Diferencias interindividuales en el conocimiento y en el uso de los espacios públicos exteriores por niños

El estudio está enfocado en el análisis de las diferencias interindividuales que aparecen en los niños de 6 a 11 años en el conocimiento y en las modalidades de utilización de los espacios públicos exteriores. Se realizó una encuesta a 378 niños de escuelas primarias de una pequeña ciudad de la región parisina. Un cuestionario fue utilizado para interrogar a los niños sobre sus conocimientos, la frecuencia de sus visitas, su acceso autónomo y la utilización lúdica de los principales espacios exteriores de su ciudad. Los resultados señalan que en un medio urbano, los espacios públicos juegan un rol importante para los niños. A partir de los 6 años los niños conocen los tres cuartos del total de plazas, parques y zonas de juego presentes en su medioambiente urbano de proximidad. La mayoría de los espacios conocidos son visitados regularmente y utilizados de manera lúdica, pero el acceso autónomo a estos espacios resulta en extremo restringido. El acceso autónomo a los espacios exteriores es el comportamiento que evoluciona más fuertemente en función de la edad. Sin embargo, las diferencias más grandes en el conocimiento y en el uso de los espacios públicos se encuentran ligadas al género, en provecho de los chicos. Diferencias significativas aparecen igualmente entre los niños que habitan en casas de aquellos que habitan en apartamentos, estos últimos tienen un uso más extenso de los espacios públicos de su ciudad

Authority and Control in the Countryside

Authority and Control in the Countryside looks at the economic, religious, political and cultural instruments that local and regional powers in the late antique to early medieval Mediterranean and Near East used to manage their rural hinterlands.; Readership: All interested in the history of the late antique and medieval Mediterranean and Near East. Students and scholars of economic, social, political and cultural history, archaeology, papyrology, numismatics, philology, religious studies from the Iberian Peninsula and the Balkan to Arabia and Central Asia in the Roman, Sasanian and Islamic period

Different Types of Children's Independent Mobility in French Brittany

Studies conducted in various countries point out that children's independent mobility has been decreasing over the last decades. This survey was conducted in French Brittany on five sites of varying city size and density. Children mobility is examined through six licences related to outdoor independent movements reported by children aged from 7 to 15 years. From children's declarations, it emerges that there is a clear evolution of independent mobility from primary to secondary school. A cluster analysis permitted to isolate five contrasted types of independent mobility defined by various combinations of licences ranging from a quasi-total dependent mobility to the largest independent mobility. Age is the principal factor significantly associated with each of the five clusters, whereas gender is only associated to one cluster. The type of area and the children's perception of safety in their local area also seem to account for the nature and degree of independent mobility. Overall, these results support the view that a complex array of factors intervenes in the development of children independent mobility, including environmental attributes of the living context such as city size, density and outdoor urban facilities

Communication, information, billettique dans les transports collectifs : quelles conséquences sur l'usage par les populations âgées ?

