Contribution to the Knowledge of Biodeteriogenic Flora on Three Historical Calabrian (Southern Italy) Churches

The effect of biodeteriogenic living organisms on historical and archeological sites is a well-known problem affecting the world’s cultural heritage. Indeed, the growth inside the bricks of shrubs and herbs roots can cause breakage, collapse and, detachment of materials. The knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on monuments is essential for protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage. In this paper, we identify and describe biodeteriogenic vascular flora of three historical Calabrian (Southern Italy) churches, showing the relationship between plant biodiversity and exposure and building material of churches. The species present on the wall and in perimeter for each church were sampled noting substrate type, surface inclination (vertical or horizontal) and exposure. The total number of plant species recorded was 27. Hemicryptophytes (41%) prevail over the other biological forms and the most represented families are that of the Asteraceae. Parietaria judaica is the only species present in all three sites. Substrate type, climatic condition and surface inclination affect the floristic composition. Sixteen out of 27 species grow on vertical surfaces, all Geophythes and Chamaephytes grow on horizontal surfaces, while Therophytes were rather on vertical surfaces. A significant difference was found in the Hazard Index values in the three churches. Only one site, presents a high average value of Hazard Index, due to the simultaneous presence of Ailanthus altissima, Ficus carica, Rubus ulmifolius and Sambucus nigra. The data collected indicate that the flora growing on wall of three Calabrian churches partially reflects the floristic context in which they are located. The diversity of the vegetational spectrum is remarkable, most of the plants are ruderal herbaceous, many weeds and invasive, and for the most part typical of the Mediterranean environment. The data collected contribute to the knowledge of the spontaneous vascular flora present on three historical Calabrian churches and their biodiversity, also in terms of conservation interest, considering its biodeteriogenic potential in the evaluation of the impact of the vegetation on each monument.

＂Jerusalem＂ of China： The Neoteric Christian Churches in Shaanxi before 1949

Christian buildings in Shaanxi already have more than 1,300 years development history since the first church was built in Chang＇an in 635 AD. The Rapid development of Christian buildings started from 1840 due to the entry of foreign missionaries. Various types of Christian buildings rose up in the province, were constructed by local builder, but designed and funded by foreign missionaries. In comparison to other Christian buildings, churches have unique historical value, cultural value and also special meaning in architecture art. However, their cultural heritage value has not yet been sufficiently considered. They are facing the prospect of being damaged and demolished, even in nowadays. It is incumbent that their architecture to be historically evaluated and that ways to be found to preserve them. In this paper, the author will focus on the neoteric Christian churches and illustrate the architecture by taking examples from the churches in Shaanxi, along with the intention to clarify the relationship between social background and the history of evolution of these churches. In addition, the authors have taken the chance to understand more comprehensively about the fascinating history of these Christian churches by way of field surveys and taping into archival documents.

The Legal Position and the Cultural Role of the Churches During the Communist Era in Hungary

In my essay I would like to present the role of the Hungarian Catholic Church as a national“institution”after 1945.The communist dictatorship supplied the authority of the churches to reshape the society based on a new ideology.One of the milestones of this process was the years after 1947 when the church schools were secularized and the monastic orders were disbanded.Cardinal József Mindszenty was the main character of the act of resisting.The second milestone was around 1956 when there was a limited cooperation:some of the schools became church school again but with a high control.From 1988 came the third milestone when the presentations of the bishops were bounded formal to the authority of state and after a short period the church became independent from it.In my paper,I would like to present these milestones and what were the effects on the Hungarian society in a juridical and cultural way.

