When Victims Seek Closure: Forgiveness, Vengeance and the Role of Government

This article discusses the role of victims and their families in the sentencing of criminal defendants, including the emotional and ethical components of victims\u27 desires to achieve justice and closure

NPD Projects in Search of Top Management Support : The Role of Team Leader Social Capital

International audienceA number of studies have found that the performance of NPD projects greatly depends on the support they get from top management. However, research into why some projects get more support than others has been limited. The present paper takes a political approach to NPD, in which top management support is considered to be a function of a project leader's ability to influence decision processes through personal relationships. Mobilizing the bridging perspective of social capital, we argue that project leaders need both strong ties to high-ranking others and sparseness in their networks. Vertical strong ties bring direct support and solidarity, resulting in improved access to resources and priority over other projects; sparseness provides exposure to the full range of information and interpretations in the organization, resulting in a more accurate picture of the political landscape and thus enabling the implementation of an appropriate influence strategy. A PLS analysis of a sample of 73 French project leaders involved in NPD projects provided support for our hypotheses. Hence, we contribute to a very recent stream of research showing that the structural and relational dimensions of social capital are complementary

Mode of formation of gold-bearing mineralization on top of the boboras (Galicia, Spain) - The combined role of mechanical instabilities, strain localization and vein formation.

International audienceThe Galician Hercynian segment constitutes the core of the Ibero-Armorican orogenic arc, characterized by few tectonic units that record three main phases of deformation (D1 to D3). Four generations of granite, syn- to post-D3 intruded the major tectonic units. From older to younger, we find: i) syn-kinematic biotite-rich granodiorite (G1); ii) syn-kinematic two micas granites (G2) ; iii) biotite-dominant granites (G3) and iii) late-kinematic biotite-rich granodiorite (G4). Numerous sills, dykes and vein systems are widespread within the metasediments of the para-autochton unit. Gold-bearing quartz veins were spatially associated with G3 granites likely the Boborás intrusion, concerned by this work. The Boborás granite (G3) outcrops as a small NS-elongated elliptical intrusion. Granite is homogeneous and exhibits an equigranular texture composed of quartz, oligoclase, microcline, biotite dominant and muscovite

Geochronological constraints on the magmatic and hydrothermal evolution of the tras-os-montes hercynian domain (Galica, Spain) : position of the AU, SN-W mineralizing events.

International audienceThe study area is located in the Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone (GTMZ zone, Arenas et al. 1986, Fig. 1), that belongs to the internal zone of the Hercynian belt and is composed of a relative autochthonous and parautochthonous units overthrusted by allochthonous complexes (Ribeiro et al. 1990). This domain of Palaeozoic schists is affected by a low to high temperature – medium pressure metamorphism. These rocks exhibit a well-developed regional schistosity related to nappes emplacement (D1 and D2 events) and are affected by NS-trending crenulation lineation and folds (D3 event) The late D3 event is characterized by a high-temperature metamorphism leading to development of local migmatite. Both parautochthonous and allochthonous units are intruded by syn- and post-kinematic plutons. Four generations of granites (G1 to G4) are identified by their textural and geochemical characteristics and by crosscutting relationships. Gold deposits are spatially associated with the G3 granites whereas Sn-W deposits are represented, in the study area, by disseminated and vein-type mineralization spatially close to the G2 granites (fig. 1)

Geochronological and geochemical characterization of magmatic-hydrothermal events within the Southern Variscan external domain (Ce'vennes area, France)

International audienceGeochronological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses have been focussed on the Mont-Loze're- Borne plutonic complex and surrounding rocks (Ce'vennes, French Massif Central) in which B-W-Sn and As-Au-Sb mineralization is encountered. Two main results are highlighted: (1) the existence of a 301-306 Ma magmatohydrothermal event unrelated to the emplacement of the Pont-de-Montvert-Borne plutonic body at 316 Ma; (2) the magmatic and hydrothermal features are strongly associated, both in time and in space, thus demonstrating an intimate connection between mineralizing processes and magmatism in this part of the French Massif Central. We also show that mineralization and associated hydrothermal occurrences do not correspond to a simple and single geochemical signature and that a contamination model must be invoked in order to account for the complexity of isotopic results. This study demonstrates that the application of the O and H isotopic signatures as tracers of the source and nature of fluids in an orogenic context requires some specific care. Finally, a model of the tectonic-magmatic- hydrothermal evolution of the study area is suggested in which we discuss two alternative scenarios. The first one implies the existence of two different hydrothermal/ mineralizing events (Bo-W-Sn and As-Au-Sb ones). The second one suggests the same source for all hydrothermal and mineralized structures

