Robert Carter & Harriet Crawford (éd.), Maritime Interactions in the Arabian Neolithic. Evidence from H3, As-Sabiyah, an Ubaid-Related Site in Kuwait

Parmi les recherches en cours sur le Néolithique du Golfe et les relations avec la Mésopotamie autour de la question de la céramique d’Obeid, la publication du site H3 d’As-Sabiyah était l’une des plus attendues. En effet, dans une série de rapports préliminaires et d’articles thématiques prometteurs, les fouilleurs ont démontré, depuis près d’une décennie, l’importance de ce site. Dans l’ouvrage qu’ils dirigent, publié en 2010, R. Carter et H. Crawford en présentent toutes les données, les a..

Bornand Sandra & Derive Jean (dir.). — Les canons du discours et la langue : Parler juste

Que peut nous apporter la notion de « canons du discours » ? Le concept de canon renvoie communément aux caractéristiques formelles d’un genre de la littérature orale ou écrite. En l’associant au discours, Sandra Bornand et Jean Derive proposent une définition plus vaste et plus stimulante intellectuellement : il s’agit d’« un concept relatif qui définit un idéal de performance en fonction des contingences variables de la communication » (p. 12). Il ne s’agit donc pas d’étudier les canons com..

Robert Carter & Harriet Crawford (éd.), Maritime Interactions in the Arabian Neolithic. Evidence from H3, As-Sabiyah, an Ubaid-Related Site in Kuwait

Parmi les recherches en cours sur le Néolithique du Golfe et les relations avec la Mésopotamie autour de la question de la céramique d’Obeid, la publication du site H3 d’As-Sabiyah était l’une des plus attendues. En effet, dans une série de rapports préliminaires et d’articles thématiques prometteurs, les fouilleurs ont démontré, depuis près d’une décennie, l’importance de ce site. Dans l’ouvrage qu’ils dirigent, publié en 2010, R. Carter et H. Crawford en présentent toutes les données, les a..

Satellite remote sensing reveals a positive impact of living oyster reefs on microalgal biofilm development

Satellite remote sensing (RS) is routinely used for the large-scale monitoring of microphytobenthos (MPB) biomass in intertidal mudflats and has greatly improved our knowledge of MPB spatio-temporal variability and its potential drivers. Processes operating on smaller scales however, such as the impact of benthic macrofauna on MPB development, to date remain underinvestigated. In this study, we analysed the influence of wild Crassostrea gigas oyster reefs on MPB biofilm development using multispectral RS. A 30-year time series (1985-2015) combining high-resolution (30 m) Landsat and SPOT data was built in order to explore the relationship between C. gigas reefs and MPB spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Emphasis was placed on the analysis of a before-after control-impact (BACI) experiment designed to assess the effect of oyster killing on the surrounding MPB biofilms. Our RS data reveal that the presence of oyster reefs positively affects MPB biofilm development. Analysis of the historical time series first showed the presence of persistent, highly concentrated MPB patches around oyster reefs. This observation was supported by the BACI experiment which showed that killing the oysters (while leaving the physical reef structure, i.e. oyster shells, intact) negatively affected both MPB biofilm biomass and spatial stability around the reef. As such, our results are consistent with the hypothesis of nutrient input as an explanation for the MPB growth-promoting effect of oysters, whereby organic and inorganic matter released through oyster excretion and biodeposition stimulates MPB biomass accumulation. MPB also showed marked seasonal variations in biomass and patch shape, size and degree of aggregation around the oyster reefs. Seasonal variations in biomass, with higher NDVI during spring and autumn, were consistent with those observed on broader scales in other European mudflats. Our study provides the first multi-sensor RS satellite evidence of the promoting and structuring effect of oyster reefs on MPB biofilms

Contribution des pratiques plurilingues à la poétique d’une légende locale dans un bar de la région d’Iringa en Tanzanie

Rassemblés autour d’un verre d’alcool artisanal, des hommes du village de Lulanzi, dans la région d’Iringa en Tanzanie, échangent sur les pouvoirs destructeurs d’un oiseau qui ravage les champs et défend son nid contre toute intrusion. Dans cet article, je propose d’interroger la contribution des pratiques plurilingues à la poétique de cette légende locale. En suivant Jakobson sur sa définition de la poétique, il s’agit de prendre en considération le choix des mots, des assonances, des changements de rythmes et de prosodie. En contexte plurilingue, ces variations de métrique se manifestent aussi par des changements de langues. L’interaction analysée ici permettra de voir comment l’énonciateur principal joue sur les langues et les rythmes pour créer un contraste, renforcé par la gestuelle et les expressions faciales, entre des moments où l’oiseau guette et se prépare et des moments où il attaque soudainement. Ce contexte particulier où les pratiques plurilingues ne sont motivées ni par leur indexicalité, ni par l’établissement d’une relation d’autorité ou de solidarité, sera également propice à une réflexion sur la pertinence des outils conceptuels comme le code‑switching ou la notion de translanguaging.Gathered around a drink of homemade alcohol, men from the village of Lulanzi in the Iringa region of Tanzania are talking about the damaging powers of a bird known for ravaging harvests and defending his nest against any intruder. In this article I intend to question the contribution of multilingual practices to the poetic of this local story. Following Jakobson on his definition of poetic, implies taking into consideration the choice of words, assonances, pace and prosody. In a multilingual setting, these variations in metrics may as well occur through language choice. The interaction analyzed here will help us apprehend how the main speaker changes pace and languages to create a contrast, strengthened by gestures and facial expressions, between times when the bird is on the look‑out, and times when it is suddenly attacking. This particular context, where multilingual practices are neither motivated by indexicality nor by establishing authority or solidarity, is also particularly suitable for considering the relevance of conceptual tools such as code‑switching and the notion of translanguaging

Data and knowledge manangement in field studies A case for semantic technologies

Ship design is a knowledge-intensive industry. To design safe ship systems for demanding operations, there is an increasing need for comprehensive knowledge of the operational context. Field studies is an important source of relevant knowledge, but current methods and information systems do not realise their full potential. In this paper, we discuss how the field data can be modelled semantically, integrated with relevant domain models, and be more effectively made available to the organisation. We propose a data model and a software architecture to facilitate the collaborative data analysis and modelling process favoured by designers

A review of augmented reality applications for ship bridges

We present a state-of-the art analysis of Augmented Reality (AR) applications for ship bridge operation. We compiled and reviewed what type of use cases were published, what type of maritime applications have been adapted to AR, how they were prototyped and evaluated and what type of technology was used. We also reviewed the user interaction mechanisms, information display and adaptation to maritime environmental conditions. Our analysis shows that although there are many examples of AR applications in ship bridges, there is still much work that needs to be done before these solutions can be suitably adapted to commercial settings. In addition, we argue there is a need to develop design requirements and regulations that can guide the safe development of AR