CIBCOL Research, centered on public transport used by the elderly, seeks to identify the constraints which may exist when deploying new solutions related to travel information and ticketing in public transport. The initial assumption was that the adoption of these new technologies by the elderly would affect their use of public transport. The main objective was to better understand the elderly's adaptation process to new information and ticketing technologies developed and applied to public transport. The research methodology is based on 3 components: - A questionnaire given to representative cohorts of two differentiated elderly populations (around 65 and around 75 years). This survey was conducted at 6 locations (4 urban and 2 regional bus networks). - a series of over 80 interviews with residents of the towns of la Rochelle and Belfort - Finally, focus groups were formed bringing together elderly people from two bus networks (Belfort and La Rochelle). Results show that if driving cars is the most frequently used mode of transportation after walking, 60% of people over age 60 who responded to the questionnaire use buses to get around with varying frequencies based on criteria related to the individual and their social situation (family, gender, education level, etc), and the public transport features (frequency and quality of service, type of network - urban or inter-city). Buses are mainly used for leisure or shopping, but also, in no small way for health reasons, implying a necessary reflection on the comfort of vehicles and routes, particularly relating to accessibility issues and bus stop proximity to homes, as well as the frequency of scheduled routes. Buses are perceived as an appealing alternative to driving, especially in the city. Of those who responded to the questionnaire, 45% did not have a computer connected to the Internet, and only a small minority (3.5%) had a mobile smart device connection. Access to various online information sources is therefore not possible for a large proportion of people. Age is quite a discriminating factor, with social and individual characteristics. The fact that those in the younger sample cohort had more of an opportunity to access the Internet suggests that the proportion of the digital divide based on age could be gradually reduced. The most popular information media used are guide booklets and displays in paper format, however a number of modifications to improve their readability seem necessary. Interestingly, transportation system websites are the third way of accessing information. Criticisms of their ergonomics and lack of clarity when trying to obtain information lead to recomand improvements to better adapt to the demands, especially concerning the proposed routes. Paper-based transport tickets are the most frequently used. Electronic-based ticket technology (bank cards, mobile phones ...) are little known and rejected. Contactless smartcards are commonly used in both of the urban networks where they are employed. Their operation has become well integrated, with one limitation being the difficulty to find out the card's remaining balance. Topping-up subscriptions is almost always done at the ticket counter or from local shops. For ticket purchases, the counter and the bus driver are the most used methods. Recharging over the Internet or by electronic-based technology (ticket by SMS) is little known, rarely used or even rejected. Preferred technological innovations are those that do not require the user's handling of a technological device, and mainly those that contribute to "empowering" the public transport user (audio information, real-time information on video displays at stops and inside the vehicles ...). Technological systems are feared or rejected if they involve owning a device (cell phone) not only because of their low level of proficiency with these devices but also because of the public nature of transportation, which should not, according to them, involve the use of private resources such as cell phone subscriptions. In the end, the appropriation of new technology by the elderly has had only a minor impact on their use of public transport, the main determining variables being related to the quality of the transportation network. This impact, however, is likely to increase with upcoming generations, but with a strong contrast between the popular technological devices and those which are rejected.La recherche CIBCOL, centrée sur l'usage des transports collectifs par les personnes âgées, s'est attachée à identifier les freins qui peuvent exister au déploiement de nouvelles solutions relatives à l'information sur les déplacements et la billettique dans les transports collectifs routiers. L'hypothèse de départ était que l'appropriation de ces nouvelles technologies par ces