Muslims in Public and Media Discourse in Western Europe: The Reproduction of Aporia and Exclusion

This chapter scrutinizes the dominant public discourse in Western Europe. Drawing on examples from the UK, Germany, and France but also from the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain it illustrates the gradual transformation of discourse from an ���exotic Islam��� to a ���threatening Islam��� that endangers European values and safety and suggests that the combination of this ���securitization��� of Islam and the monopoly of the ���Muslim voice��� by radical Muslim activists leads to a vicious circle of misrecognition and enhancing the aporia of Europe's Muslims.

How women use and experience western herbal practice for distress: implications for health care and self-management approaches.

Introduction: In the UK, common mental health disorders account for one in five of all work days lost, and cost employers ��25bn each year. Herbal medicine has been shown to potentially be of use for mental distress, including conditions like anxiety. In 2008, 35% of British adults surveyed claimed to have used herbal medicine at some stage, the majority of whom were women. However, there is little research into how the users of western herbal medicine (WHM) experience the practice of herbal medicine, or how these experiences may change over time. Our research is studying women in the south-east of the UK who are suffering from distress (either as a primary complaint, or associated with another condition) who are seeking the services of a herbalist who practices WHM. Aim: To investigate the experiences of western herbal practice by women who are suffering with distress. Methods: The study is using semi-structured interviews of around thirty women, to elicit patient narratives at two time points. Thematic analysis is being used to consider how distressed women perceive and experience their distress, their reasons for using WHM, what contribution the women perceive the consultation and treatment with WHM may or may not make to their wellbeing, and whether their experiences change over time. Currently, sixteen women have been interviewed, and a preliminary thematic analysis has commenced. Results: Preliminary finding suggest that not only do women internalise their distress, but that they are surprisingly isolated in how they deal with it, whilst some also express social embarrassment about their experiences. The women perceived that their distress is not always considered seriously from their medical practitioners��� point of view. These women are drawn to herbalists not only in a search for effective treatment, but also to be given time to have their story heard, to form a collaborative relationship, and to attempt to regain some control of their life. The herbal treatment is valued due to its perceived naturalness, and reduced risk of adverse side effects. Nevertheless, WHM is just one of a number of self-care strategies that women utilise to help manage their distress. Discussion: Effective treatment is not only dependent upon the herbs, but also upon an effective therapeutic relationship. Feeling that the herbalist hears their story, provides a treatment plan that is individually tailored to the patient, and is available (even outside of the consultation) are all important in helping to establish this relationship.

Synthesis of the Piacenzian onshore record between the Aveiro and Setubal parallels (Western portuguese margin)

Onshore, the Piacenzianof the Mondego and Lower Tagus Tertiary basins comprises siliciclastic sediments deposited in shallow marine to continental environments. The outcrops of the deposits are relatively widespread in the Aveiro and Seuibal region. A lithostratigraphic synthesis based on the correlation of geological sections, is presented for the two basins. In general, the Piacenzian sediments display a regressive sucession. The Late Tortonian-Zanclean (?) confined drainage pattern changed at the beginning of Piazencian, to fluvial systems draining to the Atlantic, and capturing the drainage of the inner parts of the Hesperic Meseta. The Piacenzian sedimentary sequence post-dates one of the uprising phases during Neogene compression, recorded by a strong regional unconformity. Some local active faulting - as in Lousa, Rio Maior and Senibal- Pinhal Novo - allowed the local thickening of the sedimentary record. Later compressive tectonism continues to generate reverse faulting and diapiric reactivation, affecting those sediments. Currently, the Piacenzian deposits culminates the marginal piedmonts, widely eroded by the Quaternary fluvial dissection.

