

n/a
An audit of some processing effects in aggregated occurrence records
Authors: Mesibov Robert
Published: April 2018

A total of ca 800,000 occurrence records from the Australian Museum (AM), Museums Victoria (MV) and the New Zealand Arthropod Collection (NZAC) were audited for changes in selected Darwin Core fields after processing by the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA; for AM and MV records) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF; for AM, MV and NZAC records). Formal taxon names in the genus- and species-groups were changed in 13–21% of AM and MV records, depending on dataset and aggregator. There was little agreement between the two aggregators on processed names, with names changed in two to three times as many records by one aggregator alone compared to records with names changed by both aggregators. The type status of specimen records did not change with name changes, resulting in confusion as to the name with which a type was associated. Data losses of up to 100% were found after processing in some fields, apparently due to programming errors. The taxonomic usefulness of occurrence records could be improved if aggregators included both original and the processed taxonomic data items for each record. It is recommended that end-users check original and processed records for data loss and name replacements after processing by aggregators.
La ville cachée : pratiques et stratégies des acteurs de l’urbain dans la diffusion des complexes fermés à Johannesburg
Authors: Lévy Karen
Published: April 2018

La multiplication à grande échelle de complexes résidentiels fermés et sécurisés d’entrée de gamme est particulièrement prégnante dans le Gauteng et en Afrique du Sud en général. Fondées sur une financiarisation ordinaire des ménages et un rapport à l’anxiété de ces derniers tant pour la sécurité des biens et des personnes que pour la pérennité d’un investissement, ces gated communities d’un nouveau genre participent à la transformation sociale sans précédent de la métropole et à la construction d’une classe moyenne via l’accès au crédit bancaire, notamment pour les citadins qui quittent les townships. Les relations banques-promoteurs immobiliers et le rôle des promoteurs dans l’orientation de leur clientèle en fonction de ce qu’ils imaginent être des parcours résidentiels types, apportent un nouvel éclairage sur les raisons du succès hégémonique de ces complexes fermés. L’analyse croisée de trois types de regard, celui des acteurs privés de la ville, celui des habitants et celui de la collectivité, met en lumière la complexité des mécanismes en jeu et donne une vision transversale des logiques économiques de cet objet multiforme.
La pratique du pèlerinage en Provence à la fin du Moyen Âge et au début de l’époque moderne d’après les enseignes et les ampoules
Authors: Thuaudet Olivier
Published: April 2018

La pratique du pèlerinage en Provence et au départ de Provence est documentée par les sources écrites, mais également par des objets achetés par les pèlerins dans les sanctuaires visités. La plupart sont des enseignes et des ampoules en étain, en plomb ou en alliage des deux métaux. L’étude de ces pièces métalliques révèle la multiplicité des moules, la persistance des motifs au cours du temps et participe à renseigner sur la renommée des sanctuaires et l’étendue de celle-ci. À la fin du xve siècle et au xvie siècle, la forme et le décor de certaines enseignes évoluent et annoncent l’apparition des médailles en alliage cuivreux. L’analyse des contextes de découverte des enseignes, ampoules et médailles révèle des différences dans la symbolique des objets.
Les charpentes de la collégiale Saint-Denis à Liège (Belgique) : apports de l’archéométrie et de l’archéologie du bâti à l’histoire du site (xie-xviiie siècle)
Authors: Blain Sophie , Maggi Christophe , Hoffsummer Patrick
Published: April 2018

L’église Saint-Denis, dont la construction est traditionnellement attribuée au premier prince-évêque de la cité, le célèbre Notger, est la plus ancienne de Liège. Elle constitue non seulement un édifice phare de la construction mosane et de l’histoire de la cité des Princes-Évêques, mais aussi un témoin in situ de l’évolution de l’architecture religieuse au cours du dernier millénaire en Belgique. Bien que l’intérieur de la nef soit désormais entièrement recouvert d’un décor de style baroque, ses combles, non visibles du public, conservent, intactes ou modifiées, les différentes phases d’une histoire complexe du bâti. Afin d’évaluer son origine et d’identifier l’évolution de sa construction, la charpente a fait l’objet d’une étude transdisciplinaire combinant archéologie du bâti et dendrochronologie. Il en résulte l’identification et la datation précises des différentes phases, situées dans leur contexte historique, ainsi qu’une amélioration et un prolongement du référentiel de la dendrochronologie pour le haut Moyen Âge en Belgique.
Henri de Contenson’s archaeological fieldwork in the Eastern part of the Jordan Valley: a re-evaluation
Authors: Kafafi Zeidan A.
Published: April 2018

