City Of Toulouse Research Articles

БЪЛГАРСКИ МЛАДЕЖИ НА УЧЕНИЕ В ТУЛУЗА, ФРАНЦИЯ ПРЕЗ УЧЕБНАТА 1895 – 1896 ГОДИНА

The historical narrative presents the Bulgarian youth who chose to continue their education in educational institutions in the French city of Toulouse during the academic 1895/96 year. The young people were 40, and the chosen specialties were veterinary medicine, law, and medicine. Two of them studied at the National Lyceum at the university – Petko and Hristo Yu. Todorovs. Nedyu Bogdanov, N. Georgiev, G. Hamamov, Tsanko Tsankov and Roman Popov studied veterinary medicine. D. Kiryakov, Boris Ganchev, Petar Brynekov, Vasil Yurukov, Nikola Lafchiev and Ivan Kirev chose to study law. Nanyu Anastasov, Dimitar Imukov, Ivan Baichev, Hilarion Burov, Konstantin Petrov, Angel Dimitrov, Georgi Ivanov, Grigor Gradev, Dragan Berov, Dobri Stoyanov, Yordan Kazandzhiev, Anton Zlatarov, Boris D. Boyadzhiev, Angel Karaneshev, Petar Ivanov, Hristo study medicine Ivanov, Petar Gachev, Asparuh Dvoryanov, Simeon Hitov, Dimitar Semerdzhiev, Dimitar Pirinski, Ivan Jeykov, Ivan Truvchev, Evtim Neikov, Nikola Baltadzhiev, Pericles Nichev and Roman Popov studied medicine. The review made about the Bulgarian youth studying in Toulouse during the academic 1895/1896 year proved that they had a lasting interest, they were self-supporting, with a scholarship or were seconded by the Bulgarian state. They did not stand aside from the sociopolitical life in their homeland and led an active social life. There was not a single girl in the group. The boys came from families with or without educational traditions. Only Petar Branekov was a second-generation university graduate, as either someone from the family would study or wass studying in Europe. All students were born in Bulgaria, only Dimitar Kiryakov was from Lozengrad, Odrinsko, i.e. part of the unrealized Bulgarian ideal. With few exceptions, all completed their secondary education in Bulgaria and continued their studies in one of the old and renowned universities in France – the one in Toulouse. Either having graduated from the university or not, they would return to the Principality of Bulgaria and devote their energies to its modernization and inclusion in the European context. They would bring socialist and cooperative ideas. One part continued their education and defended PhD theses: Petar Brnekov, Dobri Stoyanov, Hr. Ivanov, Hristo Todorov... On Bulgarian soil, Toulouse graduates got involved in a number of initiatives, worked in the field of the Bulgarian literature and/or built careers in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of War. They participated in the wars for national unification. The newly created social environment fostered friendships and often led to family kinships. Thus, thanks to the friendship between Boris Ganchev and Petko Yu. Todorov, the wedding of Todorov with Boris's sister, Raina Gancheva, took place. The Bulgarian young people who studied in Toulouse during the academic 1895-1896 year are a representative sample of the overall development of the Bulgarian education, of the state and attitude of the Ministry of Education towards the Bulgarian students in Europe and the building of the Bulgarian elite at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

Rege Ribaldum: Participatory Punishment in the Pursuit of Urban Justice in Late Medieval Southern France

Abstract Utilizing the lens of popular control to assess criminal sentences highlights the significance of effective public agency in the later Middle Ages, instead of political oppression, especially in the urban realm. The people who inhabited cities played a participatory role in setting the parameters involved in the spectacles of judicial chastisement by accepting or rejecting what unfolded before them. And this became a way in which neighbors surveilled and corrected both the residents who lived in their midst, and the agents of authority expected to orchestrate restitution through performative executions. This article unpacks jurisdictional disputes from the city of Toulouse, in order to analyze the notion of accountability among the inhabitants and of citizens over judicial officers, especially in crimes involving contested sexuality. In 1332, for example, a customary punishment known as a rege ribaldum (where authorities forced a criminal to run the streets of the town) spiraled out of control at the hands of one of the spectators, resulting in a gruesome disfigurement. Rather than dismiss this event as senseless mob violence, concepts of popular control shed light on the cooperative element of the officers and their people as it informed the distribution of punishment, rooted in principles that were sometimes congruent, and sometimes not.