Pseudo Phase Plane and Fractional Calculus Modelling of Western Global Economic Downturn

This paper applies Pseudo Phase Plane (PPP) and Fractional Calculus (FC) mathematical tools for modeling world economies. A challenging global rivalry among the largest international economies began in the early 1970s, when the post-war prosperity declined. It went on, up to now. If some worrying threatens may exist actually in terms of possible ambitious military aggression, invasion, or hegemony, countries��� PPP relative positions can tell something on the current global peaceful equilibrium. A global political downturn of the USA on global hegemony in favor of Asian partners is possible, but can still be not accomplished in the next decades. If the 1973 oil chock has represented the beginning of a long-run recession, the PPP analysis of the last four decades (1972���2012) does not conclude for other partners��� global dominance (Russian, Brazil, Japan, and Germany) in reaching high degrees of similarity with the most developed world countries. The synergies of the proposed mathematical tools lead to a better understanding of the dynamics underlying world economies and point towards the estimation of future states based on the memory of each time series.

Validity, reliability and responsiveness of the French language translation of the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI).

BACKGROUND: The WOSI (Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index) is a self-administered quality of life questionnaire designed to be used as a primary outcome measure in clinical trials on shoulder instability, as well as to measure the effect of an intervention on any particular patient. It is validated and is reliable and sensitive. As it is designed to measure subjective outcome, it is important that translation should be methodologically rigorous, as it is subject to both linguistic and cultural interpretation. OBJECTIVE: To produce a French language version of the WOSI that is culturally adapted to both European and North American French-speaking populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A validated protocol was used to create a French language WOSI questionnaire (WOSI-Fr) that would be culturally acceptable for both European and North American French-speaking populations. Reliability and responsiveness analyses were carried out, and the WOSI-Fr was compared to the F-QuickDASH-D/S (Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand-French translation), and Walch-Duplay scores. RESULTS: A French language version of the WOSI (WOSI-Fr) was accepted by a multinational committee. The WOSI-Fr was then validated using a total of 144 native French-speaking subjects from Canada and Switzerland. Comparison of results on two WOSI-Fr questionnaires completed at a mean interval of 16 days showed that the WOSI-Fr had strong reliability, with a Pearson and interclass correlation of r=0.85 (P=0.01) and ICC=0.84 [95% CI=0.78-0.88]. Responsiveness, at a mean 378.9 days after surgical intervention, showed strong correlation with that of the F-QuickDASH-D/S, with r=0.67 (P<0.01). Moreover, a standardized response means analysis to calculate effect size for both the WOSI-Fr and the F-QuickDASH-D/S showed that the WOSI-Fr had a significantly greater ability to detect change (SRM 1.55 versus 0.87 for the WOSI-Fr and F-QuickDASH-D/S respectively, P<0.01). The WOSI-Fr showed fair correlation with the Walch-Duplay. DISCUSSION: A French-language translation of the WOSI questionnaire was created and validated for use in both Canadian and Swiss French-speaking populations. This questionnaire will facilitate outcome assessment in French-speaking settings, collaboration in multinational studies and comparison between studies performed in different countries. TYPE OF STUDY: Multicenter cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Modeling of in-situ crystallization processes in the Permian mafic layered intrusion of Mont Collon (Dent Blanche nappe, western Alps)

The Mont Collon mafic complex is one of the best preserved examples of the Early Permian magmatism in the Central Alps, related to the intra-continental collapse of the Variscan belt. It mostly consists (> 95 vol.%) of ol+hy-nonnative plagioclase-wehrlites, olivine- and cpx-gabbros with cumulitic structures, crosscut by acid dikes. Pegmatitic gabbros, troctolites and anorthosites outcrop locally. A well-preserved cumulative, sequence is exposed in the Dents de Bertol area (center of intrusion). PT-calculations indicate that this layered magma chamber emplaced at mid-crustal levels at about 0.5 GPa and 1100 degrees C. The Mont Collon cumulitic rocks record little magmatic differentiation, as illustrated by the restricted range of clinopyroxene mg-number (Mg#(cpx)=83-89). Whole-rock incompatible trace-element contents (e.g. Nb, Zr, Ba) vary largely and without correlation with major-element composition. These features are characteristic of an in-situ crystallization process with variable amounts of interstitial liquid L trapped between the cumulus mineral phases. LA-ICPMS measurements show that trace-element distribution in the latter is homogeneous, pointing to subsolidus re-equilibration between crystals and interstitial melts. A quantitative modeling based on Langmuir's in-situ crystallization equation successfully duplicated the REE concentrations in cumulitic minerals of all rock facies of the intrusion. The calculated amounts of interstitial liquid L vary between 0 and 35% for degrees of differentiation F of 0 to 20%, relative to the least evolved facies of the intrusion. L values are well correlated with the modal proportions of interstitial amphibole and whole-rock incompatible trace-element concentrations (e.g. Zr, Nb) of the tested samples. However, the in-situ crystallization model reaches its limitations with rock containing high modal content of REE-bearing minerals (i.e. zircon), such as pegmatitic gabbros. Dikes of anorthositic composition, locally crosscutting the layered lithologies, evidence that the Mont Collon rocks evolved in open system with mixing of intercumulus liquids of different origins and possibly contrasting compositions. The proposed model is not able to resolve these complex open systems, but migrating liquids could be partly responsible for the observed dispersion of points in some correlation diagrams. Absence of significant differentiation with recurrent lithologies in the cumulitic pile of Dents de Bertol points to an efficiently convective magma chamber, with possible periodic replenishment, (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Divergent and convergent margins in the north-western Alps - Confrontation to actualistic models

