Picote Chapel

Caliphs and Merchants: Cities and Economies of Power in the Near East (700–950)

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Abstracts. Michigan Academician 1 August 2021; 48 (1): 1–124. doi: https://doi.org/10.7245/0026-2005-48.1.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest Search

This paper considers the zone automated order fulfilment systems with a number of zones linked by a main conveyor. Each zone has a number of dispensers and a buffer. Each dispenser holds one type of item and dispenses the items for an order into a buffer before the items are merged to the main conveyor. Due to variability of the mix of item types and number of items for each type in successive orders, idle time or open space on the conveyor can occur if the buffers merge the items to the conveyor sequentially. The idle time prolongs the order fulfilment duration. This paper aims to provide a solution to reduce the idle time or open space by optimising the merging sequences among zones. A model is developed to find merging sequences with minimum order fulfilment time. However, the model is strongly NP-hard. A greedy heuristic-based solution approach is thus developed. Experiment performance shows that the presented solution can reduce the order fulfilment time approximately 5% with both empirical data and simulation data. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis is conducted to measure the effect of the solution under the variation of zone numbers and order structures. Although the idle time reduction can be achieved with any number of zones and order structures, it was most significant in certain range of zone numbers and appropriate order structures.

Festivals in Bhutan are celebrated annually at national and local level as it is one of the cultural aspects to display the devotion towards Buddhism. The annual festivals take place in Dzongs where monks perform mask dances with a communal belief i.e. to commemorate the arrival of Buddhism in the country. Besides, lay men and women perform dances to entertain the crowd. Whereas local festivals usually take place in open space in their respective villages and contain the features of pre-Buddhism practices. Neypo is the local festival that is celebrated annually by the local community of Gaytsa village under Bumthang Dzongkhag. It may sound mystic to some but the festival is dedicated to worldly deities and spirits who are believed to have a direct impact on the daily life and the prosperity of a family or a community. Thus the community's spiritual beliefs are central to the cultural identity of the country, making their way into the Constitution of Bhutan, 2018 and other government policies. Besides religious purposes the events also provide the opportunity for the local people to wear the best dress, relax from daily work and to enjoy quality time with family and friends.

Historical and archaeological heritage for religious purposes, especially in the area. The conservation of the cultural heritage of the Padang Malay Kingdom in Tebing Tinggi requires the role of various parties such as the city government, cultural observers, academics and community participation in a social movement that loves local architecture to foster a sense of pride in the local artifacts that still exist. Therefore, this study describes the meaning of the idea as well as the government's attention from the legacy of the Malay Kingdom of Padang, Tebing Tinggi City. By using research methodology Interpretation is an effort to achieve a correct understanding of facts, data and symptoms. Using the theory of cultural areas (Trancik, 1986), namely an integrated area is an area consisting of elements physically having an orderly structure, normally paying attention to actors, cultural context, and roots, and functionally having an integrated network. The integration components in the aspect of norms describe cultural values and behavior of taste, creativity, and initiative.