Suite à la reprise de travaux à Tell esh-Shuneh esh-Shamaliyyeh (Shuneh Nord) et aux fouilles conduites sur la rive orientale du Jourdain, à Pella, Abu Hamid, Ghassul et sur la rive occidentale à Tell Tsaf, cet article se propose de revoir la périodisation des trois sites de la Vallée du Jourdain, Shuneh, Abu Habil et Tell es-Saʿidiyyeh el-Tahta sondés par H. de Contenson en 1953. Ces établissements, au vu de la céramique et de quelques rares vestiges architecturaux, nous paraissent avoir été occupés pour la première fois à la période chalcolithique et Shuneh Nord l’être resté aussi au Bronze ancien.
Subsistence of Early Pastoral Nomadism in the Southern Levant: New Data from Eastern Bayir
Authors: Tarawneh Mohammad B. , Abudanah Fawzi Q.
Published: April 2018

À partir du Néolithique récent-début du Chalcolithique, le pastoralisme nomade spécialisé s’est imposé comme le mode de subsistence privilégié dans les régions désertiques du Levant Sud, bien qu’il semble peu représenté dans le nord-est de la Jordanie et le sud-est de la Syrie. Une des raisons permettant d’expliquer ces disparités tient à la nature des territoires concernés. Les périphéries désertiques du centre-est et du sud-est jordanien constituent en effet un environnement favorable au développement du mode de subsistance pastoral. La demande accrue pour les matières premières et les biens produits dans le désert, en particulier les racloirs tabulaires, a participé au développement de ces régions. La fabrication des racloirs tabulaires s’est intégrée dans un réseau d’échanges et dans les itinéraires de transhumance saisonniers couvrant le sud du Levant et le nord de l’Arabie. Les nouvelles recherches entreprises dans la région orientale du Wadi Bayir, aussi désignée sous le nom de Ardh as-Suwwan (le territoire du silex), ont permis de démontrer, grâce aux datations radiocarbone, une augmentation significative du nombre d’établissements de pasteurs nomades au cours du Néolithique récent/début du Chalcolithique. L’étude de cette ccupation pastorale nomade soulève la question de l’interaction avec les populations des régions voisines et en particulier avec les sociétés agricoles pratiquant d’autres formes d’élevage à proximité des agglomérations sédentaires. Un nomadisme pastoral enclavé est aussi possible dans les zones proches des villages agricoles, mais très peu de villages ont été trouvés dans le Levant Sud.
Un objet néolithique en forme de pied humain à Labwé (Liban)
Authors: Haïdar-Boustani Maya
Published: April 2018

Le site néolithique de Labwé (Liban) a livré, en surface, un objet en calcaire reproduisant un pied humain. Ce type d’artefact, connu seulement par quelques spécimens retrouvés sur des sites du Proche-Orient, peut être assimilé à une «  forme » utilisée pour la fabrication de chaussures.
A Palmyrene Altar in the Cincinnati Art Museum
Authors: Dirven Lucinda , Kaizer Ted
Published: April 2018

La présente contribution est la publication d’un autel de Palmyre, inédit, conservé au Musée d’Art de Cincinnati. L’autel est décoré exceptionnellement sur ses quatre côtés de représentations figurées des divinités de Palmyre : une déesse assise, une figure armée, une divinité solaire et une figure masculine portant un trident, associée à Poséidon. Cette dernière représentation est la première occurrence de ce type dans la sculpture palmyrénienne.
Maisons et palais de Bosra (iie siècle-viiie siècle apr. J.-C.)
Authors: Piraud-Fournet Pauline
Published: April 2018

