Grassroots Environmental Activism and the Internet: Constructing a Green Public Sphere in China

The past three decades have seen the resurgence of China's civil society through the blossoming of NGOs that campaign for various marginalised interests, including environmental protection. Many studies have examined the co-evolution of the Internet and China's civil society. This paper examines the role of the Internet in strengthening grassroots environmental activism, taking into consideration the corporatised character of Chinese NGOs. Through a detailed ethnographic case study of a leading grassroots environmental group, the Global Village of Beijing (GVB), I argue that Internet technologies effectively empower resource-poor activists in their self-representation, information brokering, network building, public mobilisation and construction of discourse communities. The Net therefore contributes to the nascent formation of a green public sphere in China by fostering a discourse that counterbalances rapid economic development. Also discussed here are issues that hamper this process, including resource limitations, the fragmentation of online discourse communities, and the marginalisation and “caging” of environmental discourse.     

Investigating links between ecology and bifacial tool types in Western Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum

We apply Eco-Cultural Niche Modeling (ECNM), using the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction, to reconstruct the ecological niches exploited by Middle Solutrean and Upper Solutrean populations during the latter stages of Heinrich Event 2 and the early part of the Last Glacial Maximum, respectively. We focus on the Upper Solutrean technocomplex and its regionally distinct styles of hunting weaponry to investigate whether regional cultural variability reflects a link between material culture and ecology. Our analytical approach uses archaeological and geographic data in conjunction with high-resolution paleoclimatic simulations and vegetation reconstructions for the two climatic phases in question. Our results indicate that cultural choices behind the production of specific projectile point types have at some level an ecological basis and are linked to particular environments. We also find that the identified pattern of Upper Solutrean territoriality has an ecological foundation, but that its stylistic expression in the variation of diagnostic armature types is likely a byproduct of cultural drift. We argue that ECNM is an effective means with which to evaluate the paleoecological pertinence of archaeologically defined artifact types and to identify the ecological and cultural mechanisms underlying material culture variability.     

Seismic Stability of Slope Considering Rayleigh Wave

In the present paper factor of safety of slope under seismic loading condition is evaluated assuming circular failure surface. Using Fellenius method the center of most critical circle is located. Adopting limit equilibrium method, under the influence of weight of potential sliding mass and seismic inertia forces, factor of safety is evaluated considering Rayleigh wave along with primary wave and shear wave. Results are presented and compared with the available results from literature. Detailed parametric studies are also carried out to observe the variation of safety factor at different soil strength and seismic forces.     

Considering Soil-Nonlinearity Effect on Seismic Performance Evaluation of Structures based on Pushover Analysis

According to the most of current seismic codes, nonlinear soil behavior is commonly ignored in seismic evaluation procedure of the structures. To contribute on this matter, a pushover analysis method incorporating the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) is proposed to evaluate the effect of nonlinear soil response on seismic performance of a structure. The PSHA outcomes considering soil nonlinearity effect is involved in the analysis procedures by modifying the site-specific response spectrum. Results showed that incorporation of nonlinear soil behavior leads to an increase in displacement demand of structures which should accurately be considered in seismic design/assessment procedure. Results of implemented procedure are confirmed with the estimated displacement demand including soil-structure interaction (SSI).     

Exploring guanxi from a gender perspective: urban Chinese women's practices of guanxi

This study explored guanxi from a gender perspective. It investigated how urban Chinese women build and exercise guanxi in their professional life and the related tensions involved in the process. Three main paradoxes were found to be predominant among the participants: (1) guanxi is believed to be important, yet controversial to them; (2) they tend to hold negative views toward social events, while acknowledging participating in such events is vital to maintain and enhance guanxi; and (3) women have more advantages than men in practicing guanxi, but the reputations of women who are good at practicing guanxi are controversial. The study also shows that urban Chinese women practice guanxi mainly for their careers, children, and for treating illnesses. These findings suggest the government should formulate policies regarding fair hiring and affordable, high-quality education and healthcare.     

Die aramäisch/hebräisch-sabäische Grabinschrift der Lea

Im Frühjahrsheft von Leŝonenu 2003 hat J. Naveh ( 1 ) eine Grabinschrift (Fig. 1) publiziert, die für die Geschichte des Judentums im spätantiken Südarabien von einzigartiger Bedeutung ist. Es handelt sich um eine zweisprachige Inschrift, deren erster Text in Aramäisch und Hebräisch abgefaßt ist, der zweite aber in Sabäisch. Obwohl sich die Verstorbene namens Lea, Tochter des Yehuda, nicht explizit als Sabäerin zu erkennen gibt, kann die Verwendung des Sabäischen doch nur in diesem Sinne gedeutet werden. Es handelt sich bei diesem Fund nicht nur um die erste echte aram./hebr.-sab. Bilingue ( 2 ) sondern zugleich auch um die erste Grabinschrift aus der spätsabäisch-monotheistischen Periode überhaupt.
  Die Herkunft des Steins ist unbekannt, vermutlich stammt er aus Israel. Der paläographische Befund sowohl der aram./hebr. als auch der sab. Version deutet auf eine Datierung ins frühe 5. Jhd. n. Chr.
  Die Verfasser legen hiermit eine neue, kommentierte Bearbeitung vor, wobei G. Wilhelm Nebe den Abschnitt A verfaßt hat und Alexander Sima den Abschnitt B.     

Visitors' wayfinding strategies and navigational aids in unfamiliar urban environment

Abstract

The way visitors to a new city wayfind in the digital era has been given less research attention than might be expected. The main aim of this study is to examine differences in wayfinding strategies between three groups of participants who used different navigational aids: a group with a paper map, a group with the Google Maps app, and a group relying on local signage only. Methods included GPS tracking, and voice recording of decision-making using the think-aloud method. 38 participants who had never visited Brisbane, Australia, were recruited and placed in one of the three groups. They undertook a two-hour pedestrian wayfinding task and other research activities in the city centre. The results show there are significant differences in wayfinding strategies used by the three groups of participants. The GPS group preferred to follow the suggested route by their navigator, most of them ‘locking in’ as digital navigators throughout the task. By contrast, the local-signage-only group used a diverse range of strategies to wayfind. Local-signage-only and paper map users tried to locate their position in the city by using piloting or path integration strategies, the GPS group just passively followed the guidance line showed by their device. On completion of the task the digital navigators recognized less spatial information. Surprisingly, the digital navigators did not feel less anxious compared with the two other groups. Urban planners and designers may need to re-think their design strategies to interrupt digital navigation. The provision of a more diverse set of digital navigation options, rather than just shortest-path route identification, is likely desirable to assist navigators who wish to experience more on their pedestrian journeys.