LiNbO3 ridge waveguides realized by precision dicing on silicon for high efficiency second harmonic generation

Nonlinear periodically poled ridge LiNbO3 waveguides have been fabricated on silicon substrates. Components are carved with only use of a precision dicing machine without need for grinding or polishing steps. They show efficient second harmonic generation at telecommunication wavelengths with normalized conversion reaching 204%/W in a 15 mm long device. Influence of geometrical non uniformities of waveguides due to fabrication process is asserted. Components characteristics are studied notably their robustness and tunability versus temperature.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Temperature and nutrient effects on the relative importance of brown and green pathways for stream ecosystem functioning: A mesocosm approach

In addition to global warming, aquatic ecosystems are currently facing multiple global changes among which include changes in nitrogen (N) loads. While several studies have investigated both temperature and N impacts on aquatic ecosystems independently, knowledge on their interactive effects remains scarce. In forested headwater streams, decomposition of leaf litter represents the main process ensuring the transfer of nutrients and energy to higher trophic levels, followed by autochthonous primary production, mainly ensured by phototrophic biofilms. The main aim of this study was to disentangle the independent and combined effects of temperature increase and nutrient availability on the relative importance of brown and green processes involved in stream functioning. We hypothesised that water temperature and nutrients would lead to a general increase in leaf‐litter decomposition and primary production, but that the intensity of these effects would be largely modulated by competitive interactions arising between microorganisms as well as by the top‐down control of microorganisms by macro‐invertebrates. Macro‐invertebrates would, in turn, be bottom‐up controlled by microbial resources quality. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a 56‐day experiment in artificial streams containing leaf litter, microbial decomposers and biofilm inoculum, and an assemblage of macro‐invertebrates. Two water inorganic N:phosphorus (P) ratios (33 and 100, molar ratios) and two temperatures (ambient, +2°C) were manipulated, each treatment being replicated three times. Fungal and biofilm growth as well as leaf‐litter decomposition and primary production were quantified. Top‐down impacts of invertebrate primary consumers on brown and green compartments were evaluated using exclosures while bottom‐up control was evaluated through the measurement of resource stoichiometry and fatty acid profiles, as well as quantification of macro‐invertebrate growth and survival. Contrary to expectations, microbial decomposition was not significantly stimulated by nutrient or temperature manipulations, while primary production was only improved under ambient temperature. In the + 2°C treatment with high N:P, greater biofilm biomass was associated with lower fungal development, which indicates competition for nutrients in these conditions. Temperature increased macro‐invertebrate growth and leaf‐litter consumption, but this effect was independent of any improvement of basal resource quality, suggesting that temperature mediated changes in consumer metabolism and activity was the main mechanism involved. Most of our hypotheses that were based on simplified laboratory observations have been rejected in our semi‐controlled mesocosms. Our study suggests that the complexity of biological communities might greatly affect the response of ecosystems to multiple stressors, and that interactions between organisms must be explicitly taken into account when investigating the impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning

Precision atomic gravimeter based on Bragg diffraction

We present a precision gravimeter based on coherent Bragg diffraction of freely falling cold atoms. Traditionally, atomic gravimeters have used stimulated Raman transitions to separate clouds in momentum space by driving transitions between two internal atomic states. Bragg interferometers utilize only a single internal state, and can therefore be less susceptible to environmental perturbations. Here we show that atoms extracted from a magneto-optical trap using an accelerating optical lattice are a suitable source for a Bragg atom interferometer, allowing efficient beamsplitting and subsequent separation of momentum states for detection. Despite the inherently multi-state nature of atom diffraction, we are able to build a Mach-Zehnder interferometer using Bragg scattering which achieves a sensitivity to the gravitational acceleration of $\Delta g/g = 2.7\times10^{-9}$ with an integration time of 1000s. The device can also be converted to a gravity gradiometer by a simple modification of the light pulse sequence.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figure

Relations between Au / Sn-W mineralizations and late hercynian granite: Preliminary results from the Schistose Domain of Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone, Spain

International audienceAu and W-Sn mineralization of the Schistose Domain of Galicia-Trás-os-Montes are spatially related to late hercynian granites. The Bruès (Au) and the Mina Soriana W-(Sn) deposits are studied. Both show some similarities and are assumed to form in the same tectonic and metamorphic context, on top of the granites. The role of the granite as a source for mineralizing fluids and rheological control for vein emplacement is re-adressed and discussed