Places of well-being in a French region. Lyon residents and their preferences

This paper seeks to reveal the key territorial components of people’s well-being. To this end, a method that makes it possible to (1) identify the components that potentially constitute well-being within a given territory and (2) determine, on the basis of individuals’ reported preferences, those areas that are most or least likely to meet these individuals’ needs has been developed and used. It reveals that natural amenities, access to health services, and safety are the most important factors for Lyon residents’ well-being. Taking as our starting point the preferred territorial components of Lyon residents, we identify the areas where their well-being would be greatest

The evolution of a rural territory at plot scale: Between hyper-fragmentation and land grabbing (irrigation perimeter PC15 – Marianina Valley, Alaotra-Mangoro, Madagascar)

International audienceThe 'territory' concept is addressed at a scale rarely envisaged—that of the plot —through the study of a large rice irrigation perimeter in the heart of the Lake Alaotra region in Madagascar. The methodology fol-lowed in this study relies on the processing of landholding inventories. These inventories are remarquable, first for their quality, as they are at the same time quantitative and mapped (GIS-based inventories). They also allow long-term trend analyses inasmuch as they take place for a long period of time, from 1970 to 2012. Results of this study consist in two different conclusions: first, an obvious trend for the fragmen-tation (division) of plots and the decrease in the size of holdings is identified, though this fragmentation is not equal everywhere. These results confirm the general trend observed in lake Alaotra region and in Madagascar regarding land pressure and fragmentation due to demographic and other socio-cultural fac-tors. Second, fragmentation dynamics hides other less perceptible landholding phenomena. Specifically, it masks land grabbing by new and enterprising rice growers who increase their holdings by profiting from the problems experienced by the smallest farm owners whose fragmented land is no longer viable

Characteristics of Gelation by Amides Based on trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane: The Importance of Different Substituents

Six diamides were prepared from trans-(1R,2R)-1,2-diaminocyclohexane and the corresponding racemate and were subsequently used as gelators. Three chiral compounds and their racemates were prepared. One of the chiral compounds and its racemate contained two n-dodecanoylamino groups as the same substituents. The other two chiral compounds and their racemates contained different substituents: 10-undecenoylamino and 2-heptyl-undecanoylamino groups, and 5-hydroxypentanoylamino and 2-heptylundecanoylamino groups. Their gelation abilities were evaluated on the basis of the minimum gel concentration using eight solvents. The thermal stability and transparency of the gels were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy using three-component mixed solvents of hexadecyl 2-ethylhexanoate, liquid paraffin, and decamethyl cyclopentasiloxane (66 combinations). The gel-to-sol phase-transition temperatures were also studied. The viscoelastic behavior of the gels was studied by rheology measurements in the strain sweep mode. Aggregates constructing three-dimensional networks were studied by transmission electron microscopy and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The molecular packing of the gels was evaluated by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS).ArticleBULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN.90(3):312-321(2017)journal articl

A Comparative Analysis of Changes of Student’s Attitude Before and After an International Virtual Learning Class

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of international virtual learning classes. For the purpose, the class implemented using multipoint communication system which was constructed high quality video transfer systems on a cross-border infrastructure (gigabit bandwidth) between Japan to South Korea. In order to reveal the effects of the class, a questionnaire was composed of five categories; Consciousness to Foreign Countries, Nationality, Acquisition of View Point, Motivation, Recognition to the partner country. The results of 2x2 mixed two-way ANOVA showed differences of characteristics of two countries and changes of student’s attitude. The results revealed that an international virtual learning class has a possibility to develop and enhance student\u27s awareness of humanity and the world. Future implementation will depend on growth and sustenance of the international relationship for a prolonged period

Results of the search for inspiraling compact star binaries from TAMA300's observation in 2000-2004

We analyze the data of TAMA300 detector to search for gravitational waves from inspiraling compact star binaries with masses of the component stars in the range 1-3Msolar. In this analysis, 2705 hours of data, taken during the years 2000-2004, are used for the event search. We combine the results of different observation runs, and obtained a single upper limit on the rate of the coalescence of compact binaries in our Galaxy of 20 per year at a 90% confidence level. In this upper limit, the effect of various systematic errors such like the uncertainty of the background estimation and the calibration of the detector's sensitivity are included.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty The author list was correcte

Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses

We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a chirp-wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We used an excess-power filter for the extraction of gravitational-wave candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases. The resultant event candidates were interpreted from an astronomical viewpoint. We set an upper limit of 2.2x10^3 events/sec on the burst gravitational-wave event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work sets a milestone and prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an interferometric gravitational wave detector

Drosophila Carrying Pex3 or Pex16 Mutations Are Models of Zellweger Syndrome That Reflect Its Symptoms Associated with the Absence of Peroxisomes

The peroxisome biogenesis disorders (PBDs) are currently difficult-to-treat multiple-organ dysfunction disorders that result from the defective biogenesis of peroxisomes. Genes encoding Peroxins, which are required for peroxisome biogenesis or functions, are known causative genes of PBDs. The human peroxin genes PEX3 or PEX16 are required for peroxisomal membrane protein targeting, and their mutations cause Zellweger syndrome, a class of PBDs. Lack of understanding about the pathogenesis of Zellweger syndrome has hindered the development of effective treatments. Here, we developed potential Drosophila models for Zellweger syndrome, in which the Drosophila pex3 or pex16 gene was disrupted. As found in Zellweger syndrome patients, peroxisomes were not observed in the homozygous Drosophila pex3 mutant, which was larval lethal. However, the pex16 homozygote lacking its maternal contribution was viable and still maintained a small number of peroxisome-like granules, even though PEX16 is essential for the biosynthesis of peroxisomes in humans. These results suggest that the requirements for pex3 and pex16 in peroxisome biosynthesis in Drosophila are different, and the role of PEX16 orthologs may have diverged between mammals and Drosophila. The phenotypes of our Zellweger syndrome model flies, such as larval lethality in pex3, and reduced size, shortened longevity, locomotion defects, and abnormal lipid metabolisms in pex16, were reminiscent of symptoms of this disorder, although the Drosophila pex16 mutant does not recapitulate the infant death of Zellweger syndrome. Furthermore, pex16 mutants showed male-specific sterility that resulted from the arrest of spermatocyte maturation. pex16 expressed in somatic cyst cells but not germline cells had an essential role in the maturation of male germline cells, suggesting that peroxisome-dependent signals in somatic cyst cells could contribute to the progression of male germ-cell maturation. These potential Drosophila models for Zellweger syndrome should contribute to our understanding of its pathology

Evaluating the Psychometric Quality of Social Skills Measures: A Systematic Review

Introduction - Impairments in social functioning are associated with an array of adverse outcomes. Social skills measures are commonly used by health professionals to assess and plan the treatment of social skills difficulties. There is a need to comprehensively evaluate the quality of psychometric properties reported across these measures to guide assessment and treatment planning. Objective - To conduct a systematic review of the literature on the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours measures for both children and adults. Methods - A systematic search was performed using four electronic databases: CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase and Pubmed; the Health and Psychosocial Instruments database; and grey literature using PsycExtra and Google Scholar. The psychometric properties of the social skills measures were evaluated against the COSMIN taxonomy of measurement properties using pre-set psychometric criteria. Results - Thirty-Six studies and nine manuals were included to assess the psychometric properties of thirteen social skills measures that met the inclusion criteria. Most measures obtained excellent overall methodological quality scores for internal consistency and reliability. However, eight measures did not report measurement error, nine measures did not report cross-cultural validity and eleven measures did not report criterion validity. Conclusions - The overall quality of the psychometric properties of most measures was satisfactory. The SSBS-2, HCSBS and PKBS-2 were the three measures with the most robust evidence of sound psychometric quality in at least seven of the eight psychometric properties that were appraised. A universal working definition of social functioning as an overarching construct is recommended. There is a need for ongoing research in the area of the psychometric properties of social skills and behaviours instruments

Etude prospective des impacts sociaux d’une inondation majeure en région Ile-de-France.Disparités socio-spatiales dans la prise en charge des populations franciliennes en situation de crise et post-crise : une analyse cartographiée et quantifiée des besoins des ménages, de l’évacuation à la reconstruction