Do urban renewal programs make suburbs safer? A fine-grained GIS and space syntax study of an urban renewal project in the city of Toulouse

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the impact of urban renewal programs (PRU) on creating a safe environment. People’s perceptions of PRU and its impact on security were collected through questionnaires and sketch maps. This study applies a space syntax approach to analyse the spatial and structural properties of successive urban space evolutions and compare them with people’s perceptions of security. The findings reveal a strong correlation between areas with high levels of social housing concentration, poverty rates and insecurity. Surprisingly, visually controlled areas are vulnerable and attractive locations for drug trafficking. Density indicators have a minor influence on the perception of insecurity.

Aerosol Optical Depth Measurements from a Simulated Low-Cost Multi-Wavelength Ground-Based Camera: A Clear Case over a Peri-Urban Area

This paper highlights the advantages of an affordable multi-wavelength ground-based camera, called WaltRCam, for monitoring Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) in a clear case over a peri-urban area. To simulate the performance of this low-cost camera, for which data are not yet available, we use data from an expensive hyperspectral camera (HSI) to mimic its characteristics. Our methodology is based on the construction of look-up tables using the DART (Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer) 3D radiative transfer model. DART simulates the different spectra observed by the WaltRCam camera, which then provides the AODs for all image pixels in near-real-time. Moreover, DART is coupled to a 3D scale-model of the city of Toulouse (dating from 2014) to model complex urban geometries and to associate specific optical properties to the various objects that make up the environment. Moreover, we use a neural-network-based method to recognize the various objects in the image in order to take into account only pixels common between the observations. In this way, we take account of changes to the peri-urban area, such as vegetation growth, construction, demolition of buildings, etc. The results of this study show that the WaltRCam camera, by capturing eight wavelengths, can deliver convincing results compared with ground and satellite reference data, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9 and an average RMSE of less than 0.02.

Evaluation of the Urban Weather Generator on the City of Toulouse (France)

This article addresses the simulation of urban air temperatures with a focus on evaluating the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) model over Toulouse, France. As urban temperatures, influenced by factors like urbanization, anthropogenic heat release, and complex urban geometry, exhibit an urban heat island (UHI) effect, understanding and mitigating UHI become crucial. With increasing global warming and urban populations, aiding urban planners necessitates accurate simulations requiring data at the canyon level. The paper evaluates UWG’s performance in simulating air temperatures under realistic conditions, emphasizing an operational context and a non-specialist user’s perspective. The evaluation includes selecting the most suitable meteorological station, assessing the impact of the rural station choice, and conducting a sensitivity analysis of input parameters. The validation demonstrates good agreement, with a mean bias error (MBE) of 0.02 °C and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.73 °C. However, we highlight the fact that UWG performs better in a densely urbanized area, and exhibits limitations in sensitivity to urban surface parameter variations, particularly in less urbanized areas.

