Making Our Voices Heard: Power and Citizenship in Central Florida\u27s Black Communities

This thesis examines the impacts of government policies on community mobilization in Orlando\u27s Parramore neighborhood and the all-black town of Eatonville in Central Florida. The scope of this thesis covers the history of both communities from their formation in the 1880s to the end of the twentieth century. This research reveals the relationships between the predominantly black residents of Parramore and Eatonville and the largely white government officials over the development and maintenance of each community. By understanding the social creation of both communities during the era of Jim Crow, this thesis reveals the differing levels of power each community possessed that would impact their ability to turn their defined black spaces into black places. Moving forward, each community had to adjust to the impacts of integration that weakened the communal bonds that helped the community endure Jim Crow. However, in detailing the rise of citizen activism in the post-World War II period, the theory of infrastructural citizenship shapes this thesis in revealing how black residents in Parramore and Eatonville exercised their rights as citizens in making their voices heard surrounding various infrastructural changes. While their efforts did not always achieve their ultimate goals, it forced decision makers to anticipate and accommodate the opinions of the residents impacted by these decisions. This thesis uses historical analysis to place Parramore and Eatonville within the broader social, political, and economic contexts of events occurring in Florida, the American South and the country at large

Regards croisés sur les liens entre l’eau et l’homme dans les villes françaises

Présenté comme un essai, « L’eau dans la ville : une amie qui nous fait la guerre » propose une analyse croisée entre deux spécialistes des questions d’eaux urbaines. Leur collaboration initiée depuis plusieurs années dans le cadre notamment du Programme de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur l’Environnement (PIREN-Seine) sur le thème des « petites rivières urbaines d’Ile-de-France » (2011) leur permet aujourd’hui de présenter un ouvrage de synthèse nourri par leurs travaux collectifs antérieurs..

La ville durable, un territoire d’avenir pour la biodiversité urbaine ?

La biodiversité est une composante urbaine particulière. Par nature, elle est composite, assemblant à l’échelle de la ville des espèces indigènes et des espèces exotiques, des sauvages et des introduites, aussi bien dans les espaces publics que privés. Mais la complexité de sa caractérisation résulte de l’évolution de l’approche scientifique naturaliste axée sur la connaissance de la diversité du vivant vers des conceptions multiformes intégrant des systèmes de représentations. Elle implique ainsi la reconnaissance, par le jeu d’acteurs concernés, de valeurs intrinsèques (d’existence, de legs, etc.) mais aussi de valeurs d’usage (régulation, production, services, etc.). Or, à l’heure où la dimension « biodiversité » est placée au cœur des préoccupations d’aménagements urbains durables, à l’image du programme Ville de demain soutenu par l’État français depuis 2008, la question des formes de valorisation envisagées est intéressante à analyser. Entre besoins de nature et reconnaissance de services, quelle(s) biodiversité(s) ciblent les projets d’aménagements actuels et futurs ? Comment est-elle intégrée en tant qu’élément de planification urbaine durable ? L’analyse montre que l’enjeu transversal commun aux projets d’ÉcoCités (2010) issus du plan Ville durable est de positionner la biodiversité comme liant social, instrument d’une culture et d’une gouvernance partagées, mais les stratégies restent imprécises et les plans d’actions modestes, car la biodiversité n’est pas une ressource urbanistique comme les autres !Biodiversity is a special urban component. By nature, it is composite, bringing together within the city indigenous, exotic, wild and other introduced species in public and private spaces. The complex task of characterising this biodiversity stems from a shift away from the scientific naturalist approach based on the knowledge of the diversity of living organisms towards multiform notions integrating systems and representations. It therefore implies the recognition, through the interaction of the players concerned, of intrinsic values (of existence, legacies, etc.) but also of such values as uses (regulation, production, services, etc.). However, at a time when the “biodiversity” dimension is at the heart of concerns relating to sustainable urban development, as in the example of the City of the Future programme supported by the French government since 2008, the question of the means envisaged for promoting biodiversity is worthy of interest. Between the need for nature and the need for services, which forms of biodiversity do current and future development projects target ? How is biodiversity included as a component of sustainable urban planning ? The study shows that the transverse objective shared by the Ecocités projects (2010) resulting from the French government’s sustainable city programme is to consider biodiversity as a social link, the instrument of a shared culture and governance, however, the strategies remain imprecise and the action plans modest because biodiversity is an urban planning resource unlike any other 

Interstitial Lung Abnormalities Detected by CT in Asbestos-Exposed Subjects Are More Likely Associated to Age

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between interstitial lung abnormalities, asbestos exposure and age in a population of retired workers previously occupationally exposed to asbestos. METHODS: previously occupationally exposed former workers to asbestos eligible for a survey conducted between 2003 and 2005 in four regions of France, underwent chest CT examinations and pulmonary function testing. Industrial hygienists evaluated asbestos exposure and calculated for each subject a cumulative exposure index (CEI) to asbestos. Smoking status information was also collected in this second round of screening. Expert radiologists performed blinded independent double reading of chest CT-scans and classified interstitial lung abnormalities into: no abnormality, minor interstitial findings, interstitial findings inconsistent with UIP, possible or definite UIP. In addition, emphysema was assessed visually (none, minor: emphysema 50% of the lung). Logistic regression models adjusted for age and smoking were used to assess the relationship between interstitial lung abnormalities and occupational asbestos exposure. RESULTS: the study population consisted of 2157 male subjects. Interstitial lung abnormalities were present in 365 (16.7%) and emphysema in 444 (20.4%). Significant positive association was found between definite or possible UIP pattern and age (OR adjusted =1.08 (95% CI: 1.02-1.13)). No association was found between interstitial abnormalities and CEI or the level of asbestos exposure. CONCLUSION: presence of interstitial abnormalities at HRCT was associated to aging but not to cumulative exposure index in this cohort of former workers previously occupationally exposed to asbestos