Divergent and convergent margins actualistic models are reviewed and applied to the history of the western Alps. Tethyan rifting history and geometry are analyzed: the northern European margin is considered as an upper plate whereas the southern Apulian margin is a lower plate; the Breche basin is regarded as the former break-away trough; the internal Brianconnais domain represents the northern rift shoulder whilst the more external domains are regarded as the infill of a complex rim basin locally affected by important extension (Valaisan and Vocontain trough). The Schistes lustres and ophiolites of the Tsate nappe are compared to an accretionary prism: the imbrication of this nappe elements is regarded as a direct consequence of the accretionary phenomena already active in early Cretaceous; the Gets/Simme complex could orginate from a more internal part of the accretionary prism. Some eclogitic basements represent the former Apulian margin substratum (Sesia) others (Mont-Rose) are interpreted as the former edge of the European margin. The history of the closing Tethyan domain is analyzed and the remaining problems concerning the cinematics, the presence/absence of a volcanic arc and the eoalpine metamorphism are discussed.

Inheritance of ductile and brittle structures in the development of large rock slope instabilities: Examples from western Norway

The high density of slope failures in western Norway is due to the steep relief and to the concentration of various structures that followed protracted ductile and brittle tectonics. On the 72 investigated rock slope instabilities, 13 were developed in soft weathered mafic and phyllitic allochthons. Only the intrinsic weakness of such rocks increases the susceptibility to gravitational deformation. In contrast, the gravitational structures in the hard gneisses reactivate prominent ductile or/and brittle fabrics. At 30 rockslides along cataclinal slopes, weak mafic layers of foliation are reactivated as basal planes. Slope-parallel steep foliation forms back-cracks of unstable columns. Folds are specifically present in the Storfjord area, together with a clustering of potential slope failures. Folding increases the probability of having favourably orientated planes with respect to the gravitational forces and the slope. High water pressure is believed to seasonally build up along the shallow-dipping Caledonian detachments and may contribute to destabilization of the rock slope upwards. Regional cataclastic faults localized the gravitational structures at 45 sites. The volume of the slope instabilities tends to increase with the amount of reactivated prominent structures and the spacing of the latter controls the size of instabilities.

The newly defined "Greenstone Unit'' of the Aiguilles Rouges massif (western Alps): remnant of an Early Palaeozoic oceanic island-arc ?

