Allégories de la sexualité dans l’Ovide moralisé

Source incontournable des mythes ovidiens pour les poètes du XIVe et du XVe siècle, tels que Machaut, Froissart et Christine de Pizan, première traduction en langue vernaculaire de l’ensemble des Métamorphoses d’Ovide, l’Ovide moralisé est universellement connu, au moins de nom, par les spécialistes de la littérature médiévale française. Mais il reste un texte peu lu, « parent pauvre » parmi les œuvres du XIVe siècle étudiées par la critique, comme le dit si bien M.-R. Jung. Certes, les raiso..

Unified Treatment of Asymptotic van der Waals Forces

In a framework for long-range density-functional theory we present a unified full-field treatment of the asymptotic van der Waals interaction for atoms, molecules, surfaces, and other objects. The only input needed consists of the electron densities of the interacting fragments and the static polarizability or the static image plane, which can be easily evaluated in a ground-state density-functional calculation for each fragment. Results for separated atoms, molecules, and for atoms/molecules outside surfaces are in agreement with those of other, more elaborate, calculations.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Common Beliefs and Reality About PLS: Comments on Ronnkko and Evermann (2013)

Henseler, J., Dijkstra, T. K., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Diamantopoulos, A., Straub, D. W., Ketchen Jr., D. J., Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., & Calantone, R. J. (2014). Common Beliefs and Reality About PLS: Comments on Ronnkko and Evermann (2013). Organizational Research Methods, 17(2), 182-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114526928This article addresses Rönkkö and Evermann’s criticisms of the partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling. We contend that the alleged shortcomings of PLS are not due to problems with the technique, but instead to three problems with Rönkkö and Evermann’s study: (a) the adherence to the common factor model, (b) a very limited simulation designs, and (c) overstretched generalizations of their findings. Whereas Rönkkö and Evermann claim to be dispelling myths about PLS, they have in reality created new myths that we, in turn, debunk. By examining their claims, our article contributes to reestablishing a constructive discussion of the PLS method and its properties. We show that PLS does offer advantages for exploratory research and that it is a viable estimator for composite factor models. This can pose an interesting alternative if the common factor model does not hold. Therefore, we can conclude that PLS should continue to be used as an important statistical tool for management and organizational research, as well as other social science disciplines.publishersversionpublishe

Cops, Teachers, and the Art of the Impossible: Explaining the lack of diffusion of impossible job innovations

In their now classic Impossible Jobs in Public Management, Hargrove and Glidewell (1990) argue that public agencies with limited legitimacy, high conflict, low professional authority, and weak agency myths have essentially impossible jobs. Leaders of such agencies can do little more than cope, which is also a theme of James Q. Wilson (1989), among others. Yet in the years since publication of Impossible Jobs, one such position, that of police commissioner has proven possible. Over a sustained 17-year period, the New York City Police Department has achieved dramatic reductions in crime with relatively few political repercussions, as described by Kelling and Sousa (2001). A second impossible job discussed by Wilson and also by Frederick Hess (1999), city school superintendent, has also proven possible, with Houston and Edmonton having considerable academic success educating disadvantaged children. In addition, Atlanta and Pittsburgh enjoyed significant success in elementary schooling, though the gains were short-lived for reasons we will describe. More recently, under Michelle Rhee, Washington D.C. schools have made the most dramatic gains among city school systems. These successes in urban crime control and public schooling have not been widely copied. Accordingly, we argue that the real conundrum of impossible jobs is why agency leaders fail to copy successful innovations. Building on the work of Teodoro (2009), we will discuss how the relative illegitimacy of clients and inflexibility of personnel systems combine with the professional norms, job mobility and progressive ambition of agency leaders to limit the diffusion of innovations in law enforcement and schooling. We will conclude with ideas about how to overcome these barriers

Astrocytes: biology and pathology

Astrocytes are specialized glial cells that outnumber neurons by over fivefold. They contiguously tile the entire central nervous system (CNS) and exert many essential complex functions in the healthy CNS. Astrocytes respond to all forms of CNS insults through a process referred to as reactive astrogliosis, which has become a pathological hallmark of CNS structural lesions. Substantial progress has been made recently in determining functions and mechanisms of reactive astrogliosis and in identifying roles of astrocytes in CNS disorders and pathologies. A vast molecular arsenal at the disposal of reactive astrocytes is being defined. Transgenic mouse models are dissecting specific aspects of reactive astrocytosis and glial scar formation in vivo. Astrocyte involvement in specific clinicopathological entities is being defined. It is now clear that reactive astrogliosis is not a simple all-or-none phenomenon but is a finely gradated continuum of changes that occur in context-dependent manners regulated by specific signaling events. These changes range from reversible alterations in gene expression and cell hypertrophy with preservation of cellular domains and tissue structure, to long-lasting scar formation with rearrangement of tissue structure. Increasing evidence points towards the potential of reactive astrogliosis to play either primary or contributing roles in CNS disorders via loss of normal astrocyte functions or gain of abnormal effects. This article reviews (1) astrocyte functions in healthy CNS, (2) mechanisms and functions of reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation, and (3) ways in which reactive astrocytes may cause or contribute to specific CNS disorders and lesions

Pour ou contre une esthétique de la compilation ?

Parmi les nombreuses sources de l’auteur (ou des auteurs) du Lancelot-Graal, aucune, sans doute, n’égale en importance les deux romans de Chrétien de Troyes, Le Chevalier de la Charrette et Le Conte du Graal, dont les données furent agencées de manière géniale par le(s) prosateur(s) pour former la clef de voûte de l’édifice massif s’étendant de la naissance de Lancelot à la fin du règne du roi Arthur. Mais les deux romans n’ont pas été traités de manière égale : Certes, Le Conte du Graal a su..

An Empirical Examination Of Firm, Industry, And Temporal Effects On Corporate Social Performance

Research examining firm and industry effects on performance has primarily focused on the financial aspects of firm performance. Corporate social performance (CSP) is a major aspect of firm performance that has been under-examined empirically in the literature to date. Adding to the fundamental debate regarding firm versus industry effects on performance, this study uses data drawn from the Kinder, Lydenberg and Domini Co. (KLD) database to examine the degree to which CSP is related to firm, industry, and temporal factors. The results of these analyses suggest that CSP tends to change in a linear manner over time; however, the slope of this line varies across firms and industries. These findings are supported by several robustness checks accounting for autocorrelation, alternative measures of industry, different samples commonly used when using KLD data to measure CSP, and alternative measures of CSP when using the KLD database. The authors also directly compare firm, industry, and temporal effects between CSP and financial performance

Separation of mass-overlapped time of flight-energy elastic recoil detection analysis data using Ryan and Jamieson's dynamic analysis method

Time of flight-energy (ToF-E) elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) data often contains mass signals with considerable overlap from adjacent isotopes in the mass-energy plane. An evaluation has been carried out of the suitability of the dynamic analysis method proposed by Ryan and Jamieson to decompose elemental signals with overlapping mass. This method is shown to work very well on generated test data and the result when it was applied to experimental data appears quite promising. Very accurate mass calibration and lineshape determination was found to be a prerequisite for the application of the method.Leif Persson, Harry J Whitlow, Mohamed El Bouanani, Mikael Hult, Margaretha Andersson, Ian F Bubb, David D Cohen, Nick Dytlewski, Peter N Johnston, Scott R Walker, Carina Zaring, Mikael Östlin