La liberté de la volonté dans la vision béatifique. Suárez critique d'Ockham

The beatific vision is the clear and supernatural contemplation of God’s essence. Necessarily, therefore, it comes with infinite enjoyment (fruitio). In scholastic thought, enjoyment is generally considered as an act of the will. So the question is: is the will free, if it is necessarily enjoying God in the beatific vision? And if it is not free, whence does the necessity stem? The present study deals with these questions through Su.rez’s criticism of Ockham

La neutralisation des armes à feu portatives: approches historique, règlementaire, technique et déontologique

L’invention de la poudre noire au 14ème siècle permit l’émergence des armes à feu. La force mécanique utilisée par l’arc de l’Antiquité et l’arbalète du Moyen Âge fut remplacée par la poussée des gaz produits par l’explosion d’une poudre inflammable. L’amélioration technique du système de mise à feu occupa les hommes pendant quatre siècles. Ensuite, la découverte de la poudre chimique permit de grandes améliorations : le chargement par l’arrière, la cartouche métallique, la répétition, la récupération des gaz et enfin, le tir en rafales. Depuis plus d’un siècle, chaque Etat a édicté des lois pour règlementer la fabrication, le commerce, la détention, le port et l’usage des armes à feu. Les collectionneurs privés d’armes à feu et les musées publics ou privés sont les acteurs principaux de la conservation du patrimoine national pour les générations futures. Cette règlementation les concerne donc directement. Malgré les efforts d’unification de l’Union Européenne, la définition de l’arme antique varie toujours d’un Etat à l’autre. La neutralisation des armes à feu portatives est une mesure sécuritaire imposée par certaines législations gouvernementales. Cette modification importante et irréversible fait partie intégrante de l’histoire de l’arme à feu. Pour travailler dans le respect de l’objet, le conservateur-restaurateur d’armes doit connaître parfaitement ces différentes règlementations et être au courant des différents procédés anciens et nouveaux de neutralisation des armes à feu portatives. Il pourra ensuite étudier les différents processus de dégradation pour conseiller les musées et les collectionneurs en ce qui concerne la conservation passive et préventive, la conservation active et curative et les interventions directes de restauration sur une arme à feu neutralisée.The invention of gunpowder in the 14th century make possible the emergence of firearms. The mechanical power used by the arc of Antiquity and the crossbow of the Middle Ages was replaced by the gas produced by the explosion of a flammable powder. The technical improvement of the firing system occupied humans during four centuries. Then, the discovery of the chemical powder permit major improvements: the breech-loading, metal cartridge, repetition, recovery of gas and finally, full-automatic weapons. For over a century, each State has promulgated laws to regulate the manufacture, sale, possession, carrying and use of firearms. The private collectors of firearms and public and private museums are the main players in the conservation of national heritage for future generations. This regulation affects them directly. Despite efforts to unify the European Union, the definition of antique weapons still varies from one State to another. The deactivation of light firearms is a security measure imposed by some governmental legislation. This important and irreversible change is an integral part of the history of firearms. To work in compliance with applicable, the conservator-restorer of weapons must know perfectly these different regulations and be aware of the different old and new processes of deactivation of light firearms. It will then study the various processes of degradation to advise museums and private collectors in regard to passive and preventive conservation and curative and active conservation and direct interventions of restoration on a deactivated firearm.Die Erfindung des Schwarzes Pulvers im 14. Jahrhundert ermöglichte den Auftritt der Feuerwaffen. Die mechanische Kraft, die vom Bogen des Altertums und der Armbrust des Mittelsalters benutzt war, wurde durch den Druck der durch die Explosion entzündbaren Pulvers hergestellten Gase ersetzt. Die technische Verbesserung des Zündungssystems nahm die Menschen während 4. Jahrhunderte ein. Dann ermöglichte die Entdeckung der chemischen Pulvers bedeutenden Verbesserungen: das Laden vom Heck, der metallischen Patrone, der Wiederholung, der Wiedererlangung der Gase und schliesslich der automatische Waffen. Seit mehr als einem Jahrhundert hat jedes Staat Gesetzvorschriften für die Herstellung, der Handel, der Besitz, das Tragen und der Gebrauch der Feuerwaffen verordnet. Die Privat Feuerwaffen Sammler und die öffentlichen und privaten Museen sind die Hauptschauspieler der Erhaltung des nationalem Erbes für die Zukünftigen Generationen. Diese Regelung betrifft alle. Trotz der Anstrengung der Vereinheitlichung der Europäischen Union ändern sich immer die Definitionen der antiken Waffe von einem Staat zu anderem. Die Neutralisierung der Handfeuerwaffen ist eine Sicherheit durch bestimmtes Regierungsgesetz vorgeschriebener Massnahme gebunden. Diese wichtige und unumkehrbare Änderung gehört zur Geschichte der Feuerwaffe. Um im Respekt von dem Gegenstand zu arbeiten, soll der Waffenkonservator-Restaurator diese verschieden Vorschriften perfekt kennen und über verschiedene alte und neue Neutralisierungsmethoden der Handwaffen auf dem laufenden sein. Er kann verschieden Degradierungsprozesse studieren, und die Museen und Privat Sammler bezüglich der passiven und vorbeugenden Erhaltung, der Heil- und Aktiverhaltung und der direkten Restaurierungsinterventionen auf einer neutralisierten Feuerwaffen zu beraten

