Making sense of the invisible: cognitive mapping, affective realities and the Irish/Northern Irish Border

As Brexit negotiations continue to draw criticism nearly two years on from the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, many media outlets have concentrated on making sense of what has been dubbed the ‘Brexit circus’. In particular, significant media attention has been directed towards obstacles to Brexit’s progression, such as the issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland and the ‘backstop’ arrangement. Through an examination of different media efforts to explain the border issue, this paper will discuss how conventional reporting methods have been unable to make this issue comprehensible to the individual. This paper will suggest that a hypertextual aesthetic form would provide a more effective means of making sense of the complexity of the border issue and its relationship to global political and economic structures. However, an understanding of the border issue also requires an understanding of the affective reality of life in this region and the history upon which this reality is founded. In this manner, this paper also argues that representational regimes capable of conveying affective realities could contribute important experiential dimensions to efforts to render dominant political and economic structures both cognisable and contestable

Superconducting properties of very high quality NbN thin films grown by high temperature chemical vapor deposition

Niobium nitride (NbN) is widely used in high-frequency superconducting electronics circuits because it has one of the highest superconducting transition temperatures ($T_c$ $\sim$ 16.5 K) and largest gap among conventional superconductors. In its thin-film form, the $T_c$ of NbN is very sensitive to growth conditions and it still remains a challenge to grow NbN thin film (below 50 nm) with high $T_c$. Here, we report on the superconducting properties of NbN thin films grown by high-temperature chemical vapor deposition (HTCVD). Transport measurements reveal significantly lower disorder than previously reported, characterized by a Ioffe-Regel ($k_F$$\ell$) parameter of $\sim$ 14. Accordingly we observe $T_c$ $\sim$ 17.06 K (point of 50% of normal state resistance), the highest value reported so far for films of thickness below 50 nm, indicating that HTCVD could be particularly useful for growing high quality NbN thin films

Advancement in the understanding of multifragmentation and phase transition for hot nuclei

Recent advancement on the knowledge of multifragmentation and phase transition for hot nuclei is reported. It concerns i) the influence of radial collective energy on fragment partitions and the derivation of general properties of partitions in presence of such a collective energy, ii) a better knowledge of freeze-out properties obtained by means of a simulation based on all the available experimental information and iii) the quantitative study of the bimodal behaviour of the heaviest fragment charge distribution for fragmenting hot heavy quasi-projectiles which allows, for the first time, to estimate the latent heat of the phase transition.Comment: 9 pages, Proceedings of IWM09, November 4-7, Catania (Italy

Anatomie du nerf alvéolaire inférieur

International audienceLe nerf alvéolaire inférieur présente un trajet global commun, mais aussi une variabilité anatomique (type trifurqué, bifurqué, ou plexiforme, foramen men-tonnier unique ou double, rond ou ovale) qui doit tout de même inciter à la plus grande prudence, par une imagerie systématique de type scanner mandibulaire, avant tout geste à proximité du nerf pour détecter les éventuelles variation

The tethered effect of the arachnoid in vago-glossopharyngeal neuralgia: a real associated alternative mechanism?

Vago-glossopharyngeal neuralgia (VGPN) is a rarely seen disease when compared to trigeminal neuralgia. When the pain is resistant to medical therapy, microvascular decompression can be performed if a vascular conflict is suspected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, arachnoid pathology may play a role in VGPN. We report two cases of VGPN caused by tethered arachnoid, associated with a vascular contact in which pain was reduced by freeing rootlets from arachnoid compression. We report two cases relating to 50-year-old and 30-year-old men with a history of electric shooting pain triggered by swallowing in the right pharyngeal and auricular regions. Preoperative MRI documented a neurovascular conflict in the first case and an arachnoid cyst in the second. Surgery was performed via a retrosigmoid craniotomy. In both cases, the intraoperative findings documented a tethered arachnoid membrane compressive to cranial nerves IX and X. Untethering was performed by liberation of the rootlets from the arachnoid with microvascular decompression. No additional rhizotomy was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful and pain was relieved in the first case and decreased in the second. In VGPN, a tethered arachnoid may play a role in causing the neuralgia, either alone or associated with a neuro-vascular conflict