1. INTRODUCTION Khorasan’s rural housing, like other regions of Iran, is consistent with the environmental, cultural, social and economic conditions. However, unfortunately, despite good efforts made by the relevant agencies to assist physical and spatial developments, there have been confusion and misdirection about implementing the needs, facts, and traditions of rural lifestyles. 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Environment, and in the body of it, housing and building are known as innovation and exquisite artifacts of human in every culture and civilization, where it still has, tremendous utility and complexity in all its dimensions. Housing concept is known as a vast and complex issue, where it is difficult to present a unified definition for it. The most original and at the same time the most complicated kind of settlement for sedentary people is rural housing. In doing so, generally, vernacular architecture and especially rural architectural has direct, immediate, and strong connection with rural culture and everyday activity in villages. Rural housing is known as a multifaceted and sophisticated phenomenon, from this point of view. Rural housing is more than a shelter and plays the role of not only a resort, but it also has a generative and livelihood role like a warehouse and workshop in rural areas. Compatibility between house and natural environment, villagers’ smart utilization of vernacular and accessible materials for housing, immediate and direct connection with the culture and everyday life of people, and being influenced by social norms like contentment, are the most important characteristics of this type of rural architecture. With the aim of providing proper living conditions and affected by socio–cultural, economic, and physical–spatial factors, rural housing has been formed. Finally, effective physical–spatial factors on rural housing typology can be categorized as: Ratio of mass and open space, the separation of functional zones, the relationship between mass and open space, type of building orientation affected by wind direction and sun radiation, the separation of private and public territories, type of spatial organization relationships, and type of building materials. 3. METHODOLOGY Using a descriptive and inferential method, the data was gathered by studying documentary sources and observation of the residential buildings of Naghandar, Dizbad e Bala, Frizi, and Aydalik. The research begins with the introduction of physical, activity, and climate components affecting the rural housing typology and, then, analyzes the mentioned components within the framework of the study samples using maps and descriptive-analytical diagrams. Finally, it explains the effective formation factors of physical-spatial elements of rural housing. 4. FINDINGS Giving an introduction of rural housing, the paper presents relevant issues and recorded influences of the formation of the issues with tables, figures, and maps. In general, common characteristics of rural housing are as follows: generally, maximum portion of the house is dedicated to the yard space and other necessary elements, including service, manufacturing, warehousing, and storage of livestock and poultry, etc., rather than the visual aspects of the house. It can be expressed that the maximum use of the house, including environmental convenience, and its availability to life necessities of rural housing offer a type of housing closely associated with rural living. In this type of housing, proximity of humans to livestock and services is vitally required. Livestock and services are the main elements of rural livelihood. Although buildings are orientated to the direction of wind and solar radiation, the orientation toward light is more desirable than that of wind. Regarding the spatial types (space fillings, empty spaces, and the interfaces), it can be stated that, the presence or absence of the interface is only justified in terms of providing environmental comfort and intimacy. Intimacy has always been an important issue in a way that it does not overlook the complexity of relationships in rural housing. In terms of order and spatial-functional structure of the rural housing, the ground floor is allocated to livestock and services and upper floors are used as living spaces. They are connected by a vertical path, along which the horizontal connection is through the covered hallway. Moreover, due to the geographical-regional requirements, local materials are commonly used in the housing construction. 5. CONCLUSIONS In general, rural housing is affected by four elements of regional, geographical, social, and cultural factors that, together, form the structure of rural housing. According to this study, paying attention to the rural background in designing and planning of physical developments is highly advised. From this perspective, the solution to the rural-housing designing problem can be categorized into three main sections of resolving functional, natural, and constructional problems.

Space Syntax and the theory of natural movement demonstrated that spatial morphology is a primary factor influencing movement. This paper investigates to what extent spatial morphology at different scales (node, community and global network) influences the use of public space by micromobility. An axial map and corresponding network for Lisbon’s walkable and open public space, and data from e-scooters parking locations, is used as case study. Relevant metrics and their correlations (intelligibility, accessibility, permeability and local dimension) for the quantitative characterization of spatial morphology properties are described and computed for Lisbon’s axial map. Communities are identified based on the network topological structure in order to investigate how these properties are affected at different scales in the case study. The resulting axial line clustering is compared via the variation of information metric with the clustering obtained from e-scooters’ proximity. The results obtained enable to conclude that the space syntax properties are scale dependent in Lisbon’s pedestrian network. On the other hand both the correlation between these properties, the number of scooters and the variation of information between clusters indicate that the spatial morphology is not the only factor influencing micromobility. Through the comparative analysis between the main properties of the public space network of Lisbon and data collected from e-scooters locations in a timeframe, centrality becomes a dynamic concept, relying not only on the static topological properties of the urban network, but also on other quantitative and qualitative factors, since the flows’ operating on the network will operate several transformations on the spatial network properties through time, uncovering spatiotemporal dynamics.

The article is devoted to the actual problem of managing public trust in the government. The priority is the idea of the need for continuous direct communication between representatives of civil society and government structures in order to create an open and transparent information space that makes it possible to make the process of trust bilateral. The regional experience of increasing the level of trust in the authorities through the implementation of the project "MFC – public reception offices of authorities and organizations", aimed at timely and verified consultation of citizens on a wide range of legal issues, is described. Cooperation and openness on the part of the 25 authorities involved in the project contribute to the formation of a positive opinion about the activities of the state, increase the level of satisfaction of the population and promote mutual trust between the authorities and civil society. Involvement in the project of a system of multifunctional centers for the provision of state and municipal services makes it possible to explore the MFC system as a large-scale communication platform characterized by a high level of organization, service culture, increased digitalization. The authors are convinced that such regional experience should be scaled up as a federal format project and implemented into the paradigm of other regions.