Dès le début du xixe s., l’habitat antique admirablement bien conservé des villages de l’ancienne province romaine d’Arabie (Syrie du Sud et Jordanie) a attiré l’attention des archéologues. L’originalité des solutions architecturales développées dans un environnement contraignant, l’organisation des maisons qui renseigne sur le mode de vie de ses habitants, le lieu de production et de stockage qu’on y reconnaît et qui permet d’appréhender l’économie de cette région, justifient cet intérêt. À Bosra, capitale de cette province, l’urbanisme et l’architecture monumentale ont fait l’objet de nombreuses recherches, et l’étude de l’habitat antique n’a pas été négligée. Nous tentons dans cet article de réunir la documentation qui le concerne. Les vestiges de cet habitat sont ténus, mais ils permettent d’observer que si l’architecture domestique urbaine adopte bien les particularités locales (matériaux et modes de construction, salles à alcôves, salles à auges), on trouve aussi des aménagements qui la distinguent des installations villageoises (salles de réception triconques, bains privés).
Des yeux et des lunettes
Authors: Caubet Annie
Published: April 2018

La redécouverte de deux «  idoles aux yeux » en faïence à Suse donne l’occasion de revenir à sur ces objets caractéristiques de la fin du IVe millénaire, dont certains ont pu être des instruments destinés au travail textile  ; il convient de distinguer leur utilisation de leur signification symbolique, probablement multiple.
Remarques sur le « style linéaire figuré » dans les céramiques du Levant à la fin de l’Âge du Bronze
Authors: Yon Marguerite
Published: April 2018

Des découvertes récentes en Syrie (Ougarit, Tell Kazel...) amènent à s’interroger de nouveau sur les décors figurés qui ornent certaines productions céramiques dans les derniers siècles du IIe millénaire au Levant, et sur leur descendance à partir du xie s. L’étude des modes de composition, de la technique de dessin, des motifs choisis, donne l’occasion de s’intéresser aux sources d’inspiration des potiers, au fonctionnement des ateliers syriens, aux origines et à la circulation des motifs. Encore une fois est mis en évidence le caractère culturel très cosmopolite du Levant et de Méditerranée orientale, qui éclaire l’élaboration et les procédés des répertoires décoratifs et leur héritage en Syrie du Nord ou à Chypre à la fin du IIe millénaire.
Baking Trays in the Second Millennium bce Levant and Egypt: Form, Function and Cultural Significance
Authors: Zukerman Alexander
Published: April 2018

Cette étude présente un type de récipients de l’âge du Bronze moyen et récent au Levant : un plateau fait à la main à fond épais et à bords courts, d’habitude identifié comme une plaque de four. Bien que reconnu comme un type distinct, cet élément n’a jamais été discuté en détail. Dans la plupart des rapports de fouilles, les exemples de ce type sont datés du Bronze moyen et présentés de face, à l’endroit ou à l’envers, de sorte que les bords en soient visibles. Cet article propose d’étudier la typologie, la fonction, la distribution géographique, la chronologie et l’origine de ces objets et d’analyser leur proximité avec les récipients semblables trouvés en Égypte et d’en tirer des conclusions sur cette proximité entre l’Égypte et le Levant à l’âge du Bronze moyen.
Has the Janani Suraksha Yojana (A Conditional Maternity Benefit Transfer Scheme) Succeeded in Reducing the Economic Burden of Maternity in Rural India? Evidence from the Varanasi District of Uttar Pradesh
Authors: Mukherjee Saradiya , Singh Aditya
Published: April 2018

Background

One of the constraints in the utilisation of maternal healthcare in India is the out-of-pocket expenditure. To improve the utilisation and to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure, India launched a cash incentive scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), which provides monetary incentive to the mothers delivering in public facility. However, no study has yet examined the extent to which the JSY payments reduce the maternal healthcare induced catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure burden of the households. This paper therefore attempts to examine the extent to which the JSY reduces the catastrophic expenditure estimate household expenditure on maternity, i.e., all direct and indirect expenditure.

Materials and methods

The study used data on 396 mothers collected through a primary survey conducted in the rural areas of the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh state in 2013-2014. The degree and variation in the catastrophic impact of households’ maternity spending was computed as share of out-of-pocket payment in total household income in relation to specific thresholds, across socioeconomic categories. Logistic regression was used to understand the determinants of catastrophic expenditure and whether the JSY has any role in influencing the expenditure pattern.