In the southwestern part of the Aiguilles Rouges massif (pre-Alpine basement of the Helvetic realm, western Alps), a metavolcanic sequence, newly defined as the ``Greenstone Unit'',is exposed in two NS trending belts of several 100 metres in thickness. It consists of epidote amphibolites, partly epidote and/or calcic amphibole-bearing greenschists, and small amounts of alkali feldspar-bearing greenschists, which underwent low- to medium-grade metamorphism during Visean oblique collision. Metamorphic calcic amphiboles and epidotes show strong chemical zoning, whereas metamorphic plagioclase is exclusively albitic in composition (An 1-3). The SiO2 content of the subalkaline tholeiitic to calc-alkaline suite ranges continuously from 44 wt% to 73 wt%,but andesitic rocks predominate. The majority of samples have chemical compositions close to recent subduction-related lavas; some are even restricted to recent oceanic arcs (extremely low Ta and Nb contents, high La/Nb and Th/Ta ratios). But several basaltic to basalto-andesitic samples resemble continental tholeiites (low Th/Ta, La/Nb ratio). As it is very probable that both lava types are to some extent contemporaneous, it is proposed that the Greenstone Unit represents a former oceanic volcanic are which temporarily underwent extension during which emplacement of continental tholeiite-like rocks occurred. The cause of the extension remains ambiguous. Considering palaeotectonic significance and age of other metavolcanic units in the Aiguilles Rouges massif, the Greenstone Unit most likely formed in the Early Palaeozoic.