L'épineuse question de l'odium Dei chez André de Neufchâteau

Among others, the recent work of Janine Idziak presents Andrew of Neufchateau (†1400) as a fervent advocate of “divine command ethics,” a promoter of radical voluntarism, according to which moral values depend solely on the divine will. One example that illustrates this theory is the “hatred of God” (odium Dei ), often discussed in the fourteenth century. Since moral values depend on the divine will, it can be morally good to hate God if that is his command. Andrew has been seen and is still seen today as a supporter of this view. The present paper aims to reconsider this interpretation

Ockham et la possibilité de vouloir le mal 'sub ratione mali'

This article investigates the relation between the will and evil in Ockham’s thought. The main purpose is to show to what extent the deliberate and conscious will of evil (velle malum sub ratione mali) is possible according to Ockham’s psychological and metaethical assumptions

The genus <i>Batzella</i>: a chemosystematic problem

Biogenetically unrelated cyclic guanidine alkaloids and pyrroloquinoline alkaloids have been reported from sponges assigned to the genus Batzella. These sponges have been assigned to this genus because of their possession of a simple complement of thin strongyles in irregular plumoreticulate arrangement. Cyclic guanidine alkaloids were first reported from an alleged axinellid species from the Caribbean, Ptilocaulis aff. P. spiculifer, and subsequently from a second Carribean specimen identified as Ptilocaulis spiculifer and at the same time from a Red Sea poecilosclerid, Hemimycale sp. Closely related compounds were described from a Caribbean specimen identified as Batzella sp. and also from the poecilosclerids Crambe crambe (Mediterranean) and Monanchora arbuscula (Brazil). Isobatzellins (pyrroloquinoline alkaloids) were reported from a black deep-water species from the Bahamas identified as Batzella sp. Chemically related pyrroloquinoline alkaloids were found in Pacific representatives of the fistular poecilosclerid genus Zyzzya, the hadromerid genus Latrunculia and the ?haplosclerid genus Prianos. Most of the voucher specimens involved in this puzzle were re-examined and several conclusions can be drawn: when inspected closely it appears, that the cyclic guanidine alkaloids are produced by sponges containing anisostrongyles, often in two categories, a thicker and a thinner one. Monanchora arbuscula, which has been recently discovered to produce these compounds, has monactinal spicules differentiated into a thinner subtylostyle and a thicker (tylo-) style, but many specimens have anisostrongylote modifications. Microscleres in Monanchora can be absent or very rare. By association, all the sponges from which cyclic guanidine alkaloids are known may be united in one family, possibly in a single wider defined genus Monanchora. However, further relationships with Crambe need to be studied. Both have cyclic guanidine alkaloids, both have megascleres of very variable shapes and thickness, differentiated mostly into two overlapping categories, microscleres and other additional spicules are often rare or absent. Relationships with the type of Hemimycale, viz. H. columella remain obscure, but in view of the much larger spicules of that species and the intricate ectosomal specialization (lacking in the above mentioned specimens) it is possible that similarities between the Red Sea Hemimycale and the European species are the product of parallel evolution. The strongyles of sponges producing pyrroloquinoline alkaloids are perfect isostrongyles and in the ectosome these are arranged in a definite ectosomal tangential crust. A good proportion of these strongyles have a faint spination on the apices. Assignment of these sponges to Batzella rest on the properties of its type species Batzella inops. Examination of a type spicule slide of that species did not solve that question, but until further notice Batzella may be used for the deep-water material. A further unsolved problem that remains is the phylogenetic relationships of Batzella with Zyzzya and Latrunculia. The likelyhoods of possible causes for this distribution of compounds are discussed