Analyse spatiale des violences faites aux femmes au sein du couple dans la ville de Toulouse

Les violences faites aux femmes au sein du couple sont internationalement reconnues comme étant un problème d’ampleur épidémique de santé publique, de politique sociale et une violation des droits des femmes. La survenue de ces violences serait notamment corrélée au regroupement de conditions de désavantages socio-économiques au sein de l’environnement local. L’objectif de notre étude était de cartographier la répartition des violences faites aux femmes au sein du couple dans la ville de Toulouse afin de mettre en évidence la présence d’interactions spatiales. Les adresses postales de 840 femmes ayant consulté à l’unité médico-judiciaire de l’Hôpital Rangueil ont été géocodées. La distribution spatiale des adresses a été analysée à l’aide de fonctions de lissage spatial, de tests de corrélation spatiale et de modèles spatiaux d’estimation de risque. Une hétérogénéité marquée a été mise en évidence sous la forme de regroupements spatiaux significatifs dont certains présentent un sur-risque relatif estimé de violences faites aux femmes au sein du couple. Les unités médico-judicaires jouant un rôle central dans la prise en charge de ces femmes, l’utilisation des nombreuses données disponibles associée à l’utilisation de méthodes innovantes d’épidémiologie spatiale permettrait d’améliorer la compréhension des mécanismes en jeu afin de faciliter la mise en œuvre de politiques sociales, médicales et environnementales visant à lutter contre ces violences.

Barking up the Right Tree: Using Tree Bark to Track Airborne Particles in School Environment and Link Science to Society.

Children's exposure to air pollution affects both their health and learning skills. Fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM2.5, PM1), notably issued from traffic sources in urban centers, belong to the most potential harmful health hazards. However their monitoring and the society's awareness on their dangers need to be consolidated. In this study, raising teacher and pupil involvement for air quality improvement in their schools environment is reached through developing a passive monitoring technique (bio‐sensors made of tree bark). The experiment was implemented in two urban elementary schools situated close to a main traffic road of the city of Toulouse (South of France). Magnetic properties, carbonaceous fraction measurements, and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM‐EDX) investigations were realized both on passive bio‐sensors and filters issued from active sampling. We find that traffic is the main PM1 source for both outdoors and indoors at schools. Higher levels of outdoor PM in the school's environments compared to urban background are reached especially in the cold period. The schools proximity to a main traffic source and lack of ventilation are the main causes for observed PM1 accumulation in classrooms. The co‐working experiment with educational teams and pupils shows that the use of bio‐sensors is a driver for children empowerment to air pollution and therefore represents a potential key tool for the teachers though limiting eco‐anxiety. As PM accumulation is observed in many scholar environments across Europe, the proposed methodology is a step toward a better assessment of PM impact on pupil's health and learning skills.

Marie Vidailhet: recognising the importance of teamwork

The city of Toulouse in southern France is filled with a rich history of heroes, adventure, and challenges; where Concorde made its first test flight and the French National Centre for Space Studies obtained stunning satellite images of Earth. It is also the birthplace of Marie Vidailhet, professor of neurology and head of the Movement Disorders and Parkinson's Disease department at the Salpêtrière Hospital—the “cradle of neurology” in France (Sorbonne University, Paris). Bilateral, pallidal, deep-brain stimulation in primary generalised dystonia: a prospective 3 year follow-up studyBilateral pallidal stimulation provides sustained motor benefit after 3 years. Mild long-term improvements in quality of life and attention were also observed. Full-Text PDF Bilateral pallidal deep brain stimulation for the treatment of patients with dystonia-choreoathetosis cerebral palsy: a prospective pilot studyBilateral pallidal neurostimulation could be an effective treatment option for patients with dystonia-choreoathetosis CP. However, given the heterogeneity of motor outcomes and the small sample size, results should be interpreted with caution. The optimum placement of the leads seemed to be a crucial, but not exclusive, factor that could affect a good outcome. Full-Text PDF

Phenological Dynamics Characterization of Alignment Trees with Sentinel-2 Imagery: A Vegetation Indices Time Series Reconstruction Methodology Adapted to Urban Areas

This article presents a novel methodology for the characterization of tree vegetation phenology, based on vegetation indices time series reconstruction and adapted to urban areas. The methodology is based on a pixel by pixel curve fitting classification, together with a subsequent Savitzky–Golay filtering of raw phenological curves from pixels classified as vegetation. Moreover, the new method is conceived to face specificities of urban environments such as: the high heterogeneity of impervious/natural elements, the 3D structure of the city inducing shadows, the restricted spatial extent of individual tree crowns and the strong biodiversity of urban vegetation. Three vegetation indices have been studied: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Red Edge Index 1 (NDRE1), which are mainly linked to chlorophyll content and leaf density and Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) mostly correlated to water content and leaf density. The methodology has been designed to allow the analysis of annual and intra-annual vegetation phenological dynamics. Then, different annual and intra-annual criteria for phenology characterization are proposed and criticized. To show the applicability of the methodology, this article focuses on Sentinel-2 (S-2) imagery covering 2018 and the study of groups of London planes in an alignment structure in the French city of Toulouse. Results showed that the new method allows the ability to 1) describe the heterogeneity of phenologies from London planes exposed to different environmental conditions (urban canyons, proximity with a source of water) and 2) to detect intra-annual phenological dynamics linked to changes in meteorological conditions.

Large-Eddy Simulations with an Immersed Boundary Method: Pollutant Dispersion over Urban Terrain

In urban canopies, the variability of pollution may be influenced by the presence of surface heterogeneities like orography and buildings. Using the Meso-NH model enhanced with an immersed boundary method (IBM) to represent accurately the impact of the 3D shape of buildings on the flow, large-eddy simulations are performed over city of Toulouse (France) with the dispersion of a plume following a plant explosion on 21 September 2001. The event is characterized by a large quantity of nitrogen dioxide released in a vertical column after the explosion, quickly dispersed by a moderate wind prevailing in the lower atmospheric layers. Assuming a passive pollutant, the model develops a realistic plume dispersion. A sensitivity analysis of the advection scheme to the spread is presented. The limited population’s exposure to pollution developed by the model appears in good agreement with previous health studies. Beyond this case, IBM is a promising way to represent flow interaction with buildings and orography in atmospheric models for urban applications.

The Comminges County from the 10th to the 15th century

From the 10th to the 15th centuries, the counts of Comminges developed their important domain and resisted the ambitions of their powerful neighbors. Alliances, treaties, marriages, wars, everything has been good to preserve their goods. These counts played happily with their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, their malice. They supported the economic and social development. The population gradually migrated from the mountains to the plain, first with the help of the Church and the creation of the “sauvetés”. Then the liberality of the counts allowed the construction of numerous “bastides” in the 13th century. The county families provided the majority of the Commingeois bishops and reinforced the importance of the Secular Church. By their permanent support to the Regular Church, they favored the establishment of large monastic and templar domains, the development of as much farming land. The progressive close up with the raimondine city of Toulouse, placed the County under his protection after the crusade by the Albigensians in 1218. The war against the English, the devastations of the Black prince in 1355 opened the last page of this story, accompanied by calamities that left in 1453 a bloodless Comminges in the hands of the King of France.

Influence of context-sensitive urban and architectural design factors on the energy demand of buildings in Toulouse, France

This research aims to identify the statistical sensitivity of multi-scale urban design factors regarding buildings’ energy demand located in three districts in the city of Toulouse, France. The research method is composed of four main steps: (a) three typical urban blocks of Toulouse are parametrized, considering factors ranging from the urban form to the building material scales; (b) a fractional factorial sampling method is applied which allows elaborating statistically representative and non-redundant scenarios from all design variables and for each specific urban district; (c) the urban energy models generated are interactively assessed regarding the annual buildings’ heating and cooling loads for the temperate climate context of Toulouse, France; (d) through a global sensitivity analysis, results obtained are estimated through a statistic hypothesis test, which allows identifying the influence of the design variables on each energy response of interest. Results show that urban multi-scale design variables may have divergent influence on the same energy response when the urban form context changes. For traditional urban compact blocks, two less current urban form factors considered in this study (the courtyard aspect ratio and the standard-deviation of the built height) account for almost 50% of the overall impact on heating demand of buildings while building and envelope scale factors, such as glazing window properties, have more influence for pavilions and slabs urban blocks. The relevance of certain factors was strongly linked to their typologies or to their urban environment.

Intraspecific variation of Eolophiodon laboriense, a basal Lophiodontidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the early Eocene of Southern France

The Lophiodontidae is an emblematic and well-documented Eocene family of perissodactyls from Western Europe. However, after more than a century and a half of studies, lophiodontids still display a complex systematics associated with blurry intraspecific variation and a poorly known early radiation. The locality of La Borie, located near the city of Toulouse, France, has yielded numerous remains of Eolophiodon laboriense. This abundance of remains allows for the first time the study of the intraspecific variation of a basal lophiodontid. The variation has been investigated for dental and cranio-mandibular characters, notably dental polymorphism, size variation and sexual dimorphism. The intraspecific variation of E. laboriense is high with more than 20 polymorphic characters of the dentition, including many additional crests and conules. This dental polymorphism is similar to the one observed in the Bartonian lophiodontid Lophiodon lautricense. E. laboriense also displays an important degree of sexual dimorphism, with male specimens having broader and longer mandibles with larger canines than females. Despite this high intraspecific variation, the low size variation of teeth and the consistency of diagnostic characters strengthen the validity of the genus Eolophiodon and does not impact the previous lophiodontid phylogeny.

Detection of individual trees in urban alignment from airborne data and contextual information: A marked point process approach

With the current expansion of cities, urban trees have an important role for preserving the health of its inhabitants. With their evapotranspiration, they reduce the urban heat island phenomenon, by trapping CO2 emission, improve air quality. In particular, street trees or alignment trees, create shade on the road network, are structuring elements of the cities and decorate the roads. Street trees are also subject to specific conditions as they have little space for growth, are pruned and can be affected by the spread of diseases in single-species plantations. Thus, their detection, identification and monitoring are necessary. In this study, an approach is proposed for mapping these trees that are characteristic of the urban environment. Three areas of the city of Toulouse in the south of France are studied. Airborne hyperspectral data and a Digital Surface Model (DSM) for high vegetation detection are used. Then, contextual information is used to identify the street trees. Indeed, Geographic Information System (GIS) data are considered to detect the vegetation canopies close to the streets. Afterwards, individual street tree crown delineation is carried out by modeling the discriminative contextual features of individual street trees (hypotheses of small angle between the trees and similar heights) based on Marked Point Process (MPP). Compared to a baseline individual tree crown delineation method based on region growing, our method logically provides the best results with F-score values of 91%, 75% and 85% against 70%, 41% and 20% for the three studied areas respectively. Our approach mainly succeeds in identifying the street trees. In addition, the contribution of the angle, the height and the GIS data in the street tree mapping has been studied. The results encourage the use of the angle, the height and the GIS data together. However, with only the angle and the height, the results are similar to those obtained with the inclusion of the GIS data for the first and the second study cases with F-score values of 88%, 79% and 62% against 91%, 75% and 85% for the three study cases respectively. Finally, it is shown that the GIS data only is not sufficient.

Spatial distribution of physical intimate partner violence in the city of Toulouse

Summary Spatial data has been used to examine the distribution of intimate partner violence (IPV) against women in the city of Toulouse (France). The addresses of women who have consulted at the forensic unit has been geocoded and represented on a map. We geocoded 484 addresses. The Duncan dissimilarity index showed moderate segregation. Global Moran's I was present and positive and local Moran's I analysis reported ten hot-spots which were not superimposed on priority district delimitations. The results reveal a heterogenic distribution of IPV against women across the territory but no correlation with the poorest blocks as defined by priority districts. Spatial analysis offers an interesting approach to violence analysis and assessing the neighborhood environment.

