From individual scientific visibility to collective competencies : the example of an academic department in social science

The article discusses the role of university department in social sciences. It studies how to describe the three missions of university department: education, research and consultancy services for public and private organisations. It also proposes tools to evaluate to what extend these missions are connected. Until now, evaluation in this domain has focused primarily on research activities and far too few indicators have been developed for the other two missions. Moreover, evaluation is often performed on an individual basis, so that the synergy generated by work collectives is rarely evaluated. The purpose of this article is to propose a method for identifying and describing the competencies of a social science research and teaching department. By means of this method can be used to study the articulation between the department's different activities—research, expertise and teaching—can be studied. Maps of an activity are generated, which can serve as a basis for strategic planning of future trends. The approach is based on an analysis of "traces" (articles, contracts, research reports, postgraduate training modules) of the activity of the different components of the Social Science Department, using lexicographic analysis tools. With keywords, titles, summaries and synopses of lectures, it is possible to draw up "maps" representing the department's main competencies.

Higher Spin Alternating Sign Matrices

We define a higher spin alternating sign matrix to be an integer-entry square matrix in which, for a nonnegative integer r, all complete row and column sums are r, and all partial row and column sums extending from each end of the row or column are nonnegative. Such matrices correspond to configurations of spin r/2 statistical mechanical vertex models with domain-wall boundary conditions. The case r=1 gives standard alternating sign matrices, while the case in which all matrix entries are nonnegative gives semimagic squares. We show that the higher spin alternating sign matrices of size n are the integer points of the r-th dilate of an integral convex polytope of dimension (n-1)^2 whose vertices are the standard alternating sign matrices of size n. It then follows that, for fixed n, these matrices are enumerated by an Ehrhart polynomial in r.Comment: 41 pages; v2: minor change

Studies on the gas-vacuoles of blue-green algae

Gas-vacuoles were examined with optical and electron microscopes in species of blue-green algae cultured in the laboratory and collected from the field. Gas-vacuoles were characterised with the normal transmission optical microscope as reddish, pressure-sensitive structures, which possess a lower refractive index than the surrounding cellular contents. They were resolved with the electron microscope into closely packed bundles of gas-cylinders (70.0 nm wide) with a-granules lying in ordered rows between the individual gas-cylinders. The groups of gas-cylinders were found in association with lamellae at all stages of growth of Anabaena flos-aquae D124. Changes in the arrangement of lamellae were reflected in the appearance of the groups of gas-cylinders. Analyses of vacuole gases with the mass-spectrometer indicated the presence of nitrogen. However, the finding that gas-cylinder membranes are freely permeable to gases indicates that the composition of vacuole gases will reflect that of the surroundings. Gas-cylinder membranes and α-granules were isolated from A. flos-aquae D124. The membranes were striated with a periodicity of 5.0 nm and appeared globular in section. The 4.0 nm globules were proteinaceous with molecular weights of 22,000 ± 2,000. Possible homologies of these membranes with viral coat protein are discussed. α-granules were shown by a variety of techniques to be polysaccharide. A. flos-aquae D124 was grown under a variety of different environmental conditions. Two generalisations were apparent from these studies. Gas-vacuoles occupy a greater proportion of cell volume in the stationary phase of growth compared with exponential growth. Gas- vacuoles in cells grown at inhibitory light intensities are restricted in their development to the cell periphery adjacent to cell walls. Some physiological studies were conducted on the effects of the absence of gas-vacuoles on growth of A. flos-aquae D124, and the changes in sedimentation rate of cells associated with gas-vacuole redevelopment. After consideration of a variety of different evidence it was concluded that the main function of gas-vacuoles is to lower the specific gravity of blue-green algal cells

Motivation, Rationality, and Secular Purpose in Establishment Clause Review

Latridiidae of mainland France and Corsica : updated checklist of species (Coleoptera, Cucujoidea). New captures allow updating the checklist of the Latridiidae of France. Seven species are reported as new for this country : Corticaria espanyoli Otero & López, 2009, C. pinicola Brisout de Barneville, 1866, Dienerella (Cartoderema) besucheti Vincent, 1994, D. (C.) huguettae Vincent, 1991, Enicmus atriceps Hansen, 1962, E. planipennis Strand, 1940, and Metophthalmus hispanicus Reitter, 1908. An illustrated key to species of the genus Melanophthalma is also provided.De nouvelles captures permettent de compléter le catalogue des espèces de Latridiidae de la faune de France. Sept espèces sont signalées comme nouvelles pour la France : Corticaria espanyoli Otero & López, 2009, C. pinicola Brisout de Barneville, 1866, Dienerella (Cartoderema) besucheti Vincent, 1994, D. (C.) huguettae Vincent, 1991, Enicmus atriceps Hansen, 1962, E. planipennis Strand, 1940, et Metophthalmus hispanicus Reitter, 1908. Une clé illustrée des espèces du genre Melanophthalma est également fournie.Rose Olivier, Vincent Roger. Latridiidae de la faune de France continentale et de Corse : mise à jour du catalogue des espèces (Coleoptera, Cucujoidea). In: Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, volume 119 (1),2014. pp. 67-71

Reliability of 2-out-of-N:G systems with NHPP failure flows and fixed repair times

It is commonplace to replicate critical components in order to increase system lifetimes and reduce failure rates. The case of a general N-plexed system, whose failures are modeled as N identical, independent nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) flows, each with rocof (rate of occurrence of failure) equal to λ(t), is considered here. Such situations may arise if either there is a time-dependent factor accelerating failures or if minimal repair maintenance is appropriate. We further assume that system logic for the redundant block is 2-out-of-N:G. Reliability measures are obtained as functions of τ which represents a fixed time after which Maintenance Teams must have replaced any failed component. Such measures are determined for small λ(t)τ, which is the parameter range of most interest. The triplex version, which often occurs in practice, is treated in some detail where the system reliability is determined from the solution of a first order differential-delay equation (DDE). This is solved exactly in the case of constant λ(t), but must be solved numerically in general. A general means of numerical solution for the triplex system is given, and an example case is solved for a rocof resembling a bathtub curve

Operational reliability calculations for critical systems

Reliability theory deals with the effect of mean time to repair upon overall system failure rates, but for critical systems such calculations are not what is required because an important performance criterion relates to operational failures, which are fundamentally different to unsafe failures: essentially they are the result of the system-level response to avoid unsafe failures. This paper introduces the particular problem for critical systems in general, presents an analysis of some of the relevant conditions and provides some simulation results in the context of a railway active suspension application that illustrate the overall effects and trends