Portable technology and multi-domain energy practices

This article complements the concept of embedded security by proposing disembedded security to capture consumers’ energy practices when travelling across multiple domains of energy accessibility. Consumer mobility outside the home produces misalignments between infrastructure and portable technology experienced as ‘hysteresis of the battery’. Hysteresis captures how respondents are subject to ‘unpleasant unpredictability’ about battery-based technology and infrastructure, which spurs hermeneutic reflection about energy, location and sociality. Multi-domain energy practices therefore bring energy consumers to ‘reembed’ or create a sense of psychological comfort on the move. Charge levels on battery icons not only structure daily patterns of consumer life through planning efforts but become interpretively entangled in issues of duration, distance and sociality as energy demands in portable technology push consumers to avoid disruption

Liquid Relationship to Possessions

This study investigates consumers' relationship to possessions in the condition of contemporary global nomadism. Prior research argues that consumers form enduring and strong attachments to possessions because of their centrality to identity projects. This role is heightened in life transitions including cross-border movements as possessions anchor consumer's identities either to their homeland or to the host country. This study reexamines this claim via in-depth interviews with elite global nomads, deterritorialized consumers who engage in serial relocation and frequent short-term international mobility. An alternative relationship to possessions characterized by detachment and flexibility emerges, which is termed “liquid.” Three characteristics of a liquid relationship to possessions are identified: temporary situational value, use-value, and immateriality. The study outlines a logic of nomadic consumption, that of instrumentality, where possessions and practices are strategic resources in managing mobility. A liquid perspective on possessions expands current understandings of materiality, acculturation, and globalization

Segmenter les paysages de l'eau : une méthode pour l'interprétation hydrodynamique des paysages (dorsale tunisienne)

International audienceThe problem of water appears to be the critical path in the analysis of Mediterranean landscapes, especially in Tunisia, where such regions are developed so as to assure better control of water. This study focused on two small watersheds belonging to a network of watersheds defined and followed by the IRD-Tunis within the framework of the AMBRE program. The importance and complementarity between photo-interpretation and ground techniques are emphasized in this work. This article offers answers to certain questions concerning landscape matters by approaching them from the “Science of the landscape” point of view, here meaning the hydrodynamic segmentation of the landscape. The study aims at delimiting and better understanding the organization of landscapes in segments and their hydrodynamic behaviour at the level of the watersheds, as well as the global impact of development on these surroundings. We ask how the landscapes are organized, what their hydrodynamic behaviours are, the impact of development in these Mediterranean surroundings and whether the notion of landscape segmentation, derived from the method of “Science of the landscape,” is pertinent to furthering the understanding of these landscape dynamics.Le problème de l'eau apparaît comme le fil conducteur essentiel de l'analyse des paysages méditerranéens, particulièrement en Tunisie où ces milieux sont entièrement aménagés dans le sens d'une plus grande maîtrise de l'eau. Cette étude a été réalisée sur deux petits bassins-versants situés dans la Dorsale tunisienne, qui font partie d'un réseau de bassins-versants défini et suivi par l'Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)-Tunis dans le cadre du programme AMBRE. L'accent est mis sur l'importance et la complémentarité des techniques de photo-interprétation et de terrain. Cet article cherche à apporter des réponses aux questionnements paysagers abordés sous l'angle de la « Science du paysage » – appliquée ici à la segmentation hydrodynamique des paysages. Cette recherche vise à mieux cerner et comprendre l'organisation des paysages en segments, leurs comportements hydrodynamiques à l'échelle du bassin-versant, ainsi que l'impact global des aménagements sur ces milieux. Comment s'organisent les paysages ? Quels sont les comportements hydrodynamiques de ces derniers ? Quel est l'impact de tous les aménagements réalisés dans ces milieux méditerranéens ? La notion de segmentation du paysage, extraite de la méthode de la « Science du paysage » est-elle pertinente dans la compréhension de ces dynamiques paysagères

Spectroscopy of the heaviest nuclei (theory)

Recent progress in the applications of covariant density functional theory (CDFT) to the description of the spectroscopy of the heaviest nuclei is reviewed. The analysis of quasiparticle spectra in actinides and the heaviest A ~ 250 nuclei provides a measure of the accuracy of the description of single-particle energies in CDFT and an additional constraint for the choice of effective interactions for the description of superheavy nuclei. The response of these nuclei to the rotation is rather well described by cranked relativistic Hartree+Bogoliubov theory and it serves as a supplementary tool in configuration assignment in odd-mass nuclei. A systematic analysis of the fission barriers with allowance for triaxial deformation shows that covariant density functional theory is able to describe fission barriers on a level of accuracy comparable with the best phenomenological macroscopic+microscopic approaches.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, invited talk of A.V. Afanasjev at the International Nuclear Physics Conference (INPC 2010), Vancouver, Canada, July 4-9, 2010, to be published in Journal of Physics G: Conference Series (JPCS

Selective demarketing: When customers destroy value.