El nacimiento de Solidaridad Democrática Española en Francia y la participación de la Unión General de Trabajadores

Reorganizado el Partido Socialista y la Unión General de Trabajadores en Francia, en torno a la ciudad de Toulouse, en enero de 1945 nacía Solidaridad Democrática Española, una asociación pensada inicialmente para prestar ayuda y auxilio a los exiliados cercanos a sus organizaciones. Pero a los refugiados de la Guerra Civil acogidos en Francia se fueron uniendo todos los clandestinos que cruzaban la frontera porque huían del régimen de Franco o querían reagruparse con otros familiares exiliados. Tomando como punto de partida la situación en la que se encontraban los refugiados españoles en 1945, el presente trabajo pretende estudiar las causas que llevaron a la formación de Solidaridad, su financiación y ámbito de actuación, la función desarrollada por la asociación y las relaciones con las organizaciones españolas e internacionales hasta mediados de los años cincuenta. Las organizaciones socialistas precisaban un organismo con estos fines y este llegó a tener una cierta presencia y reconocimiento internacional con muy pocos recursos.

Ma part de Gaulois par Magyd Cherfi

Origami smacks of several different genres as well: following the title page of each of its four chapters (“Washi,” “Origami,” “Zen,” “Ima”) are factual, italicized messages about the UNESCO Committee which, in November 2014, chose Japanese washi as an artisanal activity working toward peace. In addition to these brief historical interludes, the novel begins each of its chapters with the kanji character that is the equivalent of its title and the explanation of what the symbol’s lines mean. Just as the kanji writing enhances the storyline’s exotic aspect, the sparseness of words on many of the pages transports the reader far from the often flowery language of traditional prose. Rather, the simple lay-out of print against an expanse of white is reminiscent of the Japanese haiku poem. University of Texas, El Paso Jane E. Evans Cherfi, Magyd. Ma part de Gaulois. Arles: Actes Sud, 2016. ISBN 978-2-330-066529 . Pp. 260. This is a personal narrative account of Magyd, a young man of Kabyle origin who lives in the north banlieues of Toulouse in the early 1980s. The story takes place in the year Magyd is preparing for the baccalauréat. This is a usual ritual in the life of a Frenchman, but it was atypical for a young man of Arab origin, and Magyd was the first one from his cité to reach that level of education. Behind this achievement stands a whole family, especially his mother, whose sacrifices and priorities about her son’s education are clear. Magyd’s account allows the reader to enter a space that is closed to anyone outside the banlieues. The reader follows Magyd’s militant friend, his artist friend, and the young women who try to escape family oppression and neighborhood marginalization to whom Magyd tries to lend moral support. In addition to the description of the outskirts of the city of Toulouse, the reader is made aware of its people, whose historical and cultural references are not the ones taught at French schools. The language in the outskirts of Toulouse is neither Arabic nor French but a mix of both. The reader sees what is hidden in this impenetrable space, witnessing the identity struggles of the youth. The blatant contrast between the enthusiastic reaction of the French to the arrival of the socialist government in 1981 and the fear of those in the outskirts of Toulouse is beautifully depicted. To most French, Mitterrand is the conveyor of hope and of new ideas of inclusion, and social change. To the French in the outskirts of Toulouse, he is the executioner who sent to death the FLN fighters as Interior Minister during the Algerian War. For the population of la périphérie, the arrival of the socialists is a missed opportunity. The French language plays a central role in the narrative, as it is central to Magyd’s identity. For Magyd, written French becomes a tool that helps him integrate into French society. It enables him to bypass the division between those inside and those outside. Yet, the more Magyd integrates into French values, the more he becomes a threat to his group of friends. He finds 260 FRENCH REVIEW 91.1 Reviews 261 himself the object of ridicule as his mastery of the French language is an indirect reminder of how marginalized they are. Through the French language Magyd is armed with an ability to fight the academic failure of his friends and the exclusion and abuse of women whose efforts to read and escape ignorance destabilize the social status quo of a macho society. Magyd’s language, full of irony and self-mockery, helps the reader to penetrate a world long unnoticed. St. John’s University (NY) Zoe Petropoulou Chiarello, Fanny. Le zeppelin. Paris: L’Olivier, 2016. ISBN 978-2-8236-0997-4. Pp. 220. Ce quatrième roman confirme la singularité de son auteure. Sa douzaine de narrateurs aux noms plus invraisemblables les uns que les autres—Séverine Cockenpot , Solveig Cruette, Simone Chlopek—créent un chaos polyphonique arrimé par le seul zeppelin qui survole leur ville en ce 26 juillet 2005. Chiarello nous promet un livre-catastrophe à la manière de ces films...