Teba land change of function at Nyuh Kuning Village. Nyuh Kuning Village is one of four pakraman (traditional) village in Mas Village, Ubud District, Gianyar Regency, Bali Province which has developed well because of its tourism sector. The rapid development of tourism has resulted significant changes in the useof land in this village. This study aims to explore the pattern of teba landuses changes due to tourism, the factors that cause these changes, and the consequences of these changes on green open space. The research method used was qualitative research. The sample selection used was purposive random sampling technique which was processed by systematic triangulation. The result showed that the change of teba was as follows: 22,7% for domestic dwelling, 6,8% for comercial buildings/domestic buildings with half of the land functioned for plantation for religious purposes and for food needs, 15,9% without teba land, 9,1% are still intact, and the rest of 45,5% as a commercial building for financial needs of the community. The factors that affect the change in the function of teba were internal factors; social, economic and cultural. As well as external factors such as political and policy factors. Futhermore, the consequences of changes in the function of the teba have a significant impact on the disruption of the bio-ecological (physical) functions, social and cultural functions, the balance of the ecosystem, and the aesthetic/architectural functions of the traditional Balinese heritage.

The continuing loss of urban wetlands due to an expanding human population and urban development pressures makes restoration or creation of urban wetlands a high priority. However, urban wetland restorations are particularly challenging due to altered hydrologic patterns, a high proportion of impervious surface and stormwater runoff, degraded urban soils, historic contamination, and competitive pressure from non-native species. Urban wetland projects must also consider human-desired socio-economic benefits. We argue that using current wetland restoration approaches and existing regulatory “success” criteria, such as meeting restoration targets for vegetation structure based on reference sites in non-urban locations, will result in “failed” urban restorations. Using three wetland Case Studies in highly urbanized locations, we describe geophysical tools, stormwater management methods, and design approaches useful in addressing urban challenges and in supporting “successful” urban rehabilitation outcomes. We suggest that in human-dominated landscapes, the current paradigm of “restoration” to a previous state must shift to a paradigm of “rehabilitation”, which prioritizes wetland functions and values rather than vegetation structure in order to provide increased ecological benefits and much needed urban open space amenities.

This article offers a novel, grounded way of assessing the intense interaction between human rights and eco-justice in urban open spaces. Using three iconic parks in the city of Cali, Colombia, as its sites of investigation, the article explores how the anthropocentrism of human rights and the structural order that foregrounds them results in eco-justice aspirations being undermined by human rights – including as environmental rights – in these spaces. The article reflects on three negative consequences of the tensions marking the relationships between human rights and eco-justice in Cali: defaunation; a proliferation of ‘urban heat islands’; and increased local pollution.