Results

Results revealed that the JSY beneficiaries on an average spent about 8.3% of their Annual Household Consumption Expenditure on maternity care. The JSY reimbursement could reduce this share only by 2.1%. The study found that the expenditure on antenatal and postnatal care made up a significant part of the direct medical expenditure on maternity among the JSY beneficiaries. The indirect or non-medical expenditure was about four times higher than the direct expenditure on maternity services. The out-of-pocket expenditure across income quintiles was found to be regressive i.e. the poor paid a greater proportion of their income towards maternity care than the rich. Results also showed that the JSY reimbursement helped only about 8% households to escape from suffering catastrophic burden due to maternity payments.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that the JSY appeared to have achieved only a limited success in reducing the economic burden due to maternity. To reduce the catastrophic burden, policy makers should consider increasing the JSY reimbursement to cover not only antenatal and postnatal services but also non-medical expenditure due to maternity. The government should also take appropriate measures to curb non-medical or indirect expenditure in public health facilities.
The relevance of philosophical hermeneutics in qualitative research
Authors: Procter Nicholas
Published: April 2018

Within a framework informed by the rhetoric of contemporary ethnography, philosophical hermeneutics, and nursing scholarship, this article focuses on the way data could be interpreted in qualitative health research. OpsommingBinne 'n raamwerk, omvorm deur die retoriek van kontemporere etnografie; filosofiese hermeneutiek en verpleegkundige vakkunde, fokus hierdie artikel op die wyse waarop data binne kwalitatiewe gesondheidsnavorsing, gemterpreteer kan word.
The role of health care workers in collaborating with traditional healers in primary health care. Part 1
Authors: Troskie Rosemare
Published: April 2018

The Reconstruction and Development Plan as well as the National Health Plan of the ANC supports the reorganisation of health services.OpsommingDie Heropbou en Ontwikkelingsprogram sowel as die Nasionale Gesondheidsplan van die ANC staan die herorganisasie van gesondheidsdienste voor.
Academic achievement and time concept of the learner
Authors: Grobler R C , Myburgh C PH
Published: April 2018

The time concept and academic achievement of a group of high school learners were investigated and the results are described in this article.

ABSTRAK

Die tydkonsep en akademiese prestasie van ‘n groep hoërskool leerders is ondersoek en die resultate is beskryf in hierdie artikel.
Poisson-generalized gamma empirical Bayes model for disease mapping
Authors: Mbata Ugochukwu , Okafor Ray , Adeleke Ismail
Published: April 2018

In spatial disease mapping, the use of Bayesian models of estimation technique is becoming popular for smoothing relative risks estimates for disease mapping. The most common Bayesian conjugate model for disease mapping is the Poisson-Gamma Model (PG). To explore further the activity of smoothing of relative risk estimates for Bayesian disease mapping, this study focused on the use of generalized gamma distribution as conjugate priors with respect to Poisson likelihood. Two new empirical Bayesian (EB) models are developed; these include Poisson-Generalized Gamma model (PGG) and modified Poisson-Generalized Gamma model (MPGG). The model simulation results indicated that PGG and MPGG models are more likely to handle dispersion in zero-deflated data, contaminated data and zero-inflated data for small and large sample data. Hence, the new EB models are highly competitive to improve the efficiency of relative risk estimation for disease mapping.Keywords: Disease Mapping, Empirical Bayes, Generalized Gamma, Dispersion, Poisson
Income distribution, the Great Depression, and the relative income hypothesis
Authors: Belabed Christian A.
Published: April 2018

This paper discusses the rise of top-end inequality and its effects on household consumption, saving, and debt in the United States during the 1920s by applying a non-standard theory of consumption, the relative income hypothesis, to the period of interest. Analysing the relevant data descriptively, the paper argues that income inequality is linked to the increase of household consumption and the simultaneous decline of household savings as well as rapidly increasing household debt. Thus, the rise of top-end inequality in connection with a broader institutional change, such as the deregulation of financial markets, has contributed to a build-up of financial and macroeconomic instability in the period leading to the Great Depression.