Taxonomic characterisation of fresh Dipterocarpaceae resins by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS): providing clues for identification of unknown archaeological resins

Plant and particularly non-wood forest products have played an important role in the evolution of human cultures all over the world, as source of food but also of raw substances fulfilling material, spiritual, and medicinal requirements. Plant exudates and particularly dammar resins (Dipterocarpaceae family) were widely used in the past in Asia notably as waterproofing and caulking materials. This study focuses on the GC–MS chemical characterisation of freshly collected dammars and establishes new molecular parameters enabling discrimination between dammars and other types of plant resin, whatever their botanical origin. Such analyses provide clues for a precise identification (taxonomy, occurrence of other material in addition to the resin, alteration state) of unknown resinous material discovered in archaeological contexts. The value of our approach is illustrated by the taxonomic characterisation of two samples collected in jars from the Brunei wreck and a Chinese junk lost more than 40 km off the Sultanate of Brunei during the end of the fifteenth century or the early beginning of the sixteenth century.     

Macro-Modeling of Reinforced Concrete Structural Walls: State-of-the-Art

During the past decades, various analytical macroscopic models of structural walls have been developed for simulating the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) walls. Due to the inherently complicated characteristics of RC walls, macroscopic models that can capture all the important response characteristics with good accuracy and applicability are very challenging to establish. A thorough review of the four main types of mathematical macro models of RC walls, i.e., the vertical-line-element-model, the 2-D shear panel element model, the equivalent truss model and the fiber-based model, is presented to discuss the methodology behind each model and examine the corresponding merits and disadvantages. Suggestions are also made for the further research of the macro modeling of structural walls.     

Lamentations 3,1-6: An anti-psalm 23

This essay addresses two different Biblical bulks of text. On the one hand, the essay approaches Psalm 23. On the other hand, however, does the essay equally approach Genesis 4 that documents the chronicles of Cain, Abel, Lemech and the descendents of Adam and Eve after the slay of Abel by Cain. The rationale for addressing simultaneously these two bodies of Biblical text that seem to be divorced from each other, is the following. In the case of both texts, the first encounter with them appears to surrender the impression that two textual components had been glued to each other while lacking any common denominator whatsoever. Nevertheless, in both cases an analytical scrutiny does unveil a cluster of links between the two texts that are seemingly devoid of any reciprocal bond. In the case of Psalm 23, the common denominator between the Psalm's two seemingly detached parts does consist on a tight, detailed analogy between the metaphors utilized to portray the Lord and His pious believer. In the case of Genesis 4, however, the unearthed link between the text's ensemble of components is found to be among the characters that perform along two leading parameters, death and life. Hence in both cases what was initially considered a text that is devoid of a plausible connection between its parts, is found out as a text that its parts are united in the most cogent and equally tight fashion.     

La Crise des intellectuels français: aspects historiques et retombées historiographiques

Les intellectuels français ont-ils connu, à la fin du siècle dernier, une crise ? Ce diagnostic vint du milieu intellectuel lui-même, qui, affaibli par la perte de crédibilité des systèmes de pensée associés aux confrontations idéologiques de la guerre froide, voyait dans la montée en puissance d'une culture médiatique de nouveaux leaders d'opinion brouillant les contours de la mouvance culturelle jusque-là essentiellement constituée d'hommes et de femmes venus de la sphère de l'imprimé. D'une certaine façon, le pathos l'a en effet emporté sur le logos, discours construit et analyse argumentée des problèmes posés à une société. A cet égard, la crise des intellectuels est à la fois un reflet et un accélérateur de la crise des démocraties représentatives, dont le fondement était l'examen raisonné et la concurrence raisonnable des possibles et dont le fonctionnement risque d'être parasité par les palpitations successives d'opinions publiques en proie à des émotions liées aux bruits et aux fureurs de la culture médiatique, devenue elle-même, de plus en plus, une culture-monde.     

中国历史地图集编绘的历史轨迹和理论思考

中国历史地图的编绘历史悠久,早在晋代就绘有著名的历史地图,但中国古代的历史地图都不是现代意义上的经纬测绘地图,而主要是以编绘政区疆域山川内容为主,并没有现代历史地图的综合表现。明末西方传教士将现代经纬测绘地图技术带入中国,但就是整个清代而言,大多数仍是采用传统的计里画方的平面符号和散点透视的写意山水方法进行地图绘制,中国历史地图是在清末才开始采用现代经纬测绘平面符号绘制和多色套印印刷,这方面日本人早于中国用现代方法绘制中国历史地图。从20世纪五十代以来,中国的历史地图编绘进入了繁荣时期。当代中国历史地图的编绘存在许多方面的不足,如存在将历史地图看成文化工程而不是科学工程、强调绘制技术忽视基础研究的误区,从而影响了编绘中国历史地图集的科学信度和使用功效。未来中国历史地图的编绘,释文同步化、地图信息化、多维直观化、历史场景化应该是四大发展方向。