Imagined Geographies and the Production of Space in Occitania and Northern Catalunya in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries.

In this dissertation, I examine the material and cognitive production of new medieval spaces—urban, seigneurial, and mendicant—in Occitania and northern Catalunya in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. In a period of massive social, political, religious, and cultural transformations, inhabitants of this region articulated and contested new identities and the imagined geographies that sustained them. They built new material spaces that structured experience in ways that contributed to articulations of identity, influenced religious practices, and expressed or mediated authority. While the history of southern France in this period is usually seen as one of conflict and conquest, I argue that shared social, cultural, and spatial practices persisted across the centuries. I also contend that focusing on the way the material—objects and the built environment—functioned in these practices leads to new historical insights. I approach the spatial history of the region from three angles. First, I center on the world of the towns (namely, Narbonne, Toulouse, and Perpignan) to show how historical narratives allowed inhabitants to assert ancient Roman origins or claim a distinguished religious identity. These claims linked their pasts to extant or destroyed topographical landmarks, and I argue that medieval townspeople experienced that past not just through disembodied texts and legends but also materially, corporeally, in spatial practices. As consular governments of the towns began to monopolize documentary production, spaces of authority and authenticity that emanated from the figure of the notary came to be embedded in town halls and municipal cartularies. Second, I argue that these same documentary practices were adopted by lords and kings in order to assert and project their authority alongside the enquêtes, castles, and bastides that did likewise. Finally, I demonstrate how the new Dominican religious order, in the course of establishing convents and the networks of patronage that supported them, created, appropriated, or reoriented sacred landscapes and their associated imagined geographies, generating new identities for themselves and their patrons. In all these analyses, the material emerges as a constituent element, and I therefore locate authority, identity, and agency in a web of relations between people and things.PHDHistoryUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/133422/1/jcfarr_1.pd

Survey of selected tufa forming sites in Staffordshire, UK

The report details a short survey of tufa forming sites in Staffordshire, commissioned by the Staffordshire Wildlife trust. Its principal aim was to determine which tufa sites could be classed as ‘H7220 Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion)’ under the Habitats Directive. Recommendations are also made for future site enhancements. Water chemistry data collected from these sites is compared to data from similar tufa forming springs across the UK

Petrifying springs in Wales

Most bryologists are familiar with petrifying or ‘tufa’ springs as they are a habitat where bryophytes often predominate. In Britain, these springs and seepages are often associated with the pleurocarpous moss Palustriella commutata. The importance of petrifying springs in Europe is further highlighted by their inclusion within the EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) as the Annex 1 habitat: H7220 Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion). The authors were commissioned by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to survey a range of Welsh sites; the aim was to provide a baseline dataset for the habitat, whilst also fulfilling the EC Habitat Directive’s requirement to record the condition of this Annex 1 habitat (see Farr et al., 2014). Twenty seven sites at fifteen locations were surveyed during November 2013 and January 2014, a wet but not exceptionally cold Welsh winter. The sites ranged from natural locations such as the vertical cliff seepage faces on the Anglesey coastline (Fig. 1) to those highly influenced by historic anthropogenic activities. An example of the later was a site associated with highly calcareous, hyperalkaline (>pH 12) waters leaching from the base of spoil heaps at Herbert’s Quarry, Mynydd Du (The Black Mountain) (Fig. 2). From the outset, the project aimed to combine both botanical and hydrogeological investigations of the sites including: species-richness, water chemistry, water supply mechanisms, geological setting and identification of land use pressures

Photon Counting Using Edge-Detection Algorithm

New applications such as high-datarate, photon-starved, free-space optical communications require photon counting at flux rates into gigaphoton-per-second regimes coupled with subnanosecond timing accuracy. Current single-photon detectors that are capable of handling such operating conditions are designed in an array format and produce output pulses that span multiple sample times. In order to discern one pulse from another and not to overcount the number of incoming photons, a detection algorithm must be applied to the sampled detector output pulses. As flux rates increase, the ability to implement such a detection algorithm becomes difficult within a digital processor that may reside within a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Systems have been developed and implemented to both characterize gigahertz bandwidth single-photon detectors, as well as process photon count signals at rates into gigaphotons per second in order to implement communications links at SCPPM (serial concatenated pulse position modulation) encoded data rates exceeding 100 megabits per second with efficiencies greater than two bits per detected photon. A hardware edge-detection algorithm and corresponding signal combining and deserialization hardware were developed to meet these requirements at sample rates up to 10 GHz. The photon discriminator deserializer hardware board accepts four inputs, which allows for the ability to take inputs from a quadphoton counting detector, to support requirements for optical tracking with a reduced number of hardware components. The four inputs are hardware leading-edge detected independently. After leading-edge detection, the resultant samples are ORed together prior to deserialization. The deserialization is performed to reduce the rate at which data is passed to a digital signal processor, perhaps residing within an FPGA. The hardware implements four separate analog inputs that are connected through RF connectors. Each analog input is fed to a high-speed 1-bit comparator, which digitizes the input referenced to an adjustable threshold value. This results in four independent serial sample streams of binary 1s and 0s, which are ORed together at rates up to 10 GHz. This single serial stream is then deserialized by a factor of 16 to create 16 signal lines at a rate of 622.5 MHz or lower for input to a high-speed digital processor assembly. The new design and corresponding hardware can be employed with a quad-photon counting detector capable of handling photon rates on the order of multi-gigaphotons per second, whereas prior art was only capable of handling a single input at 1/4 the flux rate. Additionally, the hardware edge-detection algorithm has provided the ability to process 3-10 higher photon flux rates than previously possible by removing the limitation that photoncounting detector output pulses on multiple channels being ORed not overlap. Now, only the leading edges of the pulses are required to not overlap. This new photon counting digitizer hardware architecture supports a universal front end for an optical communications receiver operating at data rates from kilobits to over one gigabit per second to meet increased mission data volume requirements