Contact metamorphism and emplacement of the western Adamello tonalite

The geodynamic forces acting in the Earth's interior manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Volcanoes are amongst the most impressive examples in this respect, but like with an iceberg, they only represent the tip of a more extensive system hidden underground. This system consists of a source region where melt forms and accumulates, feeder connections in which magma is transported towards the surface, and different reservoirs where it is stored before it eventually erupts to form a volcano. A magma represents a mixture of melt and crystals. The latter can be extracted from the source region, or form anywhere along the path towards their final crystallization place. They will retain information of the overall plumbing system. The host rocks of an intrusion, in contrast, provide information at the emplacement level. They record the effects of thermal and mechanical forces imposed by the magma. For a better understanding of the system, both parts - magmatic and metamorphic petrology - have to be integrated. I will demonstrate in my thesis that information from both is complementary. It is an iterative process, using constraints from one field to better constrain the other. Reading the history of the host rocks is not always straightforward. This is shown in chapter two, where a model for the formation of clustered garnets observed in the contact aureole is proposed. Fragments of garnets, older than the intrusive rocks are overgrown by garnet crystallizing due to the reheating during emplacement of the adjacent pluton. The formation of the clusters is therefore not a single event as generally assumed but the result of a two-stage process, namely the alteration of the old grains and the overgrowth and amalgamation of new garnet rims. This makes an important difference when applying petrological methods such as thermobarometry, geochronology or grain size distributions. The thermal conditions in the aureole are a strong function of the emplacement style of the pluton. therefore it is necessary to understand the pluton before drawing conclusions about its aureole. A study investigating the intrusive rocks by means of field, geochemical, geochronologi- cal and structural methods is presented in chapter three. This provided important information about the assembly of the intrusion, but also new insights on the nature of large, homogeneous plutons and the structure of the plumbing system in general. The incremental nature of the emplacement of the Western Adamello tonalit�� is documented, and the existence of an intermediate reservoir beneath homogeneous plutons is proposed. In chapter four it is demonstrated that information extracted from the host rock provides further constraints on the emplacement process of the intrusion. The temperatures obtain by combining field observations with phase petrology modeling are used together with thermal models to constrain the magmatic activity in the immediate intrusion. Instead of using the thermal models to control the petrology result, the inverse is done. The model parameters were changed until a match with the aureole temperatures was obtained. It is shown, that only a few combinations give a positive match and that temperature estimates from the aureole can constrain the frequency of ancient magmatic systems. In the fifth chapter, the Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility of intrusive rocks is compared to 3D tomography. The obtained signal is a function of the shape and distribution of ferromagnetic grains, and is often used to infer flow directions of magma. It turns out that the signal is dominated by the shape of the magnetic crystals, and where they form tight clusters, also by their distribution. This is in good agreement with the predictions made in the theoretical and experimental literature. In the sixth chapter arguments for partial melting of host rock carbonates are presented. While at first very surprising, this is to be expected when considering the prior results from the intrusive study and experiments from the literature. Partial melting is documented by compelling microstructures, geochemical and structural data. The necessary conditions are far from extreme and this process might be more frequent than previously thought. The carbonate melt is highly mobile and can move along grain boundaries, infiltrating other rocks and ultimately alter the existing mineral assemblage. Finally, a mineralogical curiosity is presented in chapter seven. The mineral assemblage magne��site and calcite is in apparent equilibrium. It is well known that these two carbonates are not stable together in the system Ca0-Mg0-Fe0-C02. Indeed, magnesite and calcite should react to dolomite during metamorphism. The presented explanation for this '"forbidden" assemblage is, that a calcite melt infiltrated the magnesite bearing rock along grain boundaries and caused the peculiar microstructure. This is supported by isotopie disequilibrium between calcite and magnesite. A further implication of partially molten carbonates is, that the host rock drastically looses its strength so that its physical properties may be comparable to the ones of the intrusive rocks. This contrasting behavior of the host rock may ease the emplacement of the intrusion. We see that the circle closes and the iterative process of better constraining the emplacement could start again. - La Terre est en perp��tuel mouvement et les forces tectoniques associ��es �� ces mouvements se manifestent sous diff��rentes formes. Les volcans en sont l'un des exemples les plus impressionnants, mais comme les icebergs, les laves ��mises en surfaces ne repr��sentent que la pointe d'un vaste syst��me cach�� dans les profondeurs. Ce syst��me est constitu�� d'une r��gion source, r��gion o�� la roche source fond et produit le magma ; ce magma peut s'accumuler dans cette r��gion source ou ��tre transport�� �� travers diff��rents conduits dans des r��servoirs o�� le magma est stock��. Ce magma peut cristalliser in situ et produire des roches plutoniques ou alors ��tre ��mis en surface. Un magma repr��sente un m��lange entre un liquide et des cristaux. Ces cristaux peuvent ��tre extraits de la source ou se former tout au long du chemin jusqu'�� l'endroit final de cristallisation. L'��tude de ces cristaux peut ainsi donner des informations sur l'ensemble du syst��me magmatique. Au contraire, les roches encaissantes fournissent des informations sur le niveau d'emplacement de l'intrusion. En effet ces roches enregistrent les effets thermiques et m��caniques