Background and Objectives: Urbanization refers to the change of both physical and human landscape structures within an area in response to socio-economic development. This transformation leads to a reduction in urban open spaces, alongside the expansion of diverse land uses into peri-urban areas, contributing to the decline of green spaces in both urban and rural environments. This research aims to assess the changes in landscape ecological structures during the period from 2011 to 2022 by monitoring the diversity of land cover types using the Landscape Mosaic (LM) model and the LM-Anthropic model to describe the main structures and continuity of landscape components, including developed areas, agricultural areas, natural areas, and mixed-use areas, in order to evaluate the condition of green spaces in Mueang District, Amnat Charoen Province. Methodology: This study applies geo-information technology to classify green and non-green areas based on Sentinel-2A satellite imagery, in conjunction with various indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Bare Soil Index (NDBSI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), using a hybrid classification method. The accuracy of the classification results was validated against ground truth points using real-time data collection via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). A confusion matrix was used to calculate overall classification accuracy and the Kappa coefficient, with the confidence level set at 80% and a minimum acceptance threshold of substantial agreement.The resulting data were further analyzed to examine landscape structure, patterns, and changes in order to assess spatial distribution, configuration, and component changes in relation to the intensity levels of human activities, following the principles of landscape ecology. Results: The land cover classification results for Mueang Amnat Charoen District in 2022 revealed an overall accuracy of 80.21% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.73, indicating substantial agreement. Agricultural land was the most dominant category, accounting for 60.46% of the area, followed by forest, barren land, perennial crops, community and built-up areas, and water bodies, at 8.59%, 6.85%, 4.72%, 1.85%, and 0.66%, respectively. These results characterize Mueang District’s core landscape structure as an agricultural matrix. Between 2011 and 2022, significant landscape changes were observed. The proportions of agricultural and natural landscape mosaics declined from 72.93% and 16.56% to 66.72% and 12.63%, respectively. In contrast, developed, mixed-use, and water landscape mosaics increased from 5.43%, 3.23%, and 1.84% to 8.93%, 9.83%, and 1.89%, respectively. Net changes in mosaic types revealed a transformation from uniqueness toward areas of dominance and presence. Specifically, dominant agricultural, natural, and developed mosaic types declined by 30.13%, 5.76%, and 1.48%, respectively, anrd were replaced by mixed-use mosaics influenced by the convergence of all three components.This pattern corresponds with the intensity levels of human activities. Areas of extreme activity intensity were concentrated in dense urban cores, covering 4.17% of the district. Moving outward from the urban center, the spatial pattern took on linear and dispersed forms, with decreasing levels of intensity and an increase in agricultural landscapes. Areas with very high and high levels of activity intensity accounted for 6.10% and 61.15%, respectively. Sparsely developed agricultural zones were categorized as moderate-intensity areas, comprising 13.59%. Low and very low-intensity areas —primarily undisturbed natural areas such as small and large forest patches and riparian woodlands—were scattered across urban and peri-urban areas, comprising 13.59% and 8.03% of the total area, respectively. Results: This study demonstrates the effective application of geo-information technology for quantitatively assessing green space conditions through Sentinel satellite imagery classification, integrated with multiple indices. The approach is further enhanced by incorporating landscape mosaic modeling and human activity intensity analysis to evaluate landscape structure. These models support spatial interpretation of interactions among developed urban areas, natural green spaces, agricultural land, and mixed-use areas—revealing patterns of uniqueness, dominance, and presence. The results highlight the directions and trends of landscape structural change, which potentially affect urban and community environments, particularly the loss of natural green space and open areas, and the ongoing expansion of urban zones characterized by increasingly complex land use. It offers essential spatial information to support planners in conserving and managing target areas for long-term sustainable environmental development.

We report the first finding of berthierine and chamosite in Mexico. They occur in the iron-ore deposit of Peña Colorada, Colima. Their genetic characteristics show two different mineralization events associated mainly to the magnetite ore. Berthierine is an Fe-rich and Mg-low 1:1 layer phyllosilicate of hydrothermal sedimentary origin. Its structure is 7 Å,dhkl[10 0] basal spacing and low degree structural ordering. The phyllosilicate has been identified by a lack of 14 Å basal reflection on X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns. These data were supported by High Resolution Transmision Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images that show thick packets of berthierine in well defined parallel plates. From the analysis of Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), we found around [1 0 0] reflections of berhierine 7.12 Å and corresponding angles of hexagonal crystalline structure. Berthierine has a microcrystalline structure, dark green color, and high refraction index (1.64 to 1.65). Birefringence is low, near 0.007 to null and it is associated to nanoparticles (<15 nm) and microparticles of magnetite (<25 μm), fine grain siderite, and organic matter. Its texture is intergranular-interstratified with colloform banding. The chamosite Mg-rich is of hydrothermal epigenetic origin affected by low-degree metamorphism. It is an Fe-rich 2:1 layer silicate, with basal space of 14 Å,dhkl[0 0 1]. The chamosite occurs as lamellar in sizes ranging from 50 to 150 μm. It has intense green color and refraction index from 1.64 to 1.65. The birefringence is near 0.008, with biaxial (-) orientation and a 2V small. It is associated mainly to sericite, epidote, clay, feldspar, and magnetite. Chamosite is emplaced in open spaces filling and linings. Mössbauer spectra of berthierine and chamosite are similar. They show the typical spectra of paramagnetic substances, with two well defined unfoldings corresponding to the oxidation state of Fe+2and Fe+3. Chemical composition of both minerals was obtained by an electron probe X-ray micro-analyzer (EPMA). The radio Fe+Mg+Mn vs Si and Al show similar chemical compositions and different XRD patterns in the crystalline structure provoked by the environmental conditions of emplacement. A hydrothermal environment was predominant, occurring before, during, and after the magnetite mineralization. The identification of magnetite nanoparticles supports the hypothesis of a marine environment, specifically exhalative sedimentary (SEDEX) for the berthierine.