Morphological and functional anatomy of the trigeminal triangular plexus as an anatomical entity: a systematic review

PURPOSE: The sensory trigeminal nerve in the trigeminal cave of Meckel-which is an individualized lodge-is classically segmented into two parts: the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and the triangular plexus (TP). The TP has been defined as the portion of the trigeminal nerve from the posterior margin of the TG to the path over the upper ridge of the petrous bone. Due to its relatively unrecognized status, its morphological and functional anatomy has been reviewed by the authors through a PRISMA systematic review of the literature. METHODS: The authors have carried out a systematic review of the TP according to the PRISMA model with various bibliographical bases. Before 1947: Medic @ Library (BIU Santé Paris, 2017); Index-Catalog of the Library of the Surgeon-General\u27s Office (US National Library of Medicine, 2017); Gallica (French National Library, 2017). After 1947: PUBMED, PubMed Central and MEDLINE. RESULTS: 56 articles were retained for full-text examination, of which 23 were chosen and included. The TP was described as having a triangular shape (30.2%), a plexual organization (97.4%) with sensory-, motor- and sympathetic-anastomoses (96.7%) that, however, respect the somatotopic trigeminal distribution (93.3%). The direct electrical stimulation of the root at the level of the TP (during radiofrequency-thermorhizotomy procedures) confirmed a clear-cut somatotopy. CONCLUSION: An understanding of both the morphological and the functional anatomy of the triangular plexus can contribute to accuracy and safety on the surgeries performed for trigeminal neuralgia and tumor removal inside the trigeminal cave

État du développement technologique en matière d'enlèvement des métaux des effluents industriels

