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In the Arctic tundra, climate-induced emergence of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)), a competitor to the Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758)), is predicted to influence predation patterns of both fox mesopredators. In this study, we (i) identified predator species from scats through an established barcoding approach and (ii) explored the use of a cheap, quick barcoding method of fox feces (n = 103). We investigated differences in diet between the red fox (predicted generalist predator) and Arctic fox (predicted specialist predator) over 2 years with varying prey abundance. We amplified short DNA fragments (

Museum barriers – those ropes and cords in front of artworks – seem to be both a nuisance and a necessity. To protect the artworks, they constrain the movements of visitors. Yet it is uncertain if protection really is what barriers are about. In this article, I argue that museum barriers are a material manifestation of deep-seated cultural convictions about how to approach works of art. Even if they are absent, learned and internalized barriers step in. – In recent years, the barrier seems to be disappearing from museum galleries. Reflecting upon the reasons for their presence or absence, I examine some of the functions of barriers in art museums, ask about the relationship of aesthetic and physical distance, and look at how art itself has addressed both the beholder’s desire for proximity and the urge to keep one’s distance.

Phonetic research has developed both impressionistic and more objective means of describing the basic units of intonation. The quantification involved in the approaches based on acoustic measurements provides more detail and it is a necessary prerequisite for the comparability and replicability of the results of different studies. In addition to having these characteristics, a proper description of intonation should be comprehensible and meaningful. This article presents a method for describing melodic contours using Legendre polynomials, which yields a few coefficients that capture the basic properties of the analysed contour (e.g. level or slope). This approach thus connects objectivity and quantitative precision with common linguistic concepts. The article also proposes the use of Legendre polynomials for the description of traditionally recognized Czech melodemes through the analysis of schemes reported in the literature. Further research on real material could verify the validity of these categories and the usefulness of the method itself.

The present study focuses on two problems connected with speech tempo. First, earlier research has been prevalently concerned with central tendencies while variation was mostly perceived as an auxiliary result. We believe, however, that information about data dispersion is essential for proper modelling and experiment design in the field of temporal structure of speech. Therefore, the present study provides reference values for some of the tempo metrics of variation that pertain to (a) between-genre differences, (b) within-genre differences, (c) inter-speaker differences, and (d) intra-speaker differences. Second, we tested the claim that faster tempi lead to fewer prosodic breaks in spoken texts. This claim had been supported by studies where a respondent was asked to produce the same text at various rates. We, on the other hand, pose a question of the number of prosodic breaks in speakers who are fast or slow inherently. The material used in the study represents two genres: poetry reciting and news reading, and we obtained recordings from 24 speakers in each genre. Apart from providing the quantifications, the outcomes suggest, for example, that the predisposition of individual speakers to produce fast or slow tempi differs between the two genres. The fastest speakers in news reading were not necessarily the fastest in poetry reciting. This result points at specific behaviour in different situations and invites caution concerning the idea of hard-wired speaking stereotypes in individuals. Also, the correlation between speakers’ rates and the number of phrases they produced was significant only in news reading, not in poetry reciting. This result was corroborated by greater variation in prosodic boundary placement in news reading. In addition, the results offer an insight into the relationship between articulation rate and speech rate, together with the comparison of measurements in syllables per second and phones per second. The latter can be of interest since Czech (the language of the material) belongs to languages with a complex syllabic structure.

Editorial

The article explores Jiang Menglin’s philosophy of life and his notion of rensheng guan (“view on life”) in the period between his studies in the USA and the year of the May Fourth events in 1919. In the first part, the paper traces the origins of Jiang’s idea back to the then-prevalent version of pragmatism propagated by John Dewey and other pragmatist thinkers gathered at Columbia University, while in the subsequent parts it aims to illuminate the later developments of Jiang’s own version of pragmatism in the context of the May Fourth intellectual discourse. While the article aims at presenting a positive outline of Jiang’s philosophy, it also endeavours to expose its less explicit aspects through its apophatic (exposition by negation or denial) expositions in Jiang’s writings from the period. Finally, it focuses on Jiang’s contributions to the debate on suicide that developed after Lin Deyang’s suicide in November 1919.