personnes âgées intervient sur leur usage des transports en commun. L'objectif principal était donc de mieux comprendre les processus d'adaptation de ces populations aux nouvelles technologies développées dans les domaines de l'information et de la billettique et appliquées aux transports en commun. La recherche s'est appuyée sur 3 volets : - un questionnaire auprès d'un échantillon représentatif de personnes âgées dans deux cohortes de populations différenciées (autour de 65 ans et autour de 75 ans). Cette enquête a été menée sur 6 terrains (4 sites urbains et 2 sites interurbains). - une série de plus de 80 entretiens menés auprès d'habitants des agglomérations de la Rochelle et de Belfort - enfin, des " groupes de discussion " (focus-groups) regroupant des personnes âgées sur deux réseaux (Belfort et La Rochelle). Il ressort de ce travail que si l'automobile est le mode de déplacement le plus fréquemment utilisé après la marche à pied, 60 % des personnes de plus de 60 ans ayant répondu au questionnaire utilisent le bus pour se déplacer, avec des fréquences d'utilisation variables en fonction de critères qui sont liés à l'individu et à sa situation sociale (familiale, de genre, de niveau d'études...), et à l'offre de transport (fréquence et qualité de desserte, type de réseau -urbain ou interurbain). Le bus est principalement utilisé pour des déplacements liés aux loisirs, achats, mais également et de manière non négligeable pour des motifs liés à la santé ; ceci implique une nécessaire réflexion sur le confort des véhicules et des trajets, notamment autour des problématiques liées à l'accessibilité et à la proximité des arrêts par rapport aux zones d'habitat, ainsi qu'à l'amplitude horaire des dessertes. Le bus constitue une alternative appréciée à la conduite automobile, notamment en ville. Parmi les personnes ayant répondu au questionnaire, 45 % ne disposent pas d'un ordinateur connecté à Internet, et seule une infime minorité (3.5 %) dispose d'une possibilité de connexion en mobilité. L'accès aux différents supports d'information dématérialisés n'est de ce fait pas possible pour une forte proportion de personnes. L'âge est un facteur très discriminant, avec les caractéristiques sociales et individuelles. Le fait que les personnes les plus jeunes de l'échantillon disposent plus fréquemment d'une possibilité d'avoir accès à Internet laisse à penser que la part de la fracture numérique liée à l'âge pourrait se réduire progressivement. Les supports d'informations les plus appréciés et utilisés sont les guides et les affichages au format papier, avec de nombreuses recommandations liées à leur lisibilité. Les sites Internet des réseaux de transport constituent néanmoins le troisième moyen d'accès à l'information. Des critiques concernant leur ergonomie et le manque de clarté pour obtenir les informations incitent à apporter des améliorations pour mieux s'adapter aux demandes, notamment concernant les propositions d'itinéraires. Le ticket au format papier est le titre de transport le plus fréquemment utilisé. Les supports de validation technologiques (cartes bancaires, téléphone portable...) sont peu connus et rejetés. Les cartes sans contact sont utilisées couramment sur les deux réseaux urbains où elles sont en vigueur. Leur fonctionnement est bien intégré, une des limites identifiées est la difficulté à connaître le solde restant sur la carte. Le rechargement des abonnements est quasi systématiquement réalisé au guichet ou chez un dépositaire. Pour l'achat des titres, le guichet et le conducteur constituent les ressources les plus utilisées. Le rechargement sur Internet, ou par des formes dématérialisées (ticket par SMS) est peu connu, peu utilisé, voire même rejeté. Les dispositifs technologiques appréciés sont ceux qui ne nécessitent pas d'interface technologique, et essentiellement ceux qui contribuent à " l'empowerment " des utilisateurs sur le réseau de transport (information sonore, information en temps réel sur des afficheurs aux arrêts et dans les véhicules...). Les dispositifs technologiques sont craints ou rejetés s'ils impliquent la possession d'un outil (téléphone portable) en raison de leur faible niveau de maîtrise ou de connaissance mais également du caractère public du transport de voyageurs, qui ne doit pas, selon eux, impliquer l'utilisation de ressources privées du type abonnement de téléphone portable. Au final, l'appropriation des nouvelles technologies par les personnes âgées n'a qu'un impact mineur sur leur usage des transports en commun, les principales variables déterminantes étant liées à la qualité de l'offre de transport. Cet impact est cependant susceptible de s'accroître au fil du renouvellement des générations, mais avec un fort contraste entre les dispositifs technologiques appréciés et ceux qui sont rejetés