Selective demarketing is a strategic option for firms to manage customers who are or are likely to be a poor fit with its offering. Research has investigated related areas such as customer profitability and relationship dissolution but, as yet, studies have not offered a robust conceptualisation of selective demarketing. Based on research into value co-destruction, this study argues that these customers effectively destroy value by misusing or misunderstanding how to integrate their operant resources with those of the firm. As firms exist within a wider service system, this failure to integrate resonates throughout the system. To demarket selectively, firms use higher order operant resources to disengage and discourage these customers. This study offers a novel conceptualisation of selective demarketing and extends research on value destruction through adopting a firm and systems perspective

Nucleosynthesis in Massive Stars With Improved Nuclear and Stellar Physics

We present the first calculations to follow the evolution of all stable nuclei and their radioactive progenitors in stellar models computed from the onset of central hydrogen burning through explosion as Type II supernovae. Calculations are performed for Pop I stars of 15, 19, 20, 21, and 25 M_sun using the most recently available experimental and theoretical nuclear data, revised opacity tables, neutrino losses, and weak interaction rates, and taking into account mass loss due to stellar winds. A novel ``adaptive'' reaction network is employed with a variable number of nuclei (adjusted each time step) ranging from about 700 on the main sequence to more than 2200 during the explosion. The network includes, at any given time, all relevant isotopes from hydrogen through polonium (Z=84). Even the limited grid of stellar masses studied suggests that overall good agreement can be achieved with the solar abundances of nuclei between 16O and 90Zr. Interesting discrepancies are seen in the 20 M_sun model and, so far, only in that model, that are a consequence of the merging of the oxygen, neon, and carbon shells about a day prior to core collapse. We find that, in some stars, most of the ``p-process'' nuclei can be produced in the convective oxygen burning shell moments prior to collapse; in others, they are made only in the explosion. Serious deficiencies still exist in all cases for the p-process isotopes of Ru and Mo.Comment: 53 pages, 17 color figures (3 as separate GIF images), slightly extended discussion and references, accepted by Ap

Bifidobacterium mongoliense genome seems particularly adapted to milk oligosaccharide digestion leading to production of antivirulent metabolites

Background: Human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) could promote the growth of bifidobacteria, improving young children's health. In addition, fermentation of carbohydrates by bifidobacteria can result in the production of metabolites presenting an antivirulent activity against intestinal pathogens. Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO), structurally similar to HMO, are found at high concentration in cow whey. This is particularly observed for 3′-sialyllactose (3′SL). This study focused on enzymes and transport systems involved in HMO/BMO metabolism contained in B. crudilactis and B. mongoliense genomes, two species from bovine milk origin. The ability of B. mongoliense to grow in media supplemented with whey or 3′SL was assessed. Next, the effects of cell-free spent media (CFSM) were tested against the virulence expression of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Results: Due to the presence of genes encoding β-galactosidases, β-hexosaminidases, α-sialidases and α-fucosidases, B. mongoliense presents a genome more sophisticated and more adapted to the digestion of BMO/HMO than B. crudilactis (which contains only β-galactosidases). In addition, HMO/BMO digestion involves genes encoding oligosaccharide transport systems found in B. mongoliense but not in B. crudilactis. B. mongoliense seemed able to grow on media supplemented with whey or 3′SL as main source of carbon (8.3 ± 1.0 and 6.7 ± 0.3 log cfu/mL, respectively). CFSM obtained from whey resulted in a significant under-expression of ler, fliC, luxS, stx1 and qseA genes (- 2.2, - 5.3, - 2.4, - 2.5 and - 4.8, respectively; P < 0.05) of E. coli O157:H7. CFSM from 3′SL resulted in a significant up-regulation of luxS (2.0; P < 0.05) gene and a down-regulation of fliC (- 5.0; P < 0.05) gene. CFSM obtained from whey resulted in significant up-regulations of sopD and hil genes (2.9 and 3.5, respectively; P < 0.05) of S. Typhimurium, while CFSM obtained from 3′SL fermentation down-regulated hil and sopD genes (- 2.7 and - 4.2, respectively; P < 0.05). Conclusion: From enzymes and transporters highlighted in the genome of B. mongoliense and its potential ability to metabolise 3′SL and whey, B. mongoliense seems well able to digest HMO/BMO. The exact nature of the metabolites contained in CFSM has to be identified still. These results suggest that BMO associated with B. mongoliense could be an interesting synbiotic formulation to maintain or restore intestinal health of young children

Above threshold s-wave resonances illustrated by the 1/2+^+ states in 9^9Be and 9^9B

We solve the persistent problem of the structure of the lowest $1/2^+$ resonance in $^9$Be which is important to bridge the A=8 gap in nucleosynthesis in stars. We show that the state is a genuine three-body resonance even though it decays entirely into neutron-$^8$Be relative s-waves. The necessary barrier is created by "dynamical" evolution of the wave function as the short-distance $\alpha$-$^5$He structure is changed into the large-distance n-$^8$Be structure. This decay mechanism leads to a width about two times smaller than table values. The previous interpretations as a virtual state or a two-body resonance are incorrect. The isobaric analog 1/2$^+$ state in $^9$B is found to have energy and width in the vicinity of 2.0 MeV and 1.5 MeV, respectively. We also predict another 1/2$^+$ resonance in $^9$B with similar energy and width.Comment: To be published in Physics Letters

Proton capture cross section of Sr isotopes and their importance for nucleosynthesis of proton-rich nuclides

The (p,$\gamma$) cross sections of three stable Sr isotopes have been measured in the astrophysically relevant energy range. These reactions are important for the $p$-process in stellar nucleosynthesis and, in addition, the reaction cross sections in the mass region up to 100 are also of importance concerning the $rp$-process associated with explosive hydrogen and helium burning. It is speculated that this $rp$-process could be responsible for a certain amount of $p$-nuclei in this mass region. The (p,$\gamma$) cross sections of $^{84,86,87}$Sr isotopes were determined using an activation technique. The measurements were carried out at the 5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator of the ATOMKI, Debrecen. The resulting cross sections are compared with the predictions of statistical model calculations. The predictions are in good agreement with the experimental results for $^{84}$Sr(p,$\gamma$)$^{85}$Y whereas the other two reactions exhibit differences that increase with mass number. The corresponding astrophysical reaction rates have also been computed.Comment: Phys. Rev. C in pres