This doctoral thesis in geography and space planning addresses the social impacts of a major flood in Ile-de-France region (France). Social impacts relate to the effects of a flood on populations and their living situations. The thesis meets three different but complementary objectives: (1) the assessment on a GIS of social needs in the hypothesis of a massive evacuation; (2) a qualitative study of the ability of authorities to take care of populations in a crisis management situation; (3) the mapping of long-term social impacts and the assessment of recovery and reconstruction needs.Cette thèse de doctorat, en géographie-aménagement du territoire, porte sur l’étude des impacts sociaux d’une inondation majeure en région francilienne. Les impacts sociaux sont compris, dans ces travaux, comme les effets de l’inondation sur la population, ses conditions et moyens d’existence. Elle comprend trois objectifs de recherche complémentaires : (1) l’évaluation par modélisation sous SIG des besoins sociaux en cas d’évacuation massive ; (2) l’étude qualitative de la prise en charge des populations en gestion de crise par les autorités ; (3) la cartographie des impacts sociaux post-catastrophe, et la modélisation des besoins de reconstruction.La méthodologie élaborée comprend une approche mixte, fondée sur le croisement d’analyses statistiques et géomatiques d’une part, et d’analyses qualitatives d’autre part. Les premières s’appuient sur le traitement de données de recensement, permettant d’identifier sur un plan sociodémographique les populations et de caractériser leurs besoins dans les différentes phases d’une inondation, à court terme dans l’évacuation et l’hébergement d’urgence, à long terme dans le relogement et la reconstruction. A ce titre, les travaux se fondent sur la littérature internationale, qui est interrogée de près sur les retours d’expérience de catastrophes passées afin d’identifier les facteurs prédictifs du comportement des populations dans un contexte de crise puis de reconstruction. Ces analyses donnent notamment lieu au développement d’indices synthétiques cartographiés, permettant de représenter la capacité des populations à évacuer et à trouver un hébergement d’urgence, d’une part, et d’autre part leur capacité à se reconstruire. Ces indices sont ensuite croisés aux données d’exposition face à l’aléa, pour des scénarios d’inondation d’ampleur catastrophique. Les secondes consistent dans des études descriptives et interprétatives de données qualitatives de sources diverses : documentation écrite, observations, entretiens semi-directifs. Ces sources permettent de caractériser les dispositifs de prise en charge des populations en cas d’inondation massive, par les autorités responsables, de l’échelle communale à l’échelle régionale. L’analyse qualitative permet donc d’identifier des moyens, les analyses statistiques des besoins sociaux : la confrontation des deux permet de caractériser les impacts sociaux de l’inondation.Les résultats sont présentés dans le cadre d’une approche résolument géographique, à travers un corpus de cartes disponible jusqu’à l’échelle communale. A court terme, face aux enjeux de l’évacuation massive, jusqu’à 700 000 personnes pourraient être évacuées pour un scénario d’inondation similaire à celui de la crue de référence de janvier 1910, 1,1 million pour une crue d’ampleur supérieure. 120 000 personnes devraient être prises en charge dans des centres d’hébergement d’urgence dans la première hypothèse, 200 000 dans la seconde. A plus long terme, nombre de structures et infrastructures nécessaires au maintien et au retour des populations sur un territoire donné pourraient être endommagées, avec des disparités spatiales particulièrement marquées : une douzaine de municipalités de plus de dix mille habitants pourraient dépasser le seuil d’endommagement de 30% de leurs structures et infrastructures, alors même qu’elles présentent pour certaines une faible ou médiocre capacité de reconstruction. Les résultats mettent aussi en avant le caractère temporel de la vulnérabilité, qui n’apparaît plus comme un tout uniforme : les populations vulnérables dans la phase d’évacuation ne sont pas nécessairement les mêmes que celles qui le sont pendant la phase d’hébergement, a fortiori de reconstruction. De la même façon, les disparités géographiques observées, entre départements, entre communes, varient de façon marquée selon les enjeux, des besoins de prise en charge face à l’évacuation massive jusqu’à la reconstruction