Cette étude trace un profil des diverses technologies utilisées et en développement pour la séparation et/ou la récupération des métaux dans les effluents industriels. Les principes de fonctionnement de ces technologies sont abordés, ainsi que leurs avantages et limites d'utilisation. Les procédés d'enlèvement et de récupération des métaux comprennent les techniques de précipitation (formation d'hydroxydes, de carbonates, de sulfures, etc.) et coprécipitation (sels de fer et d'aluminium, etc.), d'adsorption (sable, cellulose, charbon activé, pyrite, ciment, lignite, mousse de tourbe, sciure de bois, etc.) et de biosorption (bactéries, levures, moisissures, algues marines et d'eaux douces), d'électrodéposition et d'électrocoagulation, de cémentation, de séparation par membranes (osmose inverse et électrodialyse), d'extraction par solvant (acides carboxyliques, amines aliphatiques ou aromatiques, acides aminés, composés phénoliques, phosphates alkyl, etc.), et d'échange d'ions (résines naturelles et synthétiques). La précipitation ou la coprécipitation représentent les procédés les plus largement utilisés et étudiés pour l'enlèvement des métaux des effluents industriels, suivis des techniques d'adsorption. Les procédés plus sophistiqués tels que l'électrodéposition, l'extraction par solvant, la séparation par membranes et l'échange d'ions, bien que largement utilisés dans les procédés métallurgiques, sont relativement peu employés et examinés pour le traitement des effluents industriels. La biosorption a fait l'objet de plusieurs travaux de recherche au cours des dernières années et représente une option intéressante pour le traitement de divers types d'effluents contenant de faibles concentrations en métaux. Finalement, le recyclage et la gestion optimale des effluents constitue une avenue de plus en plus suivie par les industries soucieuses de satisfaire aux nouvelles réglementations et législations.This study is dedicated to the review of the different technologies used and evaluated for the removal and/or recovery of metals from industrial effluents. The principles involved in these technologies are discussed, as well as the advantages and limits associated with these processes. The metal removal and recovery processes include the following techniques: precipitation, adsorption and biosorption, electrowinning and electrocoagulation, cementation, membrane separations, solvent extraction and ion exchange.Precipitation and coprecipitation are the most used and studied methods for metal removal from industrial waste waters. The method of precipitation used most often to remove metals from waste water consists of precipitating them in the form of hydroxides. The usual procedure involves the addition of chemicals such as lime (CaO or Ca(OH)2), Mg(OH)2, NaHCO3, Na2 CO3, (NH4)2 CO3, NaOH or NH4 OH. The precipitation of metals by carbonates or sulphides is an effective alternative to hydroxide precipitation. The use of carbonates allows the precipitation of metals to occur at pH values lower than those necessary with the hydroxides. Moreover, the precipitates thus formed are denser and have better characteristics of solid-liquid separation. Precipitation by sulphides is normally carried out with reagents such as: Na2 S, NaHS, H2 S or FeS. In acidic media, the lower solubility of metal sulphides (Cd, Co, Cu, Cr, Ni, Mn, Zn, etc.), makes it possible to reach concentrations lower than those obtained by precipitation as hydroxides. Coprecipitation with aluminum and iron salts is also an effective means for the removal of metals from effluents.Adsorption methods are also widely applied and examined for this purpose. However, in most cases the use of adsorbents requires an effluent neutralization step. Indeed, the neutralization of acid effluents must take place to allow their disposal in sewerage systems. A wide variety of adsorbents can be employed, both organic and inorganic: aluminum or iron oxides, sand, activated carbon, mixtures of coal and pyrite, iron particles, gravel or crushed brick, cement, etc. Studies have demonstrated the possibility of eliminating metals by adsorption on vegetable matter: peat moss, sawdust and wood bark, etc. Chitin and chitosan, two natural polymers that are abundant in the cell walls of fungi and shellfish, also have excellent properties of metal fixation. The utilization of different agricultural by-products (peanut skins, coconuts, corn cobs, onions skins, tea leaves, coffee powder, canola meal, etc.) for metal adsorption has also been proposed.Biosorption has been intensively studied in recent years as an economical treatment for metal recovery from dilute industrial effluents. Biosorption implies the use of live or dead biomass and/or their derivatives, which adsorb the metal ions with the ligands or functional groups located on the external surface of the microbial cells. Capacities for metal adsorption on various types of biomass (bacteria, yeasts, fungi, marine and freshwater algae) have been evaluated. The microorganisms used for the metal adsorption step must usually be immobilized in a matrix or in an easily recoverable support. The immobilizing agents or matrices most usually employed are alginate, polyacrylamine, polysulphone, silica gel, cellulose and glutaraldehyde.Electrowinning is a well-established technology that is widely employed in the mining and metallurgical industries (heap leaching, acid mine drainage, etc.), in metal transformation industries (wastes from plating and metal finishing), and in the electronics and electrical industries for the removal and/or the recovery of metals in solution. Many metals (Ag, Au, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn) present in the effluents can be recovered by electrodeposition using insoluble anodes.Electrocoagulation is another electrochemical approach, which uses an electrical current to remove several metals in solution. In fact, the electrocoagulation systems can be effective in removing suspended solids, dissolved metals, tannins and dyes. The contaminants present in waste water are maintained in solution by electrical charges. When these ions and the other charged particles are neutralized with ions of opposite electric charge, provided by a electrocoagulation system, they become destabilized and precipitate in a form that is usually very stable.Cementation is a type of precipitation method implying an electrochemical mechanism. In this process, a metal having a higher oxidation potential passes into solution (e.g., oxidation of metallic iron, Fe(0), to ferrous iron, Fe(II)) to replace a metal having a lower oxidation potential. Copper is the metal most frequently separated by cementation. However, the noble metals (Ag, Au and Pd), as well as As, Cd, Ga, Pb, Sb and Sn, can also be recovered in this manner.Reverse osmosis and electrodialysis are two processes using semipermeable membranes applicable to the recovery of metal ions. In electrodialysis, selective membranes (alternation of cation and anion membranes) fit between the electrodes in electrolytic cells. A continuous electrical current and the associated ion migrations, allow the recovery of metals. The techniques of membrane separation are very efficient for the treatment of dilute waste waters.The metallurgical industry has used solvent extraction for many years for a broad range of separations. This technique is employed today for the removal of soluble metals (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Mo, U, V, Zn, etc.) from waste water. Separation is carried out in contact with an immiscible organic phase to form salts or complex compounds, which give a favorable solubility distribution between the aqueous and organic phases. Various types of reagents can be used for the extraction: carboxylic acids, aliphatic or aromatic amines, amino acids, alkyl phosphates, phenolic compounds. The non-selective removal of metal contaminants in aqueous solutions can be obtained with a whole range of organic reagents. Promising new reagents have been proposed recently for the selective extraction of metals, such as Cd, Co, Cr and Zn.Ion exchangers are insoluble substances having in their molecular structure acidic or basic groups able to exchange, without modification of their physical structure, the positive or negative ions fixed at these groups. The first ion exchangers used were natural substances containing aluminosilicates (zeolites, clays, etc). Nowadays, the most-used ion exchangers are mainly organic in nature (resins). For the extraction of metals, the removal of cations in solution is usually done with the sulphonic acid group (-SO3- H+) of a polystyrene resin, or, with a chelating resin containing iminodiacetate functional groups. Ion exchange has recently received considerable attention for the separation and concentration of metals from waste water. These developments are especially applicable to the plating and metal transformation industries, for the removal of Cr, Co, Cu, Cd, Ni, Fe and Zn.The more sophisticated processes, such as electrowinning, solvent extraction, membrane separations and ion exchange, although frequently used in metallurgical processes, are less popular for wastewater treatment than are precipitation methods. Finally, recycling and optimal management of effluents constitutes an approach more and more widely applied by industries to satisfy new environmental regulations and laws