Deep Learning for the Automatic Quantification of Pleural Plaques in Asbestos-Exposed Subjects

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and validate an automated artificial intelligence (AI)-driven quantification of pleural plaques in a population of retired workers previously occupationally exposed to asbestos. METHODS: CT scans of former workers previously occupationally exposed to asbestos who participated in the multicenter APEXS (Asbestos PostExposure Survey) study were collected retrospectively between 2010 and 2017 during the second and the third rounds of the survey. A hundred and forty-one participants with pleural plaques identified by expert radiologists at the 2nd and the 3rd CT screenings were included. Maximum Intensity Projection (MIP) with 5 mm thickness was used to reduce the number of CT slices for manual delineation. A Deep Learning AI algorithm using 2D-convolutional neural networks was trained with 8280 images from 138 CT scans of 69 participants for the semantic labeling of Pleural Plaques (PP). In all, 2160 CT images from 36 CT scans of 18 participants were used for AI testing versus ground-truth labels (GT). The clinical validity of the method was evaluated longitudinally in 54 participants with pleural plaques. RESULTS: The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) between AI-driven and GT was almost perfect (>0.98) for the volume extent of both PP and calcified PP. The 2D pixel similarity overlap of AI versus GT was good (DICE = 0.63) for PP, whether they were calcified or not, and very good (DICE = 0.82) for calcified PP. A longitudinal comparison of the volumetric extent of PP showed a significant increase in PP volumes (p < 0.001) between the 2nd and the 3rd CT screenings with an average delay of 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: AI allows a fully automated volumetric quantification of pleural plaques showing volumetric progression of PP over a five-year period. The reproducible PP volume evaluation may enable further investigations for the comprehension of the unclear relationships between pleural plaques and both respiratory function and occurrence of thoracic malignancy

BMJ Open

INTRODUCTION: Sarcomas are rare tumours of connective tissue. The exact overall incidence of sarcomas is unknown due to diagnostic difficulties and the various histological subtypes (over 80 subtypes). However, the apparent increasing incidence of sarcomas suggests environmental causes such as pesticides. Except for some specific factors (ie, ionising radiation, vinyl chloride, dioxin and genetic predispositions) the scientific knowledge on the aetiology of sarcomas is sparse and inconsistent. France is a particularly appropriate country to set up a study investigating the causes of sarcoma occurrence due to the French organisation in treatment and care of sarcoma patients, which is highly structured and revolved around national expert networks. The main objective of the ETIOlogy of SARcomas (ETIOSARC) project is to study the role of lifestyle, environmental and occupational factors in the occurrence of sarcomas among adults from a multicentric population-based case-control study. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Cases will be all incident patients (older than 18 years) prospectively identified in 15 districts of France covered by a general population-based cancer registry and/or a reference centre in sarcoma's patient care over a 3-year period with an inclusion start date ranging from February 2019 to January 2020 and histologically confirmed by a second review of the diagnosis. Two controls will be individually matched by sex, age (5 years group) and districts of residence and randomly selected from electoral rolls. A standardised questionnaire will be administered by a trained interviewer in order to gather information about occupational and residential history, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and lifestyle factors. At the end of the interview, a saliva sample will be systematically proposed. This study will permit to validate or identify already suspected risk factors for sarcomas such as phenoxyherbicides, chlorophenol and to generate new hypothesis to increase our understanding about the genetic and environmental contributions in the carcinogenicity process. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The present study is promoted by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (identification number C17-03). This study received National French Ethic committee (CPP Sud Mediterrannee I) approval (identification number 18-31) and French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) approval (identification number 918171). Results of this study will be published in international peer-reviewed journals. Technical appendix, statistical code and dataset will be available in the Dryad repository when collection data are completed. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03670927

Requalifier les zones humides continentales : Logiques et paradoxes

Les nouveaux regards portés sur les zones humides depuis les années 1970, s’ils sont globalement bienveillants, restent multiformes, entre visions biocentriques et utilitaristes, mais s’orientent pleinement vers la reconnaissance de valeurs spécifiques aux zones humides. Se pose alors la question des logiques de requalification – et des instruments qui y sont associés – et qui permettent de réintégrer les zones humides dans le maillage territorial, en tant que ressources. L’article à pour objectif d’aborder les questions liées aux enjeux et défis actuels de la requalification des zones humides, dont la patrimonialisation fait partie. Il est également intéressant de voir comment, et si, la reconnaissance des valeurs des zones humides, non plus basées seulement sur des arguments purement écologiques, mais aussi au titre de services rendus - tels que le définit le Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2003) - peut proposer un regard bénéfique sur les zones humides et guider les stratégies de requalification.The new glances related to the wetlands since the 1970’s, if they are overall kind-hearted, remain multiform, between biocentric and utilitarian point of view, but are directed towards the recognition of wetlands specific values. Then the question of logics of requalification – and of the instruments which are associated there – is posed : How is it possible to reinstate the wetlands in the territorial grid, as a resources ? The article deal with the questions of current challenges of wetlands requalification, like patrimonialisation. It is also interesting to see how, and if, the recognition of the values of the wetlands, either only based on purely ecological arguments, but also under ecosystems services - such as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA, 2003) defines it - can propose a carrying glance on wetlands and guide the ways of requalification

La biodiversité : objet complexe et composite.

International audienc

Une trame « fraîche » comme outil d’atténuation potentielle des îlots de chaleur urbains : rôles de la végétation

International audienc