Two distinct assemblages of authigenic phyllosilicates were distinguished in the Kremikovtsi sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) siderite iron formation (SIF) and noted as important tracers of two styles of mineralization characteristic of this type of ore deposit. Hydrothermal-sedimentary layer silicates are represented by rare occurrences of relict microcrystalline Mg-rich berthierine with a relatively low degree of structural ordering, associated closely with framboidal pyrite as an intergranular matrix cementing sparry siderite grains; the larger silicates are also represented by the diagenetic transformation product of berthierine, chamosite. Berthierine precipitated under anoxic conditions during advanced early diagenesis after chert deposition. Hydrothermal-epigenetic phyllosilicates (berthierine, chamosite, illite-smectite (I-S), and kaolinite) from the barite-sulfide assemblage are characterized by: crystalline and undeformed habits; relatively larger particle size, low-temperature polytypes, low to no mixed layering, and a high degree of crystallinity; absence of impurities and dominant monomineralic aggregates; affiliation to initial open spaces and deposition mainly as vug fillings and linings. They formed under pronounced control by the vuggy porosity of the siderite host caused by the invasion of acid (pH = 3–5), hot (200–230°C) hydrothermal fluids probably at the stage of burial diagenesis of the SIF under relatively stable reducing conditions fluctuating near the sulfide/sulfate stability boundary (logPO2≅−30). The greater Al concentration in hydrothermal solution than in seawater determines the affiliation of phyllosilicates in the Phanerozoic SEDEX SIFs to aluminous species (berthierine, chamosite) unlike low to non aluminous ones (greenalite, stilpnomelane) in the Precambrian IFs. The berthierine compositions, expressed by the Mg/Fe vs. Al/Si ratios, are a sensitive indicator of the geological conditions under which they formed (marine, non-marine, hydrothermal ore and pre-ore), thus allowing the genetic discrimination of this mineral from various localities.

Spontaneous settlements are a feature of urban areas across the world, and the global south in particular. Over the years, studies of these settlements have been framed around upgrading. Premised on the idea that spontaneous settlements were (and are) an undesirable part of the urban fabric. Often described by what they lack (land tenure, space, water, sanitation and adequate shelter), spontaneous settlements appear as a problem to be fixed. Upgrading schemes were thus geared towards ‘regularising’ them, so as to ensure they could fit into the formal desired characteristics of urban spaces. Upgrading largely concentrates on the built fabric, often neglecting the complex social structures that exist and even less about the intricate public/private linkages within these settlements. Interfaces are a physical manifestation of the parochial social order which forms a transitional zone between the public and private territories.To unpack the spatial negotiations, present in spontaneous settlements, this paper studies the relationship between the built and social environment of the Kasokoso neighbourhood in Uganda. From a study of five dwellings, the study seeks to answer what defines private or parochial (semi-private) spatial orders, and what is deemed as spaces within the public realm? Are these permanent divisions, or are they temporal, varying between day and night? The paper highlights the important aspects of the physical environment including dwelling location, private to public space thresholds, and arrangement of shared open spaces that are interwoven with the social environment of the settlement.To generate these findings, the study combined observation, interviews, on-site sketching, and field notes to arrive at a comprehensive spatial and social analysis of activities in a spontaneous settlement. Drawing on this data, spatial domains around the five representative dwelling units were mapped and categorised under the social order structure (private, parochial, and public) with supplementary information recorded from narratives by actors within the study area describing their everyday activities.