In the early 1930s, when the project of scientific modernization was in full swing in Chinese Buddhist circles, Dharma Master Taixu wrote a series of essays on “Realism” (Xianshi zhuyi 現實主義, 1928–1931). These represent one of the profoundest series of writings documenting his understanding of the link between science and Buddhist epistemology/ontology, and consequently also on the role of his notion of scientific Buddhism for modern times. Aside from his meditations on the relationship between science and Buddhism, in this important series of essays Taixu also provided his more or less critical accounts on modern philosophical currents in contemporary China, including Russell’s “New Realism” and materialism. This paper aims to provide a concise reading of the above-mentioned writings by Taixu, in order to cast some new light on the understanding of Western modern philosophy in Chinese Buddhist modernism of the Republican Era, on the one hand, and to highlight the main theoretical features of Taixu’s notion of scientific Buddhism, on the other. Aside from that, I also aim to present some new insights into the otherwise overlooked aspects of the broader intellectual sphere of Chinese Buddhism of the Republican Era. As regards the broader historical and intellectual context of Taixu’s writings, the analysis provided in this article will be regarded within the framework constructed in my forthcoming article on Taixu’s philosophy in the journal Buddhist Studies Review.

• Jan Van Ongevella rappelle les principaux projets que la CDS a pu mener à bien en collaboration avec HIVA-KU Leuven entre 2006 et 2021; • Il démontre que, grâce à cette collaboration, les deux institutions ont bénéficié d'un volume accru de recherches innovantes sur des questions clés du développement; • En effet, le partenariat a permis à l'HIVA-KU Leuven de développer son réseau international, ce qui est crucial pour rester pertinent dans un domaine de recherche qui se globalise rapidement; • Il en va de même pour la CDS qui a également bénéficié d'un soutien méthodologique au cours des différents projets de recherche et qui est maintenant reconnue au niveau international comme une organisation de recherche hautement compétente et fiable; • HIVA-KU Leuven est fière de sa longue relation avec la CDS et se réjouit de la perspective d'encore plus de projets de recherche communs à l'avenir.

Introduction. Entandrophragma tree species have been the subject of special attention by foresters and scientists for several decades. The purpose of this bibliographic review is to examine the current knowledge acquired on the taxonomy and ecology of this genus in order to identify new research priorities. Literature. The genus Entandrophragma has exclusively African species (10 to 12) that are exploited for the quality of their wood. These species are widespread in the Guineo-Congolese region (6 species) and in the Zambezian and Afromontane regions (5 species). The genus is characterized by a taxonomic evolution that has resulted in an important synonymy of species names (36 to 37). Ecological studies have been carried out on some major commercial species (Entandrophragma angolense, Entandrophragma congoense, Entandrophragma candollei, Entandrophragma cylindricum, Entandrophragma palustre and Entandrophragma utile) in their phytogeographic zones, mainly in the Guineo-Congolese region. Conclusions. Taxonomy and ecology of Entandrophragma tree species typically occurring in woodlands and savannas have been insufficiently studied in comparison with Entandrophragma species occurring in rainforests. Research needs to be developed for the improvement of taxonomic, genetic and ecological knowledge, with a view to formulating appropriate recommendations for the conservation and sustainable management of these species.

The paper focuses on the inferential role of quantifiers in Frege, Peano and Russell. Two aspects of the early years of mathematical logic are discussed: the gradual perfection of the principles of reasoning with quantifiers, and the presumed conceptual impossibility of posing metatheoretical questions, as embodied in Jean van Heijenoort’s well-known dictum about “logic as calculus and logic as language.”

In preparation for his article on Russell’s mathematical logic (1944), Gödel read carefully Peano’s Arithmetices Principia. His six pages of summary in the Gabelsberger shorthand contain a remarkable analysis of the formal structure of Peano’s proofs which is diametrically opposed to the common view that Peano’s treatise contained no formal deductive machinery.

Harold C. Conklin (1926-2016) is without doubt one of the key figures in ethnobotany and environmental anthropology. His work is admired for, among other qualities, its precision and its level of « fine description ». In particular, his pioneering studies on shifting cultivation have changed the general perspective on this way of land use. His Ethnographic Atlas of Ifugao (1980) is still a landmark of ethnographic fieldwork, combining a wide range of methods, including sophisticated cartography. The focus of this atlas was on the culture of Ifugao farmers in their home area in the Cordillera Mountains on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In recent decades, thousands of Ifugao farmers have left their home area and migrated eastwards to the Sierra Madre Mountains in the northeastern part of Luzon, across Cagayan Valley. They have done so for various reasons but land shortage is certainly one of them. In the foothills of the Sierra Madre, accessible arable land became available after large-scale commercial logging operations. In this article we will draw attention to the relevance of Conklin’s work before describing how the Ifugao farmers, with their extensive knowledge and experience, have been able to turn this new area into a highly productive environment, combining wet rice fields with upland agriculture. The research is based on fieldwork that was done over several years with Filipino, Dutch and other international students in the context of a long-standing cooperation project between Isabela State University in the Philippines and Leiden University (Netherlands).

The objective of this study is to provide quantitative data concerning size of prosodic phrases in foreign-accented Czech. The speech production of Anglophone users of the Czech language is contrasted with that of Czech professional and non-professional speakers. Each of the three groups of speakers of Czech is represented by 12 speakers. The fourth group of speakers (also 12 subjects) are English professional news readers. They provide data pertaining to the mother tongue of the target group. As expected, the prosodic phrases produced by non-native speakers are shorter and our data provide basis for their modelling that can be used in perceptual testing. One of the interesting outcomes of the study is the revelation that although Czech professional speakers make longer phrases than English professionals if counted in syllables (10.78 against 7.76 syllable per phrase), if counted in words, the difference disappears (4.56 against 4.54 words per phrase). This suggests that semantic constraints on prosodic phrase length are stronger than purely structural ones.

This study attempts to illustrate the document production of the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava in the significant first phase of its rich history in the years 1920 to 1950. In this period, Comenius University in Bratislava underwent a fundamental change - its de jure demise and the subsequent establishment of the Slovak University in Bratislava. Paradoxically, however, this only had a slight effect on the internal organization and it did not fundamentally change documentation practices at the faculty. The article focuses not only on the written production of the faculty, but, in relation to the legislation in force at the time, it clarifies the faculty's activities and the functioning of its governing bodies and their mutual relations and powers. The work is based on information that was drawn mainly from preserved archival materials, which are now stored in the permanent archival custody and administration of the Archives of Comenius University in Bratislava. We also drew on archive documents from the National Archive in Prague.

The present study reports phonetic data applicable for diagnostic purposes in voice related pathologies. However, apart from purely physiological concern, linguistic considerations are also acknowledged since the speech material consists of a continuous spoken text. Three age groups of speakers were recorded (young, middle-aged and old adults), each represented by 15 men and 15 women (n = 90). Several measures of fundamental frequency, together with variation in intensity and speech tempo were captured. An appreciably innovative metric, Cumulative Slope Index (CSI), was successfully employed to capture F0 variability in utterances. The results confirm differences between the age groups, but also between men and women, and contribute the normative mapping of the Czech population.

Since the late 1990’s correlates of rhythm classes of languages have been profusely used to search for differences between languages, dialects, speaking styles, degree of foreign accents, etc. Over the years the original attractiveness of the metrics has been replaced with suspicion and, occasionally, even fierce criticism. Among many reservations the critics argue that the metrics are only based on durational measures ignoring other dimensions of prominence, and they are considerably influenced by local temporal variation in utterances. We argue that the metrics could still be exploited in speech research as long as we do not expect them to reflect “speech rhythm” and as long as the proper account of their use is supplied. This study provides simulations to demonstrate the behaviour of the most commonly utilised metrics, and presents representative measurements of some Czech and English speech recordings under several conditions.

Pitch range is believed to code important information that is indispensable for correct decoding of spoken messages. Previous research found differences in pitch variation across languages like English, French, Bulgarian, Polish, Czech and German. In addition, differences in pitch range of foreign-accented and native speech were found in various types of speech material. In the present study a sample of sixteen English and American men and women produced recordings of spoken texts consisting of eight paragraphs taken from Czech news broadcasts. Manually corrected F0 tracks provided a possibility to extract four measures of F0 distributional dispersion in order to map global intonational habits of Anglophone learners of Czech as a foreign language. The extracted values were compared with reference values from earlier studies. The results in all four measures indicate that foreign accented Czech is spoken with a pitch range that is narrower than that of English and often even narrower than that of native Czech. Considering results of similar, albeit smaller, studies done earlier, we would attribute our findings to implicit uncertainty in the use of the foreign language, rather than to overcompensation.

Cette étude examine l’impact des classes et des écoles sur les performances en mathématiques des élèves de 4e année du primaire dans deux villes de la République démocratique du Congo en recourant à l’analyse multiniveau. Elle révèle que 71 %, 16 % et 13 % de la variance totale se situent respectivement aux niveaux élève, classe et école. L’étude montre en outre qu’au-delà de l’effet des caractéristiques individuelles, les caractéristiques de la classe expliquent 2,9 % (niveau classe) et 3,4 % (niveau école) de la variance totale. Cependant, seules la moyenne de la classe au prétest et la taille de classe sont significativement associées aux performances des élèves. L’étude montre enfin que si les caractéristiques de l’école expliquent 1,5 % de la variance totale située au niveau de l’école, l’expérience du directeur est le seul prédicteur significatif des performances des élèves.

This article elaborates on the uses of the notions of failed, fragile or weak states in the case of Haiti. It puts the emergence of those notions into perspective in order to understand why and how Haiti became characterized as a failed state (in the 1990s, and after 9/11). The article then further deconstructs the current classification of Haiti in failed state indexes. In the concluding section, alternative concepts are put forward, in order to better analyze the modes of government of the Haitian state.

Le Proyecto Mono Tocón (PMT) est une ONG péruvienne qui a été initié par le Conservatoire pour la Protection des Primates (CPP), association de conservation de la Vallée des Singes, en mai 2007. La zone d’intervention du Proyecto Mono Tocón est principalement la région de San Martin, au Pérou. Cette région est la seule à abriter le très rare titi de San Martin (Callicebus oenanthe), en danger critique d’extinction selon la liste rouge de l’IUCN. Il fait même partie des 25 primates les plus menacés au monde. Le principal objectif du PMT est donc de sauvegarder cette espèce en développant des activités de recherche scientifique, de conservation et d’éducation à l’environnement. Dans la région de San Martin, le besoin en terres agricoles aboutit à un taux de déboisement extrême. Certaines études estiment que 80 % des forêts de la zone ont disparu au cours des 25 dernières années. Les conséquences de cela sont bien sûr la disparition progressive de nombreuses espèces endémiques, mais également la destruction ou pollution des sources d’eau présentes dans les forêts et l’appauvrissement des communautés humaines. Le Proyecto Mono Tocón tente alors de conserver les derniers fragments forestiers de la région en développant et/ou en appuyant des initiatives de conservation locales. L’accent est alors mis sur la gestion durable des ressources naturelles, le renforcement des capacités et la sensibilisation des populations locales. Dans le but de sauvegarder Callicebus oenanthe, l’une des stratégies du PMT est la création de corridors écologiques dans toute la région de San Martin. Les espèces végétales choisies pour reboiser seront identifiées en fonction des besoins de l’espèce, mais également des intérêts socio-économiques des communautés humaines vivant dans la région. Durant ces dernières années, le Proyecto Mono Tocón a collecté de nombreuses données scientifiques sur l’espèce, mais il y a peu de connaissances sur ses comportements. Pourtant, ces connaissances sont indispensables afin d’identifier les espèces végétales utilisées par le titi et ainsi mieux le protéger. C’est pourquoi, durant l’année 2014, des études éthologiques préliminaires ont été menées au Morro de Calzada. Ces études s’attachent à mieux comprendre l’adaptation de C. oenanthe à la déforestation. Ainsi, trois groupes sont en processus (plus ou moins avancé) d’habituation : l’un en forêt primaire, l’autre en forêt secondaire et le dernier en zone fragmentée. Les objectifs d’une telle étude sont multiples et incluent d’obtenir une meilleure compréhension du comportement général de C. oenanthe, de son alimentation, de son utilisation des espèces végétales et de son adaptation selon le type d’habitat. Pour obtenir ces données, il est avant tout nécessaire d’habituer des groupes de Callicebus oenanthe à la présence humaine et d’établir un éthogramme pour l’espèce. Les données éthologiques sont enregistrées avec les méthodes de Scan sampling et Focal. Des études botaniques viendront compléter ces données comportementales dans le but ultime de réaliser un plan de reforestation pour la région de San Martin. Les zones sélectionnées pour le reboisement feront alors l’objet d’activités d’éducation environnementales menées par l’équipe du Proyecto Mono Tocón et à destination des habitants des zones concernées. Ces activités d’éducation s’attacheront à développer un plan de gestion adéquate prenant en compte les intérêts de Callicebus oenanthe, mais aussi des communautés humaines.Remerciements à : Carolina Garcia Suikkanen, Cecilia Corbella Felip, Julio C. Tello Alvarado, Alexander Amasifuen Perez, Eder Murrieta Villalobos, Ader Davila Reategui, Rider Tamani, Emerita Tirado, Roy Jaemy Romero Herrada, Jean-Pascal Guéry.

In 1993, a new retail complex called “Beurstraverse” was opened in the core of Rotterdam’s downtown commercial centre. In design, this complex differs sharply from that of the adjacent shopping precinct. An instant success, it was nicknamed the “Koopgoot”, or “shopping trench”. As an excavated passage under the Coolsingel, the major thoroughfare in the city center, the “trench” joins two retail concentrations that had been separated by the increasing traffic flow. This review focuses on the way the complex is operated, considering whether it is a substitute for public space or an extension of it. The point of departure is the concept of the “counterlocale”, which denotes a space that appears to be public but is actually exclusive. This article evaluates how the space of the “Beurstraverse” is manipulated as well as the public use of it.

Background: Studies suggest that residents tend to accept diagnostic suggestions, which could lead to diagnostic errors if the suggestion is incorrect. Those studies did not take into account that physicians in clinical practice will mainly encounter correct suggestions. The present study investigated residents’ diagnostic performance if they would first encounter a number of correct suggestions followed by a number of incorrect suggestions, and vice versa. It was hypothesized that more incorrect suggestions would be accepted if participants had first evaluated a series of correct suggestions. Method: Residents (n = 38) evaluated suggested diagnoses on eight written clinical cases. Half of the participants first evaluated four correct suggestions and then evaluated four incorrect suggestions (C/I-condition). The other half started with the four incorrect suggestions followed by the correct suggestions (I/C-condition). Results: Our findings show that the evaluation score in the C/I condition (M = 2.87, MSE = 0.14) equaled that in the I/C condition (M = 2.66, MSE = 0.14), F(1,36) = 1.09, p = 0.30, ns, meaning that consistency in preceding suggested diagnoses did not influence the tendency to accept subsequent diagnostic suggestions. There was, however, a significant interaction effect between case order and phase, F(1,36) = 11.82, p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.25, demonstrating that the score on cases with correct suggestions was higher than the score on cases with incorrect suggestions. Conclusion: These findings indicate that consistency in preceding correct or incorrect diagnostic suggestions did not influence the tendency to accept or reject subsequent suggestions. However, overall residents still showed a tendency to accept diagnostic suggestions, which may lead to diagnostic errors if the suggestion is incorrect.

Les auteurs décrivent une technique améliorée de dissection de l'intestin moyen et des glandes salivaires des glossines. En ajoutant à la dissection le proventricule, la méthode permet d'obtenir un tableau plus complet du développement des trypanosomes chez la mouche infectée.

Questions about the suitability of cognitively-oriented instructional approaches for students of different academic levels are frequently raised by teachers and researchers. This study examined student participation in knowledge-building discourse in two implementations of a short inquiry unit focusing on environmental problems. Participants in each implementation consisted of students taking a mainstream or an honours version of a tenth grade social studies course. We retrieved data about students’ actions in Knowledge Forum® (e.g., the number of notes created and the percentage of notes with links), and conducted a content analysis of the discourse by each collaborative group. We suggest the findings provide cause for optimism about the use of knowledge-building discourse across academic levels: there was moderate to strong evidence of knowledge building in both classes by Implementation 2. We end with suggestions for focusing online work more directly on knowledge building. Résumé Les enseignants et les chercheurs soulèvent fréquemment des questions quant au caractère approprié des approches pédagogiques cognitives pour les élèves de différents niveaux scolaires. La présente étude a examiné la participation des étudiants à la coélaboration des connaissances lors de la formation, à deux reprises, d’une unité d’enquête de courte durée axée sur les problèmes environnementaux. Pour chacun des deux essais, les participants étaient des élèves qui suivaient un programme d’études de dixième année, soit général, soit spécialisé en sciences sociales. Nous avons récupéré des données sur les actions des élèves dans le Knowledge Forum (par exemple, le nombre de notes créées et le pourcentage de notes avec des liens) et nous avons analysé le contenu du discours de chaque groupe de collaboration. Nous pensons que les résultats incitent à l’optimisme et qu’il est possible de parler de coélaboration des connaissances entre les niveaux scolaires : des données probantes moyennement rigoureuses ou rigoureuses montrant la coélaboration des connaissances ont été obtenues dans les deux classes lors du deuxième essai. Nous concluons avec des suggestions pour orienter plus directement les travaux en ligne sur la coélaboration de connaissances.

This contribution deals with a first attempt to create a geographical society in Belgium in the years between 1869 and 1873. At first sight there is nothing extraordinary about it. Indeed, in the second half of the 19th century plenty of similar societies were founded all over Europe. What makes this society remarkable is the economic and utilitarian approach of the man who is considered to be the founder of this first Belgian Society, Charles-Xavier Sainctelette. In his view geography was an instrument for the promotion of the expansion of Belgian commerce and industry. This study combines history of science with the general economic history of Belgium and with the history of Belgian activities oversea. It reflects on the origins and program of the society in relation to the leading schools of French and German geography. Elements of this history have to do with the development of the port of Antwerp, the industry of Wallonia and the colonial dream of king Leopold II.

This conference will study the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century voyages financed by the French state with a view to acquiring new knowledge on the world outside Europe. This period witnessed radical changes in scientific exploration overseas. During the reign of the Sun King, and under the impetus of Colbert, these academic travellers leaving France, and some French residing in overseas territories, received instructions to better orient their observations and improve the collection of data in order to gather knowledge that would be useful to the state. Small-scale projects prevailed. With the support of royal institutions such as the Académie Royale des Sciences and the Jardin du Roi, people like Charles Plumier, Joseph Pitton de Tournefort and Louis Éconches Feuillée brought back specimens and descriptions of “useful plants”. Others, like Jean Richer, made astronomical observations in the southern hemisphere, improving not only geographical knowledge, but also cartographic techniques and skills in the field of navigation. Companies expanded under Louis XV. Rivalry with England led the French to the Pacific. Science, exploration and geopolitics were mixed. Large research teams boarded military vessels. The expeditions enriched scientific collections in Versailles and the royal institutions in Paris. Under Louis XVI this process culminated in the expedition of La Pérouse. Three aspects of French science policy in the field of exploration will be analysed in detail: the mechanisms of patronage and protection, the mechanisms of scientific agreement and leveraging the knowledge gathered by travellers.

Polymer electrolyte and solid oxide are the two fuel cell types (PEFC, SOFC) under development in Switzerland. The very distinct operating temperatures of 80°C (PEFC) and 800–950°C (SOFC) impose fundamentally different requirements upon the nature of the fuel; normally purified H2 for the former (CO trace) and usually synthesis gas for the latter (H2, CO as main constituents). Apart from stored hydrogen, the most relevant fuels are primary hydrocarbons (natural gas, biogas, liquids,...), that then need processing (chemical conversion, cleaning) up to a level compatible with the fuel cell catalysts. These processes are briefly reviewed. Fuel compositions with an emphasis on impurities are given. Two application examples from Swiss R&D are presented: gasoline conversion to high purity H2 for PEFC and contaminated biogas processing for SOFC.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) application development is very well represented in Switzerland by two companies. Sulzer Hexis AG is one of the world leaders in the commercialization of SOFC systems for single family houses. A smaller company, HTceramix, is active in novel processing routes for cells and in innovative stack designs. This article first presents the benefits of implementing SOFC in selected applications and markets. Then the current state-of-the-art in stacking is described for both Swiss stack designs, looking at power density, and electrical efficiency. It is remarkable that both stacks currently exhibit a unique characteristic in SOFC design: the absence of side sealing, which permits to significantly simplify the stack assembly and thus improve its reliability. Finally, the two generations of SOFC systems produced by Sulzer Hexis are presented. The HXS 1000 Premiere preseries system is evaluated on the basis of the extended demonstration program currently underway where 110 systems are in operation in single family houses and public buildings. The near-series system is then introduced with respect to the identified needs in reduction of investment and operating costs as well as size and weight.

The term 'proteome' describes the expressed protein complement of a genome. The largely invariant genome of an individual or organism determines its potential for gene- and protein expression but does not specify which proteins are expressed in the various types of cells in an organism or individual or their level or extent of post-translational modification. Furthermore, the proteomes of cells are directly affected by environmental factors, such as stress or drug treatment, or by aging and disease. This review briefly describes a selection of the main technologies applied by proteome sciences and their applications to study complex biological problems.

My interest is in the conscious role of space and time or of geography and history in contemporary urban development, particularly in the generation of urban projects. Can urban development be seen in relationship to form and thus to urban projects that are shaping and being shaped by contemporary culture? I would like to draw attention to a shift of attitude in a series of urban projects within the field of architecture and urbanism based on a ‘more fluid and kaleidoscopic socio-economic landscape’ that is characterised by programmatic indeterminacy and instability. This parallels a shift in society: The fragmenting of centralised flows of power towards the power of flows induced by networks that become the dominant social morphology (Castells 1996). I then introduce the notion of a material culture based on object form and the production and consumption of form through complex processes of negotiation. This negotiation of form is increasingly a conscious process on the level of configuration, a conceptual and diagrammatic level within the design process between the virtual and the real that allows interaction and participation. This in turn refers to the notion of the deleuzian abstract machines in cultural and historical processes and evolution in general. Geography has created GIS (Geographical Information Systems), a digital tool with which we within the diagrammatic process of configuration can create any map and map anything, an interface for participatory action. What is the historical equivalent of this tool, which are the generative engines of change over time and how are they configured?

Background: Paraneoplastic pemphigus is an autoimmune disease of the skin and mucosa described in 1990. The condition is generally associated with lymphoma or chronic lymphoid leukemia. Lesions are often misleading, masquerading as polymorphous erythema or lichen. We report a case of paraneoplastic pemphigus with pustulous skin lesions., Case Report: A 52-year-old man developed over a few weeks time erosive lesions of the oral cavity and lips associated with papulous skin lesions. Secondarily, large-sized pustules, sometimes a hypopion, were observed associated with bullae. The diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus was confirmed by direct immunofluorescence that evidenced IgG deposits within the keratinocytes and along the basal membrane and by indirect immunofluorescence on rat bladder that evidenced circulating antibodies. This paraneoplastic pemphigus was the inaugural sign of chronic lymphoid leukemia., Discussion: Skin lesions described in paraneoplastic pemphigus include: erosion, vesicles, bullae, and psoriasiform, lichen-like, plate-like or vegetative formations. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a pustulous form; clinically similar to Hallopeau pustulous pemphigus.

Objective: Desquamative gingivitis is a chronic diffuse inflammation of the gingiva. The aim of this study was to determine the causes and the clinical characteristics of desquamative gingivitis., Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study including 33 consecutive patients (25 women and 8 men) seen at a dermatology clinic for erosive gingivitis., Results: Thirteen patients (39 p. 100) had cicatricial pemphigoid, 12 (36 p. 100) had lichen planus, and 5 (15 p. 100) had pemphigus. Delay to diagnosis was a mean 19 months. The pinch sign was positive in 12 of the 13 cases of cicatricial pemphigoid. Dapsone improved the buccal lesions of cicatricial pemphigoid in all cases. Systemic corticosteroid therapy and acitretine were the most effective treatments for lichen planus and corticosteroid therapy improved pemphigus in all cases. At the time of assessment, only 3 cases of cicatricial pemphigoid, 2 cases of lichen planus and 1 case of pemphigus had reached complete remission without treatment., Discussion: Cicatricial pemphigoid and lichen planus are the most frequent causes of desquamative gingivitis, accounting for three-quarters of the cases. Positive diagnosis may be difficult and may require sophisticated techniques to avoid delay. Despite the effectiveness of symptomatic treatment, desquamative gingivitis may have a long course.

Background: Granuloma faciale is a rare condition of unknown pathogenesis. Treatment often gives less than satisfactory results. We report two cases successfully treated with cryosurgery., Case Report: A 42-year-old woman had a round 65 x 40 mm erythematous violet-colored papulous plaque on the right cheek. Histology reported a dense inflammatory infiltration of the superficial and mid derma around dilated vessels under a normal epidermis. The infiltration was composed of histiocytes, lymphocytes, plasma cells, neutrophils and eosinophils and was compatible with granuloma facial. Surgical treatment was performed but was followed by recurrence within a few months. Class I local steroids, cotton swab cryotherapy and oral dapsone remained ineffective. Cryosurgery however led to cure without recurrence at 1 year follow-up. The second patient was a 52-year old man with an oval reddish-brown papulous plaque on the right preauricular area. The plaque measured 40 mm in diameter and histology favored granuloma facial. Three cotton swab cryotherapy sessions and one surgical excision procedure were followed by recurrence. Cryosurgery provided successful cure without recurrence at 3.5 years follow-up., Discussion: Most destructive treatments for granuloma facial, including pulverization cryotherapy, surgery, and CO(2) or argon laser are unsuccessful in preventing recurrence. Cryosurgery was proposed in 1977 but few cases have been reported since. Medical treatments have been variously successful with most authors reporting unsatisfactory results. In our two cases, surgical excision was rapidly followed by recurrence and in one case dapsone was ineffective. Cryosurgery provided rapid regression of the lesion and recurrence-free cure at 1 and 3.5 years follow-up respectively. Cryosurgery is an effective treatment for readily recurrent eosinophilic granuloma facial and should be proposed as first intention therapy.

Background: D-penicillamine can induce autoimmune disease, particularly in patients with associated immune disorders., Case Report: A 67-year old woman who had been taking D-penicillamine for 15 months for rheumatoid arthritis was hospitalized due to the development of a bullous eruption and proximal muscle deficiency. Search for intercellular antisubstance antibodies in serum was negative. The skin biopsy histology revealed intra-epidermal cleavage in the mucosal body and direct immunofluorescence revealed epidermal frame-marking with anti-IgG and anti-C3 antibodies. Other tests revealed muscular cytolysis, and anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies. The electromyogram showed neuromuscular block without muscle deficiency and muscle biopsy showed moderate myositis. D-penicillamine was interrupted and was followed by cure of the pemphigus and aggravation of the myositis, requiring high-dose systemic corticosteroid therapy., Discussion: This patient developed D-penicillamine induced pemphigus, a rather frequent observation. The desmoglein immunolabelling favored drug-induced pemphigus and the course was rapidly favorable after withdrawal. Pemphigus had developed simultaneously with signs of myasthenia and polymyositis. Polymyositis and myasthenia are also known complications of D-penicillamine therapy. The association of these three complications suggests that D-penicillamine can unmask certain antigens or have an immunomodulator effect.

Background: Radiodermatitis after cardiac catheterization procedures has been reported in only a few cases in the literature. This side effect may not however be uncommon after long or repeated endocavitary explorations., Case Report: We observed a case of chronic radiodermatitis which developed after cardiac catheterization, in a patient treated with corticosteroids and ciprofibrate for lupus. The patient had undergone only one heart catheterization. A second catheterization performed when the patient had stopped ciprofibrate did not provoke new lesions., Discussion: This observations would suggest that ciprofibrate could participate as a radiosensitizing factor in the development of radiodermatitis.

We report the case of a 67-year-old-man presenting with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma revealed by dermatological manifestations of cytosteatonecrosis and treated by hepatic artery ligation. The pancreatic etiology of these lesions was suspected due to hyperlipasemia, and was confirmed by abdominal computerized tomography showing a pancreatic tumor and multiple liver nodules, and by histological examination of one of these lesions. Because of symptomatic treatment failure, rapid impairment of patient's general condition, and by analogy with the treatment of hepatic metastases of neuroendocrine tumors, hepatic artery ligation was performed. Lipasemia decreased markedly and symptoms disappeared for 45 days. Hepatic artery obstruction may be used for emergency treatment of secreting liver metastases.

Introduction: Elastosis perforans serpiginosa frequently occurs in trisomy 21. Usually no cause is found. We report a case in which vitamin deficiency may have contributed to the development of skin lesions., Case Report: A 11-year-old girl with trisomy 21 developed papulokeratosic eruptions with a linear serpiginous distribution, predominantly involving the lower limbs. On ultrastructure examination, numerous elastic fibers penetrated the epiderma and the baseline membrane had disappeared. The patient also had a totally patent atrioventricular canal with hypoplasia of the left ventricle and cardiac liver. Serum vitamin A level was low (0.56 mumol/l, normal > 1.55). Acitretine was prescribed at the dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day but had to be stopped 2 months later due to elevated liver enzyme levels despite a clear clinical improvement., Discussion: This association between elastosis perforans serpiginosa and vitamin A deficiency, observed here in a child with trisomy 21, has never been reported by others. Vitamin A deficiency might aggravate the skin lesions. In our case, there was probably a relationship between the vitamin A deficiency and the cardiogenic liver disease. The keratoregulatory effect of vitamin A on elastic tissue is less well known. Treatment with retinoids provided clinical improvement but had to be stopped due to hepatotoxicity. Parenteral vitamin A would be an interesting alternative but the risk of side effects would theoretically be greater than with oral retinoids.