Strategic and financial analysis of malt by-product valorisation comparison of texturized vegetable protein with current cattle feed production

Being the masters of malt is the goal of the biggest malting company in the world, Boortmalt. Boortmalt is located in the port of Antwerp where barley is imported by barge and train. After the conversion of barley into malt by a four-stage process, the malt is exported by truck or ship. The malt can be used for different applications: for whiskey or beer production or for the production of malt flour for baking applications. The malting process generates different by-products being the broken and small barley grains, husks and the rootlets. In the light of circular economy, more and more waste streams are being valorised. Today, Boortmalt mixes all these by-products to produce pellets for cattle feed. The rootlets contain 30% of protein, and with the rising demand for plant-based products as sustainable alternatives for meat, Boortmalt wants to understand if the rootlets can be processed into a more high-end product for human consumption. After a first market scouting by ShakeUp Factory, a consultancy company, an idea was to valorise the rootlets into texturized vegetable protein (TVP). TVP can be used in different vegan or vegetarian applications, as texturization gives plant proteins a meat-like structure. As such, the goal of this in-company project was to answer the following research question: “What creates more value for Boortmalt: using the malt rootlets in the pellet production for cattle feed, or to use these to produce texturized vegetable protein?” TVP is only one of the possibilities for the valorisation of rootlets, and other by-products should then also be further processed into new applications. This means that other markets, in which the different by-products can also find their application, should be investigated as well. This in-company project includes therefore a guideline on how to do an in-depth market research. By way of illustration, the market research has been applied on the pellet market and the market for TVP to be used in meat alternatives. Practically, market research has been tackled by answering different questions using specific frameworks. A first aspect that has been investigated was the market attractiveness, which can be assessed by using the five forces of Porter. To understand what factors shape a market and which the minimum criteria are for a company to play in that market, the key success factors analysis has been done. For a company, it is then also interesting to understand where – compared with competitors – it has competitive advantages, parity or competitive disadvantages. This is analysed by performing a VRIO analysis as this shows a company where to give attention to, or in which resources or capabilities to invest in. Macro events however might change the market shape and outlook in the future. PESTEL investigates potential political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal factors that might influence the market, and your business, in the future. As such, a company can anticipate on these events and maybe even adjust its strategy. To complete these frameworks, mainly secondary resources have been consulted on search engines such as Google, Google Scholar but also in databases such as Bel-first, MarketLine and Euromonitor International. Besides, a customer interview which is a primary resource, was conducted for the pellet part to understand Boortmalt’s competitive advantages. Next, also internal information from Boortmalt and its employees has been received. The market research data has also been supplemented with a financial profitability assessment for both markets. The profit and loss statement (P&L) for the pellet production process aimed to understand how profitable this business actually is. Therefore, cost and revenue information has been gathered via Gert Van Laer, projects and asset care manager of Boortmalt Europe. He provided us with all cost information such as electricity, power, labour cost, depreciation, etc. related to every machine of the pellet production process. To draft a P&L for the TVP production process, some general numbers were received from a Swiss start-up, with which Boortmalt is considering to partner up for the TVP production. The numbers gave an overview of the profitability when Boortmalt would outsource this process to a third party. The results of the market research for pellets showed that the market is not very attractive. Also the future outlook shows that the need for cattle and pig feed will decrease. This trend is fuelled by legal regulations such as the nitrogen decree in Belgium, that aims to scale back the amount of livestock. More specifically, the market for cattle feed in Europe even decreased with -0.16 % between 2020 and 2021. However, Boortmalt delivers pellets as ingredient to compound feed producers, and several reasons contribute to the expectation that Boortmalt might keep its position in the market longer compared to competitors. First, as a customer says, Boortmalt provides pellets that are sustainable as the ingredients are coming from waste streams. Second, Boortmalt is known for its accurate filling and buyer orders, which is a competitive advantage. Third, if Boortmalt would not be able to deliver the promised amount of pellets, the company will always communicate this well in advance. These are seen as advantages, and should keep Boortmalt in a good position for the future. Besides this market research, the profit and loss statement also showed that the pellets have an operating margin of 91,8%. This high margin is mainly due to the low costs related with the production of pellets. The low costs are among others due to the absence of any depreciation costs for the machines. That these machines are so old and the fact that there are rising trends in plant-based products for human consumption, were the main reasons for Boortmalt to start discovering new applications for the valorisation of its rootlets. One such a potential application is the production of texturized vegetable protein. TVP is now mainly used for the production of plant-based meat alternatives. The demand of these meat alternatives is booming since recent years due to consumer awareness about health, animal welfare and sustainability. The meat industry is under pressure due to its extensive land, water and energy use but also because of the enormous contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The market for TVP production is attractive, and competition is not really fierce yet. TVP today is mainly made from soy, wheat and pea. Still, there are some technical barriers to overcome and no company has found the ideal recipe for TVP production yet. Boortmalt fulfils all minimum requirements to play in that market. Competitive advantages are the fact that Boortmalt has direct access to lots of protein, and that the company is as such supplier independent. There are two other factors that could give Boortmalt interesting competitive advantages. First, plant-based meat alternatives today try to imitate the meat taste. Boortmalt however would produce TVP with a malty taste, which would result in malty tasting meat alternatives. If customers would like that, which first should be investigated by product testing, then this could be a first point of differentiation. Moreover, the rootlets are quite bitter which is also a barrier for the meat alternative producers, as only a small fraction of bitter TVP can be added without influencing the burger taste too much. Second, studies at the University of Eastern Finland have shown the presence of phytochemicals in malt rootlets from barley. Phytochemicals are said to be healthy. This has not yet been confirmed for Boortmalt’s rootlets, but if that would be true, Boortmalt could use this together with the malt taste in marketing campaigns to distinguish itself from the competition. Besides, confirming this would also answer to the health halo challenge. This challenge is born from the fact that meat alternative burger producers claim that its products are healthier than meat, while there is no evidence for this. The trend for plant-based foods will keep increasing in the coming years and will be supported by legal actions such as the nitrogen decree that will limit the meat availability. Moreover, the idea of implementing meat taxes is rising and more and more European advisory bodies that give feedback and recommendations regarding plant-based diets are founded. The first financial calculations for TVP production shows profit potential, and the margin would be 69,5% on TVP. However, these calculations are based on the scenario where Boortmalt would outsource the TVP production. The long-term goal is to invest in an own production facility, where it also expected that the product margin for TVP will increase due to scale of economies, just as is currently the case with pellets which have an operating margin of 91,8%. The general conclusion for Boortmalt is to go into the production of TVP due to the attractive market outlook and the new plant-based food trend. Diving into the TVP market would diversify Boortmalt’s business and enable the company to create more strategic value by expanding its product portfolio in the food market. Boortmalt has already a potential partner for it, a Swiss start-up, of which they can use the experience and knowledge needed to dive into this new market. Products for human consumption can create more value than animal feed, however the pellets are still very profitable at this moment. That is why the pellets can be used as back-up or as cash cow while Boortmalt is in the transition phase of scaling-up the TVP production.Boortmal