impos��s par le magma. Pour une meilleure compr��hension du syst��me, les deux parties, magmatique et m��tamorphique, doivent ��tre int��gr��es. Cette th��se a pour but de montrer que les informations issues de l'��tude des roches magmatiques et des roches encaissantes sont compl��mentaires. C'est un processus it��ratif qui utilise les contraintes d'un domaine pour am��liorer la compr��hension de l'autre. Comprendre l'histoire des roches encaissantes n'est pas toujours ais��. Ceci est d��montr�� dans le chapitre deux, o�� un mod��le de formation des grenats observ��s sous forme d'agr��gats dans l'aur��ole de contact est propos��. Des fragments de grenats plus vieux que les roches intru- sives montrent une zone de surcroissance g��n��r��e par l'apport thermique produit par la mise en place du pluton adjacent. La formation des agr��gats de grenats n'est donc pas le r��sultat d'un seul ��v��nement, comme on le d��crit habituellement, mais d'un processus en deux phases, soit l'alt��ration de vieux grains engendrant une fracturation de ces grenats, puis la formation de zone de surcroissance autour de ces diff��rents fragments expliquant la texture en agr��gats observ��e. Cette interpr��tation en deux phases est importante, car elle engendre des diff��rences notables lorsque l'on applique des m��thodes p��trologiques comme la thermobarom��trie, la g��ochronologie ou encore lorsque l'on ��tudie la distribution relative de la taille des grains. Les conditions thermales dans l'aur��ole de contact d��pendent fortement du mode d'emplacement de l'intrusion et c'est pourquoi il est n��cessaire de d'abord comprendre le pluton avant de faire des conclusions sur son aur��ole de contact. Une ��tude de terrain des roches intrusives ainsi qu'une ��tude g��ochimique, g��ochronologique et structurale est pr��sente dans le troisi��me chapitre. Cette ��tude apporte des informations importantes sur la formation de l'intrusion mais ��galement de nouvelles connaissances sur la nature de grands plutons homog��nes et la structure de syst��me magmatique en g��n��ral. L'emplacement incr��mental est mis en ��vidence et l'existence d'un r��servoir interm��diaire en-dessous des plutons homog��nes est propos��. Le quatri��me chapitre de cette th��se illustre comment utiliser l'information extraite des roches encaissantes pour expliquer la mise en place de l'intrusion. Les temp��ratures obtenues par la combinaison des observations de terrain et l'assemblage m��tamorphique sont utilis��es avec des mod��les thermiques pour contraindre l'activit�� magmatique au contact directe de cette aur��ole. Au lieu d'utiliser le mod��le thermique pour v��rifier le r��sultat p��trologique, une approche inverse a ��t�� choisie. Les param��tres du mod��le ont ��t�� chang��s jusqu'�� ce qu'on obtienne une correspondance avec les temp��ratures observ��es dans l'aur��ole de contact. Ceci montre qu'il y a peu de combinaison qui peuvent expliquer les temp��ratures et qu'on peut contraindre la fr��quence de l'activit�� magmatique d'un ancien syst��me magmatique de cette mani��re. Dans le cinqui��me chapitre, les processus contr��lant l'anisotropie de la susceptibilit�� magn��tique des roches intrusives sont expliqu��s �� l'aide d'images de la distribution des min��raux dans les roches obtenues par tomographie 3D. Le signal associ�� �� l'anisotropie de la susceptibilit�� magn��tique est une fonction de la forme et de la distribution des grains ferromagn��tiques. Ce signal est fr��quemment utilis�� pour d��terminer la direction de mouvement d'un magma. En accord avec d'autres ��tudes de la litt��rature, les r��sultats montrent que le signal est domin�� par la forme des cristaux magn��tiques, ainsi que par la distribution des agglom��rats de ces min��raux dans la roche. Dans le sixi��me chapitre, une ��tude associ��e �� la fusion partielle de carbonates dans les roches encaissantes est pr��sent��e. Si la pr��sence de liquides carbonat��s dans les aur��oles de contact a ��t�� propos��e sur la base d'exp��riences de laboratoire, notre ��tude d��montre clairement leur existence dans la nature. La fusion partielle est document��e par des microstructures caract��ristiques pour la pr��sence de liquides ainsi que par des donn��es g��ochimiques et structurales. Les conditions n��cessaires sont loin d'��tre extr��mes et ce processus pourrait ��tre plus fr��quent qu'attendu. Les liquides carbonat��s sont tr��s mobiles et peuvent circuler le long des limites de grain avant d'infiltrer d'autres roches en produisant une modification de leurs assemblages min��ralogiques. Finalement, une curiosit�� min��ralogique est pr��sent��e dans le chapitre sept. L'assemblage de min��raux de magn��site et de calcite en ��quilibre apparent est observ��. Il est bien connu que ces deux carbonates ne sont pas stables ensemble dans le syst��me CaO-MgO-FeO-CO.,. En effet, la magn��site et la calcite devraient r��agir et produire de la dolomite pendant le m��tamorphisme. L'explication pr��sent��e pour cet assemblage �� priori �� interdit �� est que un liquide carbonat�� provenant des roches adjacentes infiltre cette roche et est responsable pour cette microstructure. Une autre implication associ��e �� la pr��sence de carbonates fondus est que la roche encaissante montre une diminution drastique de sa r��sistance et que les propri��t��s physiques de cette roche deviennent comparables �� celles de la roche intrusive. Cette modification des propri��t��s rh��ologiques des roches encaissantes peut faciliter la mise en place des roches intrusives. Ces diff��rentes ��tudes d��montrent bien le processus it��ratif utilis�� et l'int��r��t d'��tudier aussi bien les roches intrusives que les roches encaissantes pour la compr��hension des m��canismes de mise en place des magmas au sein de la cro��te terrestre.

Very low prevalence of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carrying the mecC gene in western Switzerland.

We report the first case of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with the mecC gene in a patient in western Switzerland. After this first identification, a polymerase chain reaction protocol was established to investigate the occurrence of this new mecC gene in the population of this region. Enrichment broths were investigated from 1062 patients screened for MRSA, meticillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus isolates from clinical specimens from 475 patients, and 80 MRSA isolates (from 2005 to 2011) showing discrepancies between genotypic and phenotypic meticillin resistance. None was positive for mecC, suggesting that it is rare in the patient population of this region.