Parametrisation of the variety of human behaviour related to building energy consumption in the Town Energy Balance (SURFEX-TEB v. 8.2)

Abstract. The anthropogenic heat flux can be an important part of the urban surface energy balance. Some of it is due to energy consumption inside buildings, which depends on building use and human behaviour, both of which are very heterogeneous in most urban areas. Urban canopy parametrisations (UCP), such as the Town Energy Balance (TEB), parametrise the effect of the buildings on the urban surface energy balance. They contain a simple building energy model. However, the variety of building use and human behaviour at grid point scale has not yet been represented in state of the art UCPs. In this study, we describe how we enhance the Town Energy Balance in order to take fractional building use and human behaviour into account. We describe how we parametrise different behaviours and initialise the model for applications in France. We evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of the simulated building energy consumption for the city of Toulouse. We show that a more detailed description of building use and human behaviour enhances the simulation results. The model developments lay the groundwork for simulations of coupled urban climate and building energy consumption which are relevant for both the urban climate and the climate change mitigation and adaptation communities.

Evolutionary trajectory of channel planforms in the middle Garonne River (Toulouse, SW France) over a 130-year period: Contribution of mixed multiple factor analysis (MFAmix)

The purpose of this study is to propose a methodological essay for defining evolutionary trajectories of channel planforms and to examine the channel change in the middle Garonne River (southwest France) over a 130-year period. The study focuses on a reach of ~90km situated downstream from the city of Toulouse. A set of four historical maps (1868, 1940s, 1970s, and 2000s) is used to build a geomorphometric diachronic database. Data processing through mixed multiple factor analysis (MFAmix) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) allows distinction between four homogeneous zones within the study reach, depending on their evolutionary trajectories. Channel behavior in the upstream and median zones evolved as of the beginning of the study period (narrowing of the fluvial area, colonization by vegetation, and removal of alluvial bars), likely owing to punctual anthropogenic actions. The downstream zone is characterized by stabilization of the channel and alluvial bar removal over the second half of the twentieth century, coinciding with the campaign undertaken by French local authorities between 1960 and 1984 to protect river banks. The role of climate transition between the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the onset of the Global Warming period (GW) is also discussed. Results generally are consistent with the chronology established for most European rivers.

Regional language vitality in the linguistic landscape: hidden hierarchies on street signs in Toulouse

ABSTRACTThe city of Toulouse is a major contributor to the public visibility of Occitan, a regional language (RL) associated with southern France. Whilst French law recognizes the country's RLs in terms of national heritage, the official supremacy of French remains constitutionally unchallenged. This means that, along with other public texts, street names are only officially sanctioned in French. The bilingual street signs in central Toulouse recognize this hegemony by consistently displaying French above Occitan. However, they also suggest a covert preference for the RL, where Occitan overshadows French in the meaning associations of street names, and their translation and adaptation on the lower plaques. This challenges the linguistic hierarchy as determined by code preference, as Occitan emerges as a dominant code hidden in plain sight. This article proposes several methods for quantifying Occitan vitality as seen on street signs. Based on current notions of code preference and inter-text translation, it offers some new approaches to classifying and analysing multilingual signs in the Linguistic Landscape.