698 research outputs found
Comprender la sociedad a través del lenguaje: una nueva mirada sobre los grupos sociales y la integración
No full textIn this essay, Belgian sociolinguist Jan Blommaert holds that the empirical base of sociolinguistics, as well as its focus on interaction patterns within communities, can be a rich source for new theoretical directions in social sciences and humanities. Specifically, Blommaert discusses classic – and also less conventional- conceptualizations of the theory of social groups and the theory of social integration to point out the need for innovation based on the insights from sociolinguistic research focusing on online/ offline interactions and the identity effects they trigger. Firstly, the article highlights the need to study “light” social groups along with the “solid” groups (defined by features such as class or ethnicity) of classical sociological theory, illustrating this with reference to research on light multimodal practices (such as network literacy) which lead to new contemporary forms of social cohesion. Secondly, it suggests that classic views of social integration, entailing immigrants’ full integration into their host community, should be reconsidered in the light of new modes of integration in diasporic contexts enabled by new information technologies. To support this claim, Blommaert draws on research showing immigrants’ various degrees of integration in different communities located across the world, achieved through a wide range of technological devices and superdiverse communicative repertoires. These two arguments confirm, in the author’s view, the potential of contemporary sociolinguistics –firmly grounded on empirical analyses of multimodal practices and interactions- to describe the processes, formations and structures that constitute the object of social sciences.En este ensayo, el lingüista belga Jan Blommaert postula que el sustento empírico de la sociolingüística y su foco en la descripción de los patrones de interacción de las comunidades pueden aportar al enriquecimiento y el ajuste de la teoría social en general. En particular, Blommaert revisa los principios clásicos –así como las visiones no convencionales– de la teoría de los grupos sociales y la teoría de la integración social, para proponer innovaciones a partir de los hallazgos de investigaciones sociolingüísticas centradas en la articulación entre las interacciones online y offline, y los efectos identitarios que desencadenan. En relación con los grupos sociales, sostiene la existencia de grupos livianos en simultaneidad con los grupos sólidos (clases, etnias) de las teorías clásicas, y lo ilustra a partir de diversas investigaciones que dan cuenta de prácticas multimodales livianas (como la escritura en redes) que producen formas de cohesión social. Por otra parte, plantea que la teoría de la integración social clásica, basada en la idea de la completa incorporación del inmigrante a una única sociedad receptora, debe ser renovada a la luz de los nuevos modos de integración en contextos de diáspora que las TIC promueven. Para fundamentar esta hipótesis, revisa investigaciones que analizan grados de integración de las personas en muy diversas comunidades con cuyos miembros interactúan desplegando repertorios comunicativos superdiversos. Ambos desarrollos permiten al autor afirmar el aporte de las herramientas y los conceptos de la sociolingüística anclada en el análisis empírico de interacciones y prácticas de literacidad multimodales para describir los procesos, formaciones y estructuras que constituyen el objeto de las ciencias sociales
O poder da liberdade: em busca de estratégias democráticas de publicação acadêmica
No full textIn this essay, Jan Blommaert discusses fundamental issues on the economic dimension of academic publishing, the reasons and the intentions for publishing as an academic, and the available alternatives. The author presents the conditions of the productive cycle of academic journal publishers and argues that the business model is based on the threefold exploitation of academics’ work, as authors, reviewers, and readers of the articles, and of the institutions and governments who fund the published research. The author criticizes the false solution of “gold” and “green” access and expose the impact of new modes of circulation on the cheapening and high reaches of academic communication. He defends democratic strategies of academic publishing led by the people who do research and argues for our autonomy to promote the primary function of academic publishing: the debate of ideas with the largest possible number of experts in the field.En este ensayo, Jan Blommaert discute temas fundamentales relacionados con la dimensión económica de la publicación académica, las razones e intenciones de publicar en la academia y las alternativas disponibles. El autor presenta las condiciones del ciclo productivo de las editoriales de revistas académicas y sostiene que el modelo de negocio se basa en la triple explotación del trabajo de personas en la academia, como autores, revisores y lectores de los artículos, y de las instituciones y gobiernos que financian la investigación publicada. El autor critica la falsa solución de los accesos "dorados" y "verdes" y muestra el impacto de las nuevas formas de circulación en el abaratamiento y alcance de la comunicación académica. Aboga por estrategias democráticas de publicación académica lideradas por las