Children's Independent Mobility: Survey in French Brittany (2011)

The study contributes to an international survey carried out in 16 countries: Australia, Brazil, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden(Shaw & Watson, 2010). The international survey was initiated by the Political Study Institute of London as an extended geographical replication of the original study of Hillman & al (1990).The general objective of this study is to investigate how children's independent mobility develops between age 7-15. The degree of independent mobility is assessed through the examination of children's statements about six licences related to outside trips without adult supervision. The objective is to provide a detailed picture of the current state of independent mobility in primary and secondary school children of French Brittany (North-West of France). In this respect, the study contributes to an international survey carried out in 16 countries (Shaw & Watson, 2010). The international survey was initiated by the Political Study Institute of London as an extended geographical replication of the original study of Hillman & al (1990). Method A total of 947 children participated in the French survey. Specifically, in primary school 484 children--48,8% girls, 51,2% boys--filled up the questionnaire, age ranging from 6 to 12, mean = 8,79 (sd =1,27). In secondary school 463 young people--49,7% girls, 50,3% boys--responded to the questionnaire, age ranging from 10 to 16, mean = 12,9 (sd =1,29). The survey was conducted in different types of living environment varying in relation to the size and density of the dwelling area. Five types of areas were considered: (1) inner district of a major city, (2) suburban area of a major city, (3) small town, (4) rural market town and (5) rural area. In the French survey, the five types of areas were selected in the same region, namely the district (département) of Ille-et-Vilaine in French Brittany. Therefore, the survey design, which gathered data from different types of areas, was likely to provide a comprehensive picture of the independent mobility of the children living in that particular region. Children's independent mobility was assessed through the examination of six licences: (1) Licence to cross roads alone, (2) Licence to travel to and from school alone, (3) Licence to go on their own to places other than school, (4) Licence to cycle on main roads, (5) Licence to use buses, (6) Licence to go out after dark. Results The comparison of the licences granted by parents to Psc and to Ssc reveals marked difference for all the six licences. This denotes important changes in the parental attitude towards these children's independent mobility within the considered age range. Interestingly the hierarchy of the six licences is almost the same for the two groups. For both groups the licence to cross main roads is the most frequently granted, whereas licence to go out after dark is the least granted. Even in the secondary school, only a few French children are allowed to go out after dark. The analysis of the children's responses also puts forward that independent mobility develop markedly after 11 years when children are in secondary school. Specifically, four of the six licences are held by a large majority of the secondary school children: to go to other places than school on their own, to cross main roads, to use public transport, and to cycle on main roads. However, only one third of these older children declared to go to and from school on their own. This result is probably due to the size of the secondary school catchment areas which were particularly large in four of the five survey areas. Therefore, the distances from the children's homes to secondary school constrained the older children to use the school bus or to be driven by their parents. The primary school children's independent mobility is particularly restricted; four of the six licences examined were hold by less than one third of these children. The licence to go to other places than school is the most frequently mentioned by the 7-to-11-year olds. But only half of primary school children can benefit from such a basic and critical licence that can be seen as a prerequisite to the development of activities independently from adults in the dwelling area. For the other half of the primary school children, this result supports the idea that most out-of-school activities are likely to take place in adult-controlled settings, where children must be accompanied by their parents. Both primary and secondary school children claim to have a particular licence more often than parents declare to grant their children that licence. The differences between children's and parents' responses are particularly obvious as regard to the licence to ride on main roads and, to a lesser degree, the licence to go out after dark. A cluster analysis permitted to isolate five contrasted types of independent mobility defined by various combinations of licences ranging from a quasi-total dependent mobility to the largest independent mobility. Age is the principal factor significantly associated with each of the five clusters, whereas gender is only associated to one cluster. The type of area and the children's perception of safety in their local area also seem to account for the nature and degree of independent mobility. Overall, these results support the view that a complex array of factors intervenes in the development of children independent mobility, including environmental attributes of the living context such as city size, density and outdoor urban facilities

Maturation of the GABAergic Transmission in Normal and Pathologic Motoneurons

γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acting on Cl−-permeable ionotropic type A (GABAA) receptors (GABAAR) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult central nervous system of vertebrates. In immature brain structures, GABA exerts depolarizing effects mostly contributing to the expression of spontaneous activities that are instructive for the construction of neural networks but GABA also acts as a potent trophic factor. In the present paper, we concentrate on brainstem and spinal motoneurons that are largely targeted by GABAergic interneurons, and we bring together data on the switch from excitatory to inhibitory effects of GABA, on the maturation of the GABAergic system and GABAAR subunits. We finally discuss the role of GABA and its GABAAR in immature hypoglossal motoneurons of the spastic (SPA) mouse, a model of human hyperekplexic syndrome

MineSweeper: Where to Probe?

Most research about the game of Minesweeper has focussed on inferring which cells may or may not contain a mine, discussing the complexity of this problem (and its variants) and proposing efficient resolution techniques. While this inference task is indeed crucial to playing Minesweeper, this paper comes back to the original game as a whole, modelling it as a sequential decision-making problem ---more precisely as a Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP)--- before proposing and studying various heuristics to solve the key problem of selecting the next cell to play.La majeure partie de la recherche sur le jeu du démineur s'est concentrée sur le problème d'inférer quelles cellules peuvent ou ne peuvent pas contenir une mine, discutant de la complexité de ce problème (et de ses variantes) et proposant des techniques de résolution efficaces. Si cette tâche d'inférence est en effet cruciale pour jouer au démineur, ce document revient au jeu original dans sa totalité, le modélisant comme un problème de prise de décision séquentielle --plus précisément comme un processus de décision markovien partiellement observable (POMDP)-- avant de proposer et d'étudier diverses heuristiques pour résoudre le problème clef de la sélection de la prochaine cellule à jouer

High pressure and high temperature in situ X-ray diffraction studies in the Paris-Edinburgh cell using a laboratory X-ray source

International audienceWe have developed a new laboratory experimental set-up to study in situ the pressure-temperature phase diagram of a given pure element or compound, its associated phase transitions, or the chemical reactions involved at high pressure and high temperature (HP-HT) between different solids and liquids. This new tool allows laboratory studies before conducting further detailed experiments using more brilliant synchrotron X-ray sources or before kinetic studies. This device uses the diffraction of X-rays produced by a quasi-monochromatic micro-beam source operating at the silver radiation (λ(Ag)Kα1,2 ≈ 0.56Å). The experimental set-up is based on a VX Paris-Edinburgh cell equipped with tungsten carbide or sintered diamond anvils and uses standard B-epoxy 5 or 7mm gaskets. The diffracted signal coming from the compressed (and heated) sample is collected on an image plate. The pressure and temperature calibrations were performed by diffraction, using conventional calibrants (BN, NaCl and MgO) for determination of the pressure, and by crossing isochores of BN, NaCl, Cu or Au for the determination of the temperature. The first examples of studies performed with this new laboratory set-up are presented in the article: determination of the melting point of germanium and magnesium under HP-HT, synthesis of MgB2 or C-diamond and partial study of the P, T phase diagram of MgH2

Comparing composition and structure in old-growth and harvested (selection and diameter-limit cuts) northern hardwood stands in Quebec

Single-tree selection cutting is sometimes believed to be similar to the natural gap disturbance regime of hardwood forests, but few studies have specifically compared the compositional and structural characteristics of old-growth hardwood stands, undergoing natural gap dynamics and hardwood stands previously subjected to partial cuts. This study characterized and compared the composition (saplings and trees) and structure (gaps, foliage distribution, tree diameter and density, snags and coarse woody debris) of old-growth stands (OG), 12-year-old selection cuts (SC), and 28-33-year-old diameter-limit cuts (DLC) in sugar maple (Acer saccharum)-dominated northern hardwood stands. Results showed marked structural differences between OG and harvested stands, with stronger differences between DLC and OG than between SC and OG. The synchronized formation of numerous canopy openings in harvested stands induced a massive post-harvest recruitment of advance regeneration in both SC and DLC that created a dense foliage layer in the understory. Large living trees (dbh > 39.1 cm) and defective trees were less numerous in SC than OG, which can have a detrimental impact on species dependent on these structural elements, and on the future availability and characteristics of coarse woody debris. Relatively few compositional differences were noticed among stand types, although a greater proportion of mid-tolerant species was found in the post-harvest recruitment cohorts of harvested stands compared to OG, and a lower proportion of beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) saplings was observed in DLC compared to OG and SC. We argue that even if selection cutting is closer to the natural disturbance regime of hardwood forests than diameter-limit cutting, and therefore representing progress toward the development and implementation of a natural-disturbance-based management, a recurring application of selection cutting might lead to a homogenization of forest structure and composition, a reduction of key structural features and a reduction in biological diversity at both the stand and landscape scales. Some management recommendations are proposed