Using water chemistry to define ecological preferences within the moss genus Scorpidium, from Wales, UK

Introduction. Three Scorpidium species: S. scorpioides, S. cossonii and S. revolvens are often associated with habitats of high conservation value. This is the first attempt to define the chemical niches for these Scorpidium species in Wales (UK) and allows us to compare these with earlier European datasets. Methods. Water chemistry from sixteen locations was analysed using water obtained by direct squeezing of mosses sampled from a total of 77 spots, and their principal water supply, e.g. springs and seepages. Key Results. Statistical analysis by spherical k-means clustering suggests there are two distinct groups in the dataset; one characterised by S. cossonii and another by S. revolvens, associated with differences in pH and Electric Conductivity (EC) of the habitat. The Welsh habitats have higher pH and EC than Scandinavian habitats of the species, which could potentially be a result of different pollution histories or species compositions of the areas, the latter leading to different realised niches along the mineral poor to rich gradient. Conclusions. It is hoped that with this data a better understanding of the chemical niches will support site managers and environmental regulators to make evidence-based decisions to protect these species and their habitats

The hydrology of an ephemerally flooded doline: Pwll-y-Felin, South Wales, UK

The first annual hydrograph from an ephemerally-flooded doline in the UK is described. Flood duration and volume were characterised by combining water-level data with a detailed topographic survey. Rapid surface runoff of Na–SO4-type water is derived from a localized topographic catchment. The inflow stream produced a ‘flashy’ hydrograph with maximum flood depths reaching 7m when the doline can contain 7,383 m3 of water. Flooding occurred over 161 of the 365 day study period, with an average flood depth of 2.4m. Stage dependent drainage properties suggested that water loss is greater when the flood depth is >3m, indicating that there may be additional drainage conduits at higher levels within the doline. A conservative estimate of 138 ML year is provided for net loss of water to the underlying aquifer. The vegetation shows some zonation potentially related to flood duration, with higher diversity in the marginal zone subject to the greatest fluctuation in water levels. The classification of Pwll-y-Felin and other small ephemeral karstic water bodies should be considered not only as geological landforms but as small karstic dependant wetlands. Under-recording of small, isolated temporary water bodies is of concern to international conservation bodies. The methodology presented can help to characterize the hydrology of ephemerally flooded dolines and could be used better to understand karst dependent habitats, recharge in karst aquifers, water budget calculations and to improve management and regulation in karst aquifers

Counting and confusion: Bayesian rate estimation with multiple populations

We show how to obtain a Bayesian estimate of the rates or numbers of signal and background events from a set of events when the shapes of the signal and background distributions are known, can be estimated, or approximated; our method works well even if the foreground and background event distributions overlap significantly and the nature of any individual event cannot be determined with any certainty. We give examples of determining the rates of gravitational-wave events in the presence of background triggers from a template bank when noise parameters are known and/or can be fit from the trigger data. We also give an example of determining globular-cluster shape, location, and density from an observation of a stellar field that contains a nonuniform background density of stars superimposed on the cluster stars

Recovering from first episode psychotic mania: the experience of people diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Aim: Early intervention for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder is a priority, but little is known about how recovery from first episode psychotic mania is experienced by this group. This study aimed to explore the experience of recovery from first episode psychotic mania for people diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 young adults during recovery from first episode psychotic mania and were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: Three themes were identified: (i) ‘Possession of purpose and staying well’, (ii) ‘Coping with compromise’ and (iii) ‘Manic relapse: pressure and proving self’. On becoming well, the participants experienced a sense of purpose through engaging with activities and goals that also drove their efforts to engage in strategies to stay well. However, these strategies created feelings of compromise that not all were prepared to accept. Though having purpose and goals created a positive sense of direction, for a minority of the participants they also created additional pressure, contributing to manic relapse. Conclusions: The purpose created by engaging with aspirations and career-related activities during early intervention was found to be important for a meaningful recovery from first episode bipolar disorder. This instilled positivity and purpose, motivating efforts to maintain wellness. The feelings of compromise that some participants experienced point to the need for individually tailored interventions. Findings suggest a delicate relationship between the positivity of engaging in goals and the risk of manic relapse during recovery from first episode psychotic mania

TGF-β Signaling Initiated in Dendritic Cells Instructs Suppressive Effects on Th17 Differentiation at the Site of Neuroinflammation

While the role of Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β) as an intrinsic pathway has been well established in driving de novo differentiation of Th17 cells, no study has directly assessed the capacity of TGF-β signaling initiated within dendritic cells (DCs) to regulate Th17 differentiation. The central finding of this study is the demonstration that Th17 cell fate during autoimmune inflammation is shaped by TGF-β extrinsic pathway via DCs. First, we provide evidence that TGF-β limits at the site of inflammation the differentiation of highly mature DCs as a means of restricting Th17 cell differentiation and controlling autoimmunity. Second, we demonstrate that TGF-β controls DC differentiation in the inflammatory site but not in the priming site. Third, we show that TGF-β controls DC numbers at a precursor level but not at a mature stage. While it is undisputable that TGF-β intrinsic pathway drives Th17 differentiation, our data provide the first evidence that TGF-β can restrict Th17 differentiation via DC suppression but such a control occurs in the site of inflammation, not at the site of priming. Such a demarcation of the role of TGF-β in DC lineage is unprecedented and holds serious implications vis-à-vis future DC-based therapeutic targets