personas que investigan y argumenta a favor de nuestra autonomía para promover la función primordial de la publicación académica: el debate de ideas con el mayor número posible de expertos en la materia.Neste ensaio, Jan Blommaert debate questões fundamentais relacionadas à dimensão econômica da publicação acadêmica, as razões e intenções para se publicar no meio acadêmico, e as alternativas disponíveis. O autor apresenta as condições do ciclo produtivo das editoras de periódicos acadêmicos e argumenta que o modelo de negócio é baseado na exploração tripla do trabalho das pessoas na academia, como autoras, pareceristas e leitoras dos artigos, e das instituições e governos que financiam as pesquisas publicadas. O autor critica a falsa solução dos acessos “dourado” e “verde” e mostra o impacto das novas formas de circulação no barateamento e alcance da comunicação acadêmica. Ele defende estratégias democráticas de publicação acadêmica protagonizadas pelas pessoas que pesquisam e argumenta a favor da nossa autonomia para promover a função primordial da publicação acadêmica: o debate de ideias com o maior número possível de especialistas do campo
Shifting perspectives: Majority members' perceptions of the prevalence of ethno-racial minority discrimination
No full textContains fulltext :
322829.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)The prevalence of ethno-racial minority discrimination in Europe is well established, both through research and the experiences of those affected. Yet, less is known about the extent to which members of the majority group perceive this discrimination to be prevalent. This dissertation addresses this gap by examining the extent to which majority populations in Europe, and particularly in the Netherlands, believe that discrimination against ethno-racial minorities is widespread. These understudied perceptions are explored through the development and application of a theoretical framework that foregrounds the role of exposure to external sources of information. Across the empirical chapters, the associations between majority perceptions and political elite discourses, newspaper coverage, and intergroup contact are analysed. Drawing on large-scale European and Dutch survey data, media content analyses, and multilevel modelling techniques, the studies reveal substantial variation in perceptions across countries, over time, and between individuals. These differences are partially explained by varying levels of informational exposure.Radboud University, 18 september 2025Promotores : Scheepers, P.L.H., Lubbers, M. Co-promotores : Blommaert, E.C.C.A., Savelkoul, M.J.215 p
On the nature and mass loss of Bulge OH/IR stars
No full textWe report on the successful search for CO (2-1) and (3-2) emission associated with OH/IR stars in the Galactic Bulge. We observed a sample of eight extremely red AGB stars with the APEX telescope and detected seven. The sources were selected at sufficient high Galactic latitude to avoid interference by interstellar CO, which hampered previous studies of inner galaxy stars. We also collected photometric data and Spitzer IRS spectroscopy to construct the SEDs, which were analysed through radiative transfer modelling. We derived variability periods of our stars from the VVV and WISE surveys. Through dynamical modelling we then retrieve the total mass loss rates (MLR) and the gas-to-dust ratios. The luminosities range between approximately 4,000 and 5,500 L\ue2Š™ and periods are below 700 days. The total MLR ranges between 10-5 and 10-4 M\ue2Š™ yr-1. The results are presented in Blommaert et al. 2018 and summarized below
Capacità scrittorie e competenze di scrittura e lettura: esperienze di didattica dell'italiano come L1 e L2
No full textO Poder da Liberdade: Em Busca de Estratégias Democráticas de Publicação Acadêmica
No full textIn this essay, Jan Blommaert discusses fundamental issues on the economic dimension of academic publishing, the reasons and the intentions for publishing as an academic, and the available alternatives. The author presents the conditions of the productive cycle of academic journal publishers and argues that the business model is based on the threefold exploitation of academics’ work, as authors, reviewers, and readers of the articles, and of the institutions and governments who fund the published research. The author criticizes the false solution of “gold” and “green” access and expose the impact of new modes of circulation on the cheapening and high reaches of academic communication. He defends democratic strategies of academic publishing led by the people who do research and argues for our autonomy to promote the primary function of academic publishing: the debate of ideas with the largest possible number of experts in the field
The power of free : in search of democratic academic publishing strategies
No full textIn this essay, Jan Blommaert discusses fundamental issues on the economic dimension of academic publishing, the reasons and the intentions for publishing as an academic, and the available alternatives. The author presents the conditions of the productive cycle of academic journal publishers and argues that the business model is based on the threefold exploitation of academics’ work, as authors, reviewers, and readers of the articles, and of the institutions and governments who fund the published research. The author criticizes the false solution of “gold” and “green” access and expose the impact of new modes of circulation on the cheapening and high reaches of academic communication. He defends democratic strategies of academic publishing led by the people who do research and argues for our autonomy to promote the primary function of academic publishing: the debate of ideas with the largest possible number of experts in the field.Neste ensaio, Jan Blommaert debate questões fundamentais relacionadas à dimensão econômica da publicação acadêmica, as razões e intenções para se publicar no meio acadêmico, e as alternativas disponíveis. O autor apresenta as condições do ciclo produtivo das editoras de periódicos acadêmicos e argumenta que o modelo de negócio é baseado na exploração tripla do trabalho das pessoas na academia, como autoras, pareceristas e leitoras dos artigos, e das instituições e governos que financiam as pesquisas publicadas. O autor critica a falsa solução dos acessos “dourado” e “verde” e mostra o impacto das novas formas de circulação no barateamento e alcance da comunicação acadêmica. Ele defende estratégias democráticas de publicação acadêmica protagonizadas pelas pessoas que pesquisam e argumenta a favor da nossa autonomia para promover a função primordial da publicação acadêmica: o debate de ideias com o maior número possível de especialistas do campo.In this essay, Jan Blommaert discusses fundamental issues on the economic dimension of academic publishing, the reasons and the intentions for publishing as an academic, and the available alternatives. The author presents the conditions of the productive cycle of academic journal publishers and argues that the business model is based on the threefold exploitation of academics’ work, as authors, reviewers, and readers of the articles, and of the institutions and governments who fund the published research. The author criticizes the false solution of “gold” and “green” access and expose the impact of new modes of circulation on the cheapening and high reaches of academic communication. He defends democratic strategies of academic publishing led by the people who do research and argues for our autonomy to promote the primary function of academic publishing: the debate of ideas with the largest possible number of experts in the field.Neste ensaio, Jan Blommaert debate questões fundamentais relacionadas à dimensão econômica da publicação acadêmica, as razões e intenções para se publicar no meio acadêmico, e as alternativas disponíveis. O autor apresenta as condições do ciclo produtivo das editoras de periódicos acadêmicos e argumenta que o modelo de negócio é baseado na exploração tripla do trabalho das pessoas na academia, como autoras, pareceristas e leitoras dos artigos, e das instituições e governos que financiam as pesquisas publicadas. O autor critica a falsa solução dos acessos “dourado” e “verde” e mostra o impacto das novas formas de circulação no barateamento e alcance da comunicação acadêmica. Ele defende estratégias democráticas de publicação acadêmica protagonizadas pelas pessoas que pesquisam e argumenta a favor da nossa autonomia para promover a função primordial da publicação acadêmica: o debate de ideias com o maior número possível de especialistas do campo.A
Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) hospitalisations and deaths: is there a quality improvement role for inter-hospital comparisons?
No full textOBJECTIVE: To assess between-hospital variations in standardized in-hospital mortality ratios of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and identify possible leads for quality improvement. DESIGN: We used an administrative database to estimate standardized in-hospital mortality ratios for 111 Belgian hospitals, by carrying out a set of hierarchical logistic regression models, intended to disentangle therapeutic attitudes and biases. To facilitate the detection of false-negative/positive results, we added an inconclusive zone to the funnel plots, derived from the results of the study. Data quality was validated by comparison with (i) alternative data from the largest Belgian Sickness Fund, (ii) published German hospital data and (iii) the results of an on-site audit. SETTING: All Belgian hospital discharge records from 2004 to 2007. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: A total of 111 776 adult patients were admitted for CAP. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Risk-adjusted standardized in-hospital mortality ratios. RESULTS: Out of the 111 hospitals, we identified five and six outlying hospitals, with standardized mortality ratios of CAP consistently on the extremes of the distribution, as providing possibly better or worse care, respectively, and 18 other hospitals as having possible quality weaknesses/strengths. At the individuals' level of the analysis, adjusted odds ratios showed the paramount importance of old age, comorbidity and mechanical ventilation. The data compared well with the different validation sources. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations inherent to administrative data, it seemed possible to establish inter-hospital differences in standardized in-hospital mortality ratios of CAP and to identify leads for quality improvement. Monitoring is needed to assess progress in quality.sponsorship: A.B.'s participation is funded by the University of Antwerp (UA)'s concerted research action number 23405 (BOF-GOA). N.H. holds the UA Scientific Chair in Evidence Based Vaccinology, financed in 2011-2014 by a gift from Pfizer. G.M., P.B., N.H. and A.B. acknowledge support from a Methusalem research grant from the Flemish government. G.M. and N.H. received funding from IAP research Network P7/06 of the Belgian Government (Belgian Science Policy). (University of Antwerp (UA)|23405, Flemish government, IAP research Network of the Belgian Government (Belgian Science Policy)|P7/06)status: Publishe
Explanatory supplement of the ISOGAL-DENIS Point Source Catalogue
No full textWe present version 1.0 of the ISOGAL-DENIS Point Source Catalogue (PSC), containing more than 100 000 point sources detected at 7 and/or 15 mu m in the ISOGAL survey of the inner Galaxy with the ISOCAM instrument on board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). These sources are cross-identified, wherever possible, with near-infrared (0.8-2.2 mu m) data from the DENIS survey. The overall surface covered by the ISOGAL survey is about 16 square degrees, mostly (95%) distributed near the Galactic plane ( | b | <~ 1deg), where the source extraction can become confusion limited and perturbed by the high background emission. Therefore, special care has been taken aimed at limiting the photometric error to ~ 0.2 mag down to a sensitivity limit of typically 10 mJy. The present paper gives a complete description of the entries and the information which can be found in this catalogue, as well as a detailed discussion of the data processing and the quality checks which have been completed. The catalogue is available at the Centre de Données Astronomiques de Strasbourg (via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/403/955) and also via the server at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (http://www-isogal.iap.fr/). A more complete version of this paper, including a detailed description of the data processing, is available in electronic form through the ADS service and at http://www.edpsciences.org.
This is paper No. 18 in a refereed journal based on data from the ISOGAL project
Numerical optimization of W-Cu FGM material distributions for minimal stresses in bevelled ITER monoblocks
No full textNumerical optimization of W-Cu FGM material distributions for minimal stresses in bevelled ITER monoblocksS. Van den Kerkhofa,*, M. Blommaerta, J.W. Coenenb,c, M. Baelmansa aKU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 3001 Leuven, BelgiumbForschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung – Plasmaphysik, Partner of the Trilateral Euregio Cluster (TEC), 52425 Jülich, GermanycDepartment of Engineering Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USADesigning divertor monoblocks that can cope with high heat fluxes and the resulting thermal stresses is crucial to ensure a sufficiently long divertor lifetime and to achieve economically feasible fusion energy production. Over the past decades, ample research has been conducted to improve the monoblock heat handling capability by exploring different geometries [1] or novel material solutions. W-Cu functionally graded materials (FGMs) [2] are a promising example of the latter, where the local composition can vary throughout the monoblock, giving the opportunity to tailor the material properties as desired and avoid stress concentrations due to mismatches in thermal expansion coefficient. Recently, efficient numerical optimization techniques have been developed by the authors to automatically obtain the FGM material distribution with the lowest material stresses [3, 4], already showing the potential of FGMs to reduce stresses for unshaped and uniformly loaded monoblocks. Furthermore, this recently developed optimization algorithm allows to take the material operating temperature window into account for each constituent material, ensuring that tungsten does not operate at temperatures higher than the recrystallization temperature or lower than the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature. However, while tile shaping is known to profoundly influence the temperature and stress distribution in the monoblock [1], this was not considered in these publications.In this contribution, we extend this work to assess the effects of the toroidal bevel and the according heat flux distribution on the optimal design for ITER-like monoblocks and on the retrieved material stresses. Furthermore, the mechanical fixation of the monoblock was found to have a strong influence on the stresses at the bottom of the monoblock, while the peak heat flux might well impinge on a monoblock that is either only fixed to the cooling tube, or also to the divertor cassette. We optimize the distribution for both nominal and off-peak ITER-like heat loads and with or without fixing the bottom, and compare them to the distributions obtained in [4]. As such, we assess the potential stress reduction achievable by using FGMs for bevelled monoblocks, and at the same time investigate the influence of the bevel and heat flux magnitude on the optimal material distribution. [1] T. Hirai, S. Carpentier-Chouchana, F. Escourbiac et al., Fus. Eng. Des. 127, 66-72 (2018)[2] J. W. Coenen, S. Antusch, M. Aumann et al., Phys. Scr. T167, 014002 (1999)[3] S. Van den Kerkhof, M. Blommaert, J. W. Coenen et al., Phys. Scr. T171, 014001 (2020)[4] S. Van den Kerkhof, M. Blommaert, J. W. Coenen et al., (submitted to Nucl. Fus.)*Corresponding author: tel.: +32 844 25 37 23, e-mail: [email protected] (S. Van den Kerkhof
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