Éphémérides pour 2012

in Cahiers Voltaire : Revue Annuelle de la Société Voltaire (in press)

Les ambiguïtés de l’anthropomorphisme : de la divinité agissante à sa statue dans la céramique grecque

in MethIS : Méthodes et Interdisciplinarité en Sciences Humaines (in press)

L’image, sous ses divers aspects, a joué un rôle essentiel dans la vie des anciens Grecs, en particulier dans le domaine religieux, puisque elle était l’une des modalités de perception du divin. En Grèce ... [more ▼]

L’image, sous ses divers aspects, a joué un rôle essentiel dans la vie des anciens Grecs, en particulier dans le domaine religieux, puisque elle était l’une des modalités de perception du divin. En Grèce, la figuration anthropomorphe des dieux est largement majoritaire. Toutefois, en se tournant vers un support particulier, le vase peint, et un type de représentation particulier, la statue divine, on montrera ici que l’anthropomorphisme a pu amener une certaine ambiguïté. Dans la céramique, les représentations de statues fonctionnent sur plusieurs modes, selon la chronologie. C’est ce que l’on propose d’analyser, en examinant un groupe de vases décorés d’un thème semblable et sur lesquels une divinité est représentée, mais soit sous la forme d’une figure « vivante », soit d’une statue plus ou moins bien caractérisée. Cette étude permettra d’aborder les concepts de « fixité » et de « mouvement » de/dans l’image, mais aussi d’explorer quelques pistes de réflexions sur l’image divine et, plus largement, sur les modes de représentation du divin en Grèce ancienne. [less ▲]

Coupling X-ray microtomography and macroscopic soil measurements: a method to enhance near saturation functions?

in Hydrology & Earth System Sciences Discussions (in press)

Agricultural management practices influence soil structure, but the characterization of these modifications and consequences are still not completely understood. In this study, we aim at improving water ... [more ▼]

Agricultural management practices influence soil structure, but the characterization of these modifications and consequences are still not completely understood. In this study, we aim at improving water retention and hydraulic conductivity curves using both classical soil techniques and X-ray microtomography in the context of tillage simplification. We show a good match for retention and conductivity functions between macroscopic measurements and microtomographic information. Microtomography highlights the presence of a secondary pore system. Analysis of structural parameters for these pores appears to be significant and offers additional clues for objects differentiation. We show that relatively fast scans supply not only good results, but also enhance near saturation characterization, making microtomography a highly competitive instrument for routine soil characterization. [less ▲]

Supplementation, optimal status, and analytical determination of vitamin D: Where are we standing in 2012?

in Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry (in press), 12

There is a growing interest for vitamin D in the medical and scientific community as well as in the public medias as illustrated by a huge number of publications. Most experts claim that vitamin D ... [more ▼]

There is a growing interest for vitamin D in the medical and scientific community as well as in the public medias as illustrated by a huge number of publications. Most experts claim that vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency is widespread with potential important public health consequences. It may seem surprising for many persons that a deficiency in a vitamin may be so frequent in countries where food is so diversified and easily available. In fact, vitamin D is not a vitamin stricto sensu as it is mainly synthesized in the skin under the action of UVB rays, while its food sources are scarce. Furthermore, UVB rays are absent during a marked part of the year at latitudes greater than 35-40°, while pollution and cloud cover reduce the number of UVB reaching the earth, and many factors such as age, skin pigmentation, covering clothes, sun creams reduce the capacity of the skin to synthesize vitamin D3. Vitamin D must be hydroxylated to form 1,25dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25OH2D), the active metabolite. As 1,25OH2D is released into the bloodstream and binds to a receptor present in several distant tissues, it may be considered as a hormone, vitamin D being thus a pre-prohormone. In the present article, we review briefly the metabolism and various effects of vitamin D as well as the vitamin D assays and vitamin D treatments. We define vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency considering [less ▲]

A Frontal Delaunay Quad Mesh Generator Using the L ∞  Norm

in International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering (in press)

Stone tool hafting in the Middle Palaeolithic as viewed through the microscope

in Proceedings of the Use-wear conference at Faro, Portugal (in press)

La performance de l'entreprise sociale : définitions et limites d'une évaluation monétaire

in Revue Internationale P.M.E. (in press)

In a social enterprise, the notion of "performance" must be understood in a broader sense than the sole financial profitability. Because enterprises of this type pursue a social mission, whose completion ... [more ▼]

In a social enterprise, the notion of "performance" must be understood in a broader sense than the sole financial profitability. Because enterprises of this type pursue a social mission, whose completion generates collective impacts, one has to go beyond what is made possible by the sole market-based indicators. This requires to revise not only the very notion of production, but also the way in which the value of what is produced by the enterprise is measured. This is the task that the authors of the present article tackle, through building a definition of performance understood as "enlarged production" – a notion which they nevertheless define with accuracy. Whenever the notion of production is enlarged so as to take into account the impacts of the latter, the question of whether this approach is also operational unavoidably arises. In particular, one must ask oneself whether the impacts that one wants to include in an enlarged conception of production are measurable. By nature, these impacts are not taken into account by the market and measuring them sends back to the classical question of the evaluation of non-market goods. The authors draw up an inventory of the various techniques of monetary evaluation of the value of non-market goods and indicate whether these techniques are likely to lead to values that are relevant to evaluate the performance of a social enterprise. They illustrate their analysis by applying this grid of analysis to the methodology of social return on investment (SROI). Because of the theoretical limits of monetary evaluation, the authors conclude that works on performance evaluation based on multi-criteria analyses must be further pursued. [less ▲]

Le rapport de Charles-Antoine de La Serna Santander (1752-1813) sur l’état de la Bibliothèque publique de Bruxelles en 1807

in In Monte Artium (in press)

Compte-rendu et apport de la conférence-débat : « Nature, conditionnalité et verdissement de la PAC : un tournant wallon ? ». 9 novembre 2011. Espace Senghor, Gembloux, Belgique.

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

Recently, the European Union (EU) proposed a reform project for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). One of the proposed reforms consists in imposing to set aside 7% of arable land for biodiversity ... [more ▼]

Recently, the European Union (EU) proposed a reform project for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). One of the proposed reforms consists in imposing to set aside 7% of arable land for biodiversity support purposes. About this proposal, a conference was hold in Gembloux, Belgium, on 9th November 2011. Such systems already exist in neighboring countries. French and Swiss systems were displayed in order to highlight their advantages and limits. Scientific arguments subtending such policies were presented. It was shown that creation of semi-natural elements in the agricultural matrix should be efficient to promote biodiversity. Both the quantity and the quality of these elements should be considered. Also, biodiversity is likely to provide services to agriculture, notably crop pollination and pest control. Currently, uncertainties remain on eligible areas to reach the 7% threshold. However, based on most probable scenarios, the current likely eligible areas cover only 4.3% of arable land in Wallonia. Less than 20% of Walloon farms already reach the 7% threshold proposed by the EU. If the European project is approved, it will therefore be of first importance to have a societal recognition toward farmers for their effort. To optimize positive effects of the policy on biodiversity, it is also imperative to make sure that a high biological quality is reached in the areas dedicated to biodiversity and to monitor this quality in the light of clearly defined objectives. Economical, societal and environmental issues should all be considered when applying this policy in order to improve agriculture sustainability and to stop biodiversity decline in agricultural landscapes. [less ▲]

Compte rendu de l'ouvrage d'I. Mazzini, Letteratura e medicina nel mondo antico, Rome: Università La Sapienza, 2011

in Latomus : Revue d'Etudes Latines (in press)