Covariant energy density functionals with and without tensor couplings at the Hartree-Bogoliubov level

Background: The study of additional terms in functionals is relevant to better describe nuclear structure phenomenology. Among these terms, the tensor one is known to impact nuclear structure properties, especially in neutron-rich nuclei. However, its effect has not been studied on the whole nuclear chart yet. Purpose: The impact of terms corresponding to the tensor at the Hartree level, is studied for infinite nuclear matter as well as deformed nuclei, by developing new density-dependent functionals including these terms. In particular, we study in details the improvement such a term can bring to the description of specific nuclear observables. Methods: The framework of covariant energy density functional is used at the Hartree-Bogoliubov level. The free parameters of covariant functionals are optimized by combining Markov-Chain-Monte-Carlo and simplex algorithms. Results: An improvement of the RMS binding energies, spin-orbit splittings and gaps is obtained over the nuclear chart, including axially deformed ones, when including tensors terms. Small modifications of the potential energy surface and densities are also found. In infinite matter, the Dirac mass is shifted to a larger value, in better agreement with experiments. Conclusions: Taking into account additional terms corresponding to the tensor terms in the vector-isoscalar channel at the Hartree level, improves the description of nuclear properties, both in nuclei and in nuclear matter

Alpha-particle formation and clustering in nuclei

The nucleonic localization function has been used for a decade to study the formation of alpha-particles in nuclei, by providing a measure of having nucleons of a given spin in a single place. However, differences in interpretation remain, compared to the nucleonic density of the nucleus. In order to better understand the respective role of the nucleonic localization function and the densities in the alpha-particle formation in cluster states or in alpha-decay mechanism, both an analytic approximation and microscopic calculations, using energy density functionals, are undertaken. The nucleonic localization function is shown to measure the anti-centrifugal effect, and is not sensitive to the level of compactness of the alpha-particle itself. It probes the purity of the spatial overlap of four nucleons in the four possible (spin, isospin) states. The density provides, in addition, information on the compactness of an alpha-particle cluster.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure