Human pressure on forest resources increased significantly during the past decades through land use and land use change, especially in the tropics where forest clearing is a major source of CO2 release in the atmosphere. Consequently, forests are the focus of international environmental policies and discussions aiming to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (i.e. REDD+). The capacity of participating countries to regularly provide accurate forests C stocks measurements at a national scale thus represents an important challenge to address. In dense forests, generally only the above ground biomass (AGB) is measured as it accounts for more than 50% of total C stocks. However, important gaps remain at each scale of measurement, i.e. from felled tree to regional mapping, with the resulting errors propagation through these different scales being probably the most concerning issue.<p><p>In the present work, we propose to address these issues by using a multi-scale approach in order to improve our global understanding of AGB variations in dense tropical forests of Central Africa. In particular, we studied (i) forest AGB prediction from remote-sensing textural analysis, (ii) the potential role of largest trees as predictor of the entire forest-stand AGB and (iii) intra- and inter-individual radial variation of wood specific gravity (WSG, i.e. oven-dry mass divided by its green volume) and its potential consequences on the estimation of the AGB of the tree. <p>First, we analyzed the potential use of textural analysis to predict AGB distribution based on very high spatial resolution satellite scenes. In particular, we used the Fast Fourier Transform Ordination (FOTO) method to predict AGB from heterogeneous forest stands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Here, based on 26 ground plots of 1-ha gathered from the field, plus a successful combination of Geoeye and Quickbird contrasted scenes, we were able to predict and to map AGB with a robust model (R² = 0.85; RMSE = 15%) based on textural gradients. <p>Secondly, the research of AGB indicators was focused on the dissection of the role played by largest trees. Here we found largest trees not only hold large share of forest carbon stock but they contain the print of most of forest-stand structure and diversity. Using a large dataset from western Cameroon to eastern DRC, we developed a non-linear model to predict forest carbon stock from the measurement of only a few large trees. We found the AGB of the 5 % largest stems allow to predict the AGB of the entire forest-stand yielding an R² of 0.87 at a regional scale. Focusing on largest trees species composition, we also showed only 5 % of species account for 50 % of total AGB.<p>In the end, we investigated inter- and intra-individual WSG variations. Despite recognized inter- and intra-specific variations along the radial axis, their ecological determinants and their consequences on trees aboveground biomass assessments remain understudied in tropical regions. To our knowledge, it has never been investigated in Africa. Using a 3-D X-Ray scanner, we studied the radial WSG variation of 14 canopy species of DRC tropical forests. Wood specific gravity variance along the radial profile was dominated by differences between species intercepts (~76%), followed by the differences between their slope (~11%) and between individual cores intercept (~10%). Residual variance was minimal (~3%). Interestingly, no differences were found in the comparison of mean WSG observed on the entire core and the mean WSG at 1-cm under the bark (intercept ~0; coefficient = 1.03). In addition, local values of WSG are strongly correlated with mean value in the global data base at species level. <p><p>I deeply believe these results favor the development of promising tools to map and to estimate accurately the AGB of tropical forest-stands. The information provided by largest trees on the entire forest-stand is particularly interesting both for developing new sampling strategies for carbon stocks monitoring and to characterize tropical forest-stand structure. In particular, our results should provide the opportunity to decrease current sampling cost while decreasing its main related uncertainties, and might also favor an increase of the current sampling coverage. <p> / Doctorat en Sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

9 Summary The SSPX is a society of Roman Catholic priests, who aren't organized in any religious order, however, it's organization is similar to many religious orders. As its mission the SSPX consider the defense of a catholic priesthood, the Tridentine Mass and the true doctrine of the Church against danger, which supposedly affected the Church after the Second Vatican Council. The SSPX was established in 1970 and its center became Ecône Seminary in Switzerland. Hereafter, a wider informal group of Catholics, who were unsatisfied with an evolution of the Church, formed around the Society. The members of this group attended masses, celebrated by SSPX priests. This group had united more after a breakup between the SSPX and superiors of the Catholic church, which was caused by an illicit ordinations of a priests and following excommunication of a founder, archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and his nearest fellows in 1988. From that point, these believers are forming to some kind of congregations similar to parishes, but which are unofficial and improvised. These activities, as well as a sacraments celebrated by SSPX priests, are unacceptable in a catholic canon law system (however, these sacraments are valid, if they were already celebrated!). The ethos of this society is conservative - both in a relation to...

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The thesis objective is to analyze existing situation concerning reporting of the aviation accidents or incidents in national level and according the outputs from the analyses to develop recommendations, how database system ECCAIRS can by used for reporting on the national base. The focus of the thesis is investigation and evaluation of the existing national situation / from theoretical point of view and practical point of view/ and develop recommendation. As source of the investigation ware used existing legislation documents and foreign experience. For collection of the foreign experience was designed special type of questioner. The questioners ware distributed to the pre-selected number of authorities represented pre-selected states. During all process of analysis and investigation situation was discussed with local Czech authorities too. International law / ICAO Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention and EU Directive 94/56 / ware considers as one of the basic sources for the information.

Für die Menschen zählen Gewitter mit Donner und Blitz zu den ältesten bekannten Phänomenen der Natur. Die Tatsache, dass Blitze dennoch bis heute nicht abschließend erforscht sind, liegt in dem äußerst komplexen, schnellen und stochastischen Verhalten der Blitzentladung begründet. Der Autor befasste sich in Rahmen dieser Arbeit u.a. mit der Entwicklung eines modernen Messsystems, durch das die Erfassung von sowohl elektrischen als auch optischen Parametern der im Nanosekundenbereich ablaufenden Prozesse der Entladungen möglich wurde. Es handelt sich um technisch anspruchsvolle Messungen von hohen Stoßspannungen und schwachen Vorentladungsströmen in einem großen Frequenzbereich. Außerdem gelang es durch eine geschickte Synchronisation, die Entladungsprozesse präzise und erstmalig in einer Fotosequenz aufzunehmen. Auf Grundlage der Messergebnisse konnte der Entladungsprozess in mehrere Phasen der Vorentladung unterteilt und beschrieben werden. Vor allem beweisen die Messergebnisse die Existenz einer kanalartigen Vorentladung, die nicht zwingend zu einem Durchschlag führt. Dieser Mechanismus, der bei langsam ansteigenden Spannungen als stabile Leaderentladung benannt und mit Thermoionisation gekennzeichnet ist, war bei Blitzstoßspannungen bisher umstritten. / The breakdown behavior of long air gaps by Lightning Voltages has been investigated and the results of a new measurement system are reported. A series of up to eight photos (made by a high-speed camera) have recorded the expansion of discharge activities during the breakdown process. The pre-discharge current and voltage have been measured as well. The modern measurement techniques have made possible the synchronization of the photos with the current and voltage measurements in nanosecond-ranges. The combination of the measured current, voltage, and photos can precisely explain the breakdown process. The experiments have been carried out with the lightning impulses up to 2.4 MV and the air gaps up to 4 m. Despite of such high voltages, the experimental system has been verified to be appropriate for measuring the pre-discharge current in mA-ranges.

Magic in the period of Judaism of the second temple and early Christianity Abstract The presented work focuses on the history of esotericism in the period of the Second Temple of Judaism and early Christianity, and shows the cultural intersections of magical and religious communities as well as individuals who have studied the art of magic. It points out the main sources of their magical and religious teachings and the origin of magic and magical thinking. It traces the main roots of both religion and magic and describes the development of magical practices in that specifical period of the time. Furthermore, after a small analysis, a comparison is made of the five basic cultures living in the territory of the "fertile crescent" just at the time of the Second Temple and their magic. There is also a detailed discussion on the field of demonology and some personalities of the time who were obviously dealing with magic and also how the magic circle of protection was blessed and magicaly activated. The first part describes all of the available magical disciplines and techniques that a mortal can come into contact with during the Second Temple in the region known as "Fertile Crescent". All the disciplines I mention in my work were already known at the time of the Second Temple, but some of them were not that...

Magic in the period of Judaism of the second temple and early Christianity Abstract The presented work focuses on the history of esotericism in the period of the Second Temple of Judaism and early Christianity, and shows the cultural intersections of magical and religious communities as well as individuals who have studied the art of magic. It points out the main sources of their magical and religious teachings and the origin of magic and magical thinking. It traces the main roots of both religion and magic and describes the development of magical practices in that specifical period of the time. Furthermore, after a small analysis, a comparison is made of the five basic cultures living in the territory of the "fertile crescent" just at the time of the Second Temple and their magic. There is also a detailed discussion on the field of demonology and some personalities of the time who were obviously dealing with magic. The first part describes all of the available magical disciplines and techniques that a mortal can come into contact with during the Second Temple in the region known as "Fertile Crescent". All the disciplines I mention in my work were already known at the time of the Second Temple, but some of them were not that developed, so they were expanded or were elaborated on in a later period. A...

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Applications in paleontological research are far from being limited to taxonomic collection and identification. Nor is such research limited to working solely on fossil data. Actualistic paleontology is the study of modern or recent organisms and processes to better understand those of the past. The bulk of this body of research falls under the category of actualistic paleontology, and examines geochronological methods and error biases in dating biological specimens ranging in age from modern to thousands of years old. Although such methods are arguably not perfect, error rates of ± a few hundred to few thousand years can be extremely important when considering ecological relationships among both Holocene taxa and time-averaged paleocommunities, but quite diminished when considering implications on more traditional dating techniques for ancient strata. Regardless, understanding implications of time resolution is important in analyses of and comparisons between any biological dataset. The following chapters are united by quantitative and statistical management of data with varying levels of temporal resolution, and represent four manuscripts that either are in press or soon to be submitted for publication. / Ph. D.

En ressuscitant l'expérience charismatique des premières communautés chrétiennes, le Pentecôtisme a connu une croissance phénoménale depuis une génération, en dépit de la suspicion dont il a été l'objet. Forme populaire de christianisme, le Pentecôtisme défie les modes traditionnels de régulation de la foi chrétienne en proposant un nouvel équilibre entre l'autorité de l'Écriture (Verbe écrit), l'autorité du partage communautaire de la Parole de Dieu (Verbe parlé) et l'autorité du discours officiel (Verbe institutionnel).Le but de cette étude est d'analyser le fonctionnement de l'autorité dans le mouvement pentecôtiste contemporain, en particulier dans les Assemblées de la Pentecôte du Canada (ADPC). Le regard est à la fois théologique, historique et sociologique. Le corpus étudié sera essentiellement constitué d'écrits pentecôtistes caractéristiques de chacune des périodes considérées et des résultats d'une enquête que nous avons menée auprès de 200 pasteurs pentecôtistes du Canada. Notre hypothèse sera que la régulation de la foi a été conçue successivement selon trois différents paradigmes (modèle intuitif mu par un souci d’orthopathie, modèle opportuniste guidé par des préoccupations d’orthodoxie, et modèle technocratique fondé sur une volonté d’orthopraxie) et que le pragmatisme a joué un rôle déterminant dans cette évolution. Notre étude se déroulera en deux parties. La première partie s'intéressera aux fondements théoriques de la régulation de la foi. Nous chercherons d'abord à identifier la compréhension que le Pentecôtisme a progressivement développée de son rapport à la Bible (Parole écrite), au partage communautaire de l'Évangile (Parole proclamée) et au discours officiel (Parole institutionnelle). La seconde partie proposera un regard sur la pratique. Il s'agira de vérifier comment l'autorité de cette triple Parole s'est exercée pratiquement dans trois questions typiques respectivement du vécu doctrinal (baptême dans l'Esprit), éthique (divorce et remariage) et juridique (ordination des femmes) du mouvement pentecôtiste contemporain. Notre conclusion est que le Pentecôtisme s'en remet d'abord à la primauté de l'Écriture, cependant considérée comme Parole toujours vivante. Il croit à la permanente nécessité de la proclamation, dans l’Esprit, de cette Parole. Quant au discours officiel, toujours suspecté, il ne réussit à s'imposer que par la voie du pragmatisme.