Bringing Sexy Back: Unauthorized Film Editing, Copyright, and How Removing Reproductive Acts Violates Reproduction Rights

The Multicolored Asian Ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, is an extremely successful invasive species. Here we suggest that, in addition to many other traits, the dorsal spines of its larvae contribute to their success, as suggested by behavioral observations of agonistic interactions between H. axyridis and European coccinellids. In coccinellids, the role of dorsal spines in these interactions has been poorly studied and they could be a physical protection against intraguild predators. Dorsal spines of second instar H. axyridis larvae were removed with micro-scissors, which resulted in spineless larvae after molting (spineless group). These larvae were then exposed to starved Coccinella septempunctata larvae. Two control categories were also submitted to interactions: H. axyridis larvae with all their spines (control group) and with their spines, but injured by pin stings (injured group). Spine removal at the second instar did not hamper H. axyridis development. The bite rate by C. septempunctata was significantly higher on the spineless H. axyridis and more dorsally located compared to the control and injured groups, while no bite rate difference was observed between the injured and the control group. Our results suggest that in addition to behavioral and chemical defenses, the dorsal spines play a significant protective role against bites. Therefore, spines in ladybirds could be considered as a morphological defense against intraguild predation. In H. axyridis, these defenses might contribute to its success in food resources already exploited by other guild members and thus further facilitate the invasion of new areas.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe