Différenciations sociospatiales et gouvernance municipale dans les banlieues de Beyrouth : à travers l'exemple de Sahel AlMatn AlJanoubi et des municipalités de Chiyah, Ghobeiri et Furn AlChebbak

Doctoral thesis (2011)

La thèse s’inscrit dans le débat sur une des “grandes questions urbaines contemporaines”: comment dans la multiplication des projets individuels et collectifs de plus en plus fragmentés se construit la ... [more ▼]

La thèse s’inscrit dans le débat sur une des “grandes questions urbaines contemporaines”: comment dans la multiplication des projets individuels et collectifs de plus en plus fragmentés se construit la ville d’aujourd’hui? Dans un contexte d’étalement urbain continu et de crise des “grands récits” de la modernité, l’individu comme le groupe connaît de plus en plus de difficultés à trouver sa place, son “lieu”, en ville. La recherche de l’entre-soi et l’altérité devient de plus en plus importante dans cette quête. La thèse revient sur les différents concepts traitant des différenciations sociospatiales en ville (ségrégation, marginalisation, relégation, fragmentation). Elle remarque que ces concepts favorisent une lecture systémique de la réalité urbaine où les éléments factoriels économiques, culturels et politiques ont un rôle central dans l’explication. Tout en se mettant dans la continuité de ces travaux, la thèse privilégie une lecture se basant sur trois entrées: - La crise de citoyenneté urbaine (crise de définitions de la ville, de ses limites, de ses citoyens, de leurs droits et surtout de sa gouvernance) comme principale grille explicative - Le local. Ce dernier étant d’une part l’échelle où ces différenciations sociospatiales sont les plus manifestes, et d’autre part car c’est à cette échelle que les phénomènes systémiques doivent se “redéfinir” en s’inscrivant dans le contexte. - Les périphéries et les banlieues où la cirse de citoyenneté est plus nette et où les acteurs locaux – dans un milieu à la recherche de sens, et en continuelle redéfinition – cherchent à avoir plus d’emprise sur leur milieu direct. Dans ce contexte la thèse avance que les spécificités du local, notamment la gouvernance locale et la spécialisation économique ont un poids déterminant dans la définition des dynamiques territoriales et par suite des différenciations sociospatiales. Cette hypothèse est déclinée en deux hypothèses opérationnelles: 1. - L’une s’inscrivant dans une perspective historique: Si incontestablement des dynamiques induites de la globalisation affectent les différenciations sociospatiales dans l’espace beyrouthin, nous pensons que l’héritage d’un temps long dans ses dimensions politiques et économiques pèse encore fortement sur ces différenciations dans les banlieues de Beyrouth. 2. L’autre dans une perspective politique: La stabilisation du régime municipal est aujourd’hui la rationalité qui domine l’action municipale. Elle est déterminante de la gouvernance locale dans chaque commune et par suite consubstantielle de l’évolution des différenciations sociospatiales dans ces banlieues. Les banlieues de Beyrouth, considérées comme cas révélateur, sont retenues pour comme terrain d’étude Deux méthodes d’analyse complémentaires sont mobilisées. L’une dite diachronique essaie de repérer les constantes et les variables dans l’histoire d’un district de ces banlieues comprenant les actuelles banlieues sud et sud-est, en insistant sur les rôles particuliers de la gouvernance et de l’économie. L’autre dite synchronique tente de souligner des liens entre des typologies de gouvernance urbaine différentes et leurs impacts en termes de différenciations sociospatiales en mobilisant le concept de régimes urbains. Les principales conclusions sont: - Des arrière-pays consolidés, avant l’étalement des villes centres, ayant leurs propres dynamiques: leur urbanisation, leurs économies et leurs gouvernances locale, leurs trajectoires propres connaissent très tôt la fragmentation urbaine (conclusion en porte-à-faux par rapport au corpus de la fragmentation soulignant le rôle fondateur de la globalisation) - L’architecture du régime urbain local et sa recherche de stabilité interne affectent fortement l’articulation de l’échelle d’action locale aux échelles d’action supérieures. Comme elles affectent certaines formes de dynamiques territoriales locales (notamment celles inscrites dans le registre de construction identitaire des territoires). Toutefois elles semblent avoir moins d’impact sur les aspects centralités et flux des dynamiques territoriales. - La fragmentation politique du territoire peut s’avérer une ressource importante pour les acteurs locaux pour négocier et s’approprier une place, un “lieu” dans les agglomérations urbaines d’aujourd’hui. D’autre part, devant la pression continue que connaissent les territoires urbains des périphéries pour se redéfinir et s’articuler à de nouvelles entités sociospatiales en formation, on peut observer dans certains cas de la véritable innovation en termes de politiques urbaines. Ces municipalités peuvent représenter, comme dans le cas de certaines dans les banlieues de Beyrouth, des laboratoires qui font émerger des nouveaux outils urbains qui pourront servir pour penser et gérer la ville à d’autres échelles. [less ▲]

Different approaches for the simulation of an experimental building hosting a climate chamber devote to artificial fog production

(2003, August)

In the context of a european project dealing with the issue of transport safety improvement in fog conditions, an experimental building has been constructed on the FUL campus, in the southern part of ... [more ▼]

In the context of a european project dealing with the issue of transport safety improvement in fog conditions, an experimental building has been constructed on the FUL campus, in the southern part of Belgium. This building hosts a climatic chamber in which a given indoor climate is to be maintained (temperature and relative humidity) whatever the external climate, in order to promote the artifical production of fog by water droplets spraying. During the design of the building and of the HVAC plant, different simulation approaches were carried out in order to evaluate and possibly optimize the technical choices concerning: - the building envelope - the material for the climatic chamber - the control strategy of the HVAC system Two categories of simulation tools were used to solve the different tasks: - building simulation tools - CFD programs For the first category, simulations were performed using both ESP-r and TRNSYS with the objective of solving the following questions: optimization of the building envelope (orientation and shading of the building, insulation, fenestration); sizing of the HVAC system; comparison of control strategies (direct control, indirect control, radiative and/or convective conditioning); estimation of energy consumption and comfort Within the second category, the FLUENT and ESP-r software were used and compared in order to predict the homogeneity of the thermal state within the test room and to calculate the effect of injecting a high amount of small water droplets on fog production, maintenance and visibility. Therefore, the ESP-r CFD module program was augmented with a specific model of water droplet diffusion. The paper will tackle the main modelling assumptions at the basis of each simulation experiment, the data preparation and the results of the calculations. For each phase, advantages and limitations of the simulation approach will be highlighted. These developments are considered as a first step towards the implementation of a virtual testing environment in the field of automotive transport which could be complemented by additional issues dealing with passengers comfort, acoustics, air quality, level of illuminance generated by the virtual production of fog. [less ▲]

Different beliefs about pain perception in the vegetative and minimally conscious states: a European survey of medical and paramedical professionals.

in Progress in Brain Research (2009), 177

Pain management in severely brain-damaged patients constitutes a clinical and ethical stake. At the bedside, assessing the presence of pain and suffering is challenging due to both patients' physical ... [more ▼]

Pain management in severely brain-damaged patients constitutes a clinical and ethical stake. At the bedside, assessing the presence of pain and suffering is challenging due to both patients' physical condition and inherent limitations of clinical assessment. Neuroimaging studies support the existence of distinct cerebral responses to noxious stimulation in brain death, vegetative state, and minimally conscious state. We here provide results from a European survey on 2059 medical and paramedical professionals' beliefs on possible pain perception in patients with disorders of consciousness. To the question "Do you think that patients in a vegetative state can feel pain?," 68% of the interviewed paramedical caregivers (n=538) and 56% of medical doctors (n=1166) answered "yes" (no data on exact profession in 17% of total sample). Logistic regression analysis showed that paramedical professionals, religious caregivers, and older caregivers reported more often that vegetative patients may experience pain. Following professional background, religion was the highest predictor of caregivers' opinion: 64% of religious (n=1009; 850 Christians) versus 52% of nonreligious respondents (n=830) answered positively (missing data on religion in 11% of total sample). To the question "Do you think that patients in a minimally conscious state can feel pain?" nearly all interviewed caregivers answered "yes" (96% of the medical doctors and 97% of the paramedical caregivers). Women and religious caregivers reported more often that minimally conscious patients may experience pain. These results are discussed in terms of existing definitions of pain and suffering, the remaining uncertainty on the clinical assessment of pain as a subjective first-person experience and recent functional neuroimaging findings on nociceptive processing in disorders of consciousness. In our view, more research is needed to increase our understanding of residual sensation in vegetative and minimally conscious patients and to propose evidence-based medical guidelines for the management of possible pain perception and suffering in these vulnerable patient populations. [less ▲]

Different durations of grazing period for grazing fattening bulls

in Proceeding of the 16th General Meeting of the European Grassland federation (1996)

Different estimation of heritabilities in dependence of major gene effects

in Archiv Tierzucht / Archives Animal Breeding (2010), 53(6), 732-734

Different Mechanisms of Extracellular Matrix Remodeling by Fibroblasts in Response to Human Mammary Neoplastic Cells

in Invasion & Metastasis (1993), 13(2), 72-81

Human breast tumors are often associated with a fibrotic reaction termed desmoplasia. Tumor cells may indirectly modulate the composition of the extracellular matrix by influencing fibroblast properties ... [more ▼]

Human breast tumors are often associated with a fibrotic reaction termed desmoplasia. Tumor cells may indirectly modulate the composition of the extracellular matrix by influencing fibroblast properties. They may also directly interact with collagen fibrils leading to retraction of the matrix. We have studied in vitro the influence of various human mammary tumor cells on the proliferation rate of normal human fibroblasts and on their level of collagen synthesis, as well as their release of collagenase activity. Interactions between neoplastic cells and collagen matrix were investigated by incorporation of tumor cells in collagen gels (lattices) and measurement of their retraction. All cells tested (HBL100, SW613, SA52, MDA-MB-231, MCF7, MCF7/6, MCF7 ras, BT20 and T47D) were able to modulate the composition of the extracellular matrix by one or several of the mechanisms investigated. Our results also demonstrate an opposite regulation of collagen and collagenase production. The effects on the collagen metabolism and on fibroblast proliferation are probably mediated by soluble cytokines since they are reproduced by incubating the fibroblasts in the presence of medium conditioned by tumor cells. The desmoplastic reaction may thus result from different mechanisms dependent upon tumor cell types. [less ▲]

Different methods for spatial interpolation of rainfall data for operational hydrology and hydrological modeling at watershed scale: a review

in Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement = Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [=BASE] (in press)

Watershed management and hydrological modeling require data related to the very important matter of precipitation, often measured using raingages or weather stations. Hydrological models often require a ... [more ▼]

Watershed management and hydrological modeling require data related to the very important matter of precipitation, often measured using raingages or weather stations. Hydrological models often require a preliminary spatial interpolation as part of the modeling process. The success of spatial interpolation varies according to the type of model chosen, its mode of geographical management and the resolution used. The quality of a result is determined by the quality of the continuous spatial rainfall which ensues from the interpolation method used. The objective of this article is to review the existing methods for interpolation of rainfall data that are usually required in hydrological modeling. We review the basis for the application of certain common methods and geostatistical approaches used in interpolation of rainfall. Previous studies have highlighted the need for new research to investigate ways of improving the quality of rainfall data and ultimately, the quality of hydrological modeling. [less ▲]

Different patterns of insulin resistance in relatives of type 1 diabetic patients with retinopathy or nephropathy

in Diabetes Care (2004), 27(11), 2661-2668

OBJECTIVE- Insulin resistance may be a risk factor for diabetic microangiopathy, which may have a familial component. We carried out a family-based study to determine which components of the insulin ... [more ▼]

OBJECTIVE- Insulin resistance may be a risk factor for diabetic microangiopathy, which may have a familial component. We carried out a family-based study to determine which components of the insulin resistance syndrome are associated with diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy in type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- The Genesis France-Belgium Study is a multicenter binational study designed to investigate the genetic factors involved in the microvascular complications of type 1 diabetes using a family-based design. Probands were type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy (classified as background, preproliferative, or proliferative) and possibly diabetic nephropathy (absent, incipient, established, or advanced). The insulin resistance score of their first-degree relatives was calculated according to their BMI and history of arterial hypertension, lipid disorders, and type 2 diabetes. RESULTS- The insulin resistance score of relatives was positively correlated with the albumin excretion rate (P = 0.0009) and fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.0003) and HbA(1c) (P < 0.0001) concentrations. This score was higher in the relatives of probands with than in those without diabetic nephropathy (P = 0.0370). Similarly, it was higher in relatives of subjects with proliferative diabetic retinopathy than in those of probands without, even after controlling for subjects with versus without diabetic nephropathy (P = 0.0379). However, the components of the insulin resistance score in relatives differed according to the severity of diabetic retinopathy or nephropathy in the probands. Obesity and history of arterial hypertension were most common in relatives of probands with proliferative diabetic retinopathy, whereas obesity and history of lipid disorders were most common in the relatives of probands with diabetic nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS- Familial insulin resistance segregates with diabetic complications: lipid disorders and obesity segregate with diabetic nephropathy, whereas arterial hypertension and obesity segregate with diabetic retinopathy. [less ▲]

Different periods of feed restriction before compensatory growth in Belgian Blue bulls: II. Plasma metabolites and hormones

in Journal of Animal Science (1998), 76(1), 260-271

Different regimes of nucleation of superconductivity in mesoscopic superconductor/ferromagnet hybrids

in Physical Review. B : Condensed Matter (2008), 77(21),

The competition between two regimes of the nucleation of superconductivity is investigated experimentally and theoretically in a mesoscopic disk-shaped superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid. By changing the ... [more ▼]

The competition between two regimes of the nucleation of superconductivity is investigated experimentally and theoretically in a mesoscopic disk-shaped superconductor/ferromagnet hybrid. By changing the magnetic state of a multilayered Co/Pt disk one can reversibly affect the magnetic-field dependence of the critical temperature T(c)(H) of an Al layer. We demonstrate that an enhancement of the magnetic field near the edge of the out-of-plane magnetized disk either stimulates the nucleation of superconductivity at the disk perimeter due to the field compensation effect or prevents it due to edge magnetic barrier (for relatively low parallel to H parallel to values). As a consequence, the presence of such magnetic-field pattern makes it possible to eliminate boundary effects for mesoscopic superconducting samples. Switching from one nucleation regime to another while sweeping H leads to an abrupt change of the slope of the T(c)(H) envelope. [less ▲]