Protestant Churches and Dissidents Under Dictators:Comparing the Gikong Presbyterian Church With German Churches in the GDR

The literature generally refers to Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo as“authoritarian”leaders.This paper will argue that,in fact,they governed more like totalitarian dictators.Their tight control over every sector of Taiwan Residents society was not inferior to the dictatorial rule of the German Democratic Republic(GDR).Despite the tight control exercised by the GDR regime and the Chiangs,however,Protestant churches still managed to become shelters for dissidents in both East Germany and Taiwan.Also,in both localities,church buildings became gathering locations and church newsletters optimal channels for communications.Moreover,the dissidents that had kept hidden in East German churches eventually led the protests that overthrew the GDR’s communist regime.Similarly,in Taiwan dissidents from the Gikong Presbyterian Church became the oppositional leaders that facilitated the first democratic party rotation in Taiwan.This article explores why the above became possible by examining the following hypothesis:The oppressive policies of dictatorial regimes transform churches into breeding grounds for dissidents because of the alternative ideologies and values they provide.Moreover,the paper will show how civic movements can develop in churches even under authoritarian regimes.

One and Half Centuries of Church Architecture in Ibadan,Nigeria

By the end of the 19th century,the missionaries had successfully planted Christianity in Ibadan,Nigeria with its distinguishable architecture.The history of church architecture in Ibadan is synonymous with the beginning of Christianity in Yoruba Country.Based on historical data obtained from the archives and field investigations,the paper traces the development of the church buildings of the missionary churches in Ibadan from the late 19th century to early 21st century.With shifts in the thinking about ideological and liturgical issues in church architecture globally,three distinct phases of development of church buildings in Ibadan are suggested beginning with the mission stations and ending with the modernist church buildings.The paper concludes that attempts to introduce modern architectural expressions in church buildings in Ibadan were increasingly common and strong but traditionalist and historicist approaches to architectural planning of church buildings remained predominant into the 21st century.

The Black American Church: A Reactionary and Ideological Apparatus of Slavery

This work argues that Denmark Vesey,Nat Turner,Gabriel Prosser,David Walker,Henry Highland Garnet,amongst a few others were the reactionary(dialectical)exceptions to the black church,not the norm,an(ideological)institution established to interpellate and indoctrinate blacks to accept their conditions in slavery.In other words,the aforementioned were the enslaved who used Christian dogma to(negative dialectically)respond to the barbarity of slavery by violently convicting white Christian society for not living up to its values,ideas,and ideals given the treatment of African people by so-called Christians.In the latter sense it was reactionary;in the former,it was an ideological apparatus of domination and control for the institution of slavery.The contemporary attempt to racially vindicate the black church as a sui generis revolutionary institution overflowing with Africanisms is ahistorical and ideological reaped in pseudoscientific propositions stemming from postmodern and post-structural theories.

Striking elements-A lifebelt or a fad?Searching for an effective way of adapting abandoned churches

Are avant-garde elements added to historical objects as a temporary fashion to fulfill the aspirations of designers or an attempt to draw attention to themselves?It may be the exact opposite,and this type of controversial project is the best lifebelt for such monuments.This article explores issues related to external avant-garde elements added to adapted churches and their influence on the efficiency of such adaptation projects.Gothic churches located in the north of Europe that have changed their religious function,entirely or in part,were considered.This work examined former churches in Maastricht,namely,the Minorite Church,the Church of the Kruisheren Monastery,the Dominican Church,as well as Polish churches located in Gdansk,including St.John’s Church and St.Catherine’s Church.This article attempted to identify the factors that contribute to the successful adaptation of former churches and the benefits and drawbacks of adopting avant-garde design solutions.Results of this study might provide valuable inspiration for other churches that are losing worshippers.This study was conducted on the basis of a wide range of literature,statistical data,logical reasoning,and comparative methods.Observations from selected edifices were checked for their correlation over time.This study also included in situ investigations.

Attendance or Tradition:Who Is Interested in Church Music Today

Religious practices in general,but primarily Christian ones,are undergoing major changes in the modern world,which is rapidly changing day by day.One of the most revealing manifestations of these changes is liturgical music,which has always been considered“traditional”,whereas the boundaries of the tradition have been subject to sharp disputes between those responsible for the church ritual and its accessories.The palette of the musical environment of modern church in terms of attendance and congregational acceptability in its sustainable development is addressed in the article based on recent research,in particular,several related studies by A.Rosenblatt,who over the past two decades has explored different aspects of church music heard in the field and presented in various hymnal books.Summary of this review allows us to consider a tangle of reasons to the preference for this or that musical style,which often completely excludes purely musical tastes and preferences.

Tree-based ecosystem services supply and multifunctionality of church forests and their agricultural matrix near Lake Tana,Ethiopia

Ecosystem services(ES)are the connection between nature and society,and are essential for the well-being of local communities that depend on them.In Ethiopia,church forests and the surrounding agricultural matrix supply numerous ES.However,the ES delivered by both land use types have not yet been assessed simultaneously.Here we surveyed both church forests and their agricultural matrices,aiming to quantify,compare and unravel the drivers underlying tree-based ES supply,density and multifunctionality.We found that almost all church forests and half of the agricultural matrices provided high ES densities.ES multifunctionality was higher in the agricultural matrices,suggesting that people deliberately conserve or plant multifunctional tree species.Furthermore,the supply of all categories of ES was positively correlated with church forest age(p-value<0.001)in the agricultural matrix,while the extent of church forest was positively correlated with the density of all categories ecosystem services score in the church forests(p-value<0.001).Our results can be used to prioritize conservation efforts at sites that provide high levels of ES supply,ES density and ES multifunctionality,and to prioritize restoration efforts at sites with low levels thereof.

The Effect of Global Insecurities on the Church in the Post-Corona World:A Study Case of the Church in Africa

This paper is on“The Effect of Global Insecurities on the Church in the Post-Corona World:A Study Case of the Church in Africa”.Wuhan,China was where the pandemic started in December 2019.The pandemic spread to all the nations of the world contextually;it has caused human deaths,disrupted health security and social life,hindered African cultural security,caused economic down tone,and plagued religious congregational meetings leading to a decline in the Church’s income,etc.,in Africa.Obviously,the world has not overcome the negative psychological and economic shock caused by this deadly disease.Yet,an increase in the global insecurities from other agents of insecurity in the post-corona world has been recorded.The world,contextually,the church in Africa is plagued by the rise of insecurities that have made development unattainable.Today,Africa is faced with many challenges which have great negative effects on the church and holistic growth.Terrorism,conflict,border closures,health challenges,economic crises,political uproar,and so on have great negative influence on the church in Africa and other sectors of the nations of the world.The paper investigates into the pre-security challenges era of the church in Africa.Moreover,the paper investigates how the church in Africa has deviated from fundamental Christian cultural originality as a consequence of the post-corona effects and negative influence of the other agents of insecurity on the church in Africa.The concomitant effect of the aforementioned agents of insecurity on the church and the general societies in Africa are examined.Furthermore,this paper hopes to give some suggestive panaceas to ameliorate effects of the agents of insecurity on the church in Africa.The research methods utilized in this paper consist of the socio-historical,internet explorations,interviews,and analytical approaches.

改写系统的Word问题的算法及其复杂性

讨论一类特殊集———有限群上的Word问题的可判断性及其算法。给出图厄系统及改写系统的定义,并证明了在有限改写系统上的Word问题是可判断的并给出了具有线性运行时间的算法。

英国的烟火节

每年的11月5日是英国的烟火节(Guy FawkesDay 或 Guy Fawkes Night)。在这一天的夜里,人们燃放烟花(let off fireworks),点篝火(make abonfire),并将一个衣衫褴缕的假人(a raggeddummy)扔进篝火。Guy Fawkes Day 可直译为“盖伊·福克斯日”,根据这个节日中人们的活动内容,也有人将其译为“烟火节”。 ’

走进英国小学看素质教育

2014年2月份至8月份期间,我受邀去英国埃克塞特大学做访问学者,同时我的女儿也在英国埃克塞特市的Sf Michael S Church of England Primary Academy读5年级。该小学5年级有2个班,每班28名学生,除了1名华裔,其他学生均为英国本地学生。在英国实地考察的这半年中,我发现英国小学生认为上学读书是一件轻松愉快值得期待的事,每天都过得充实饱满,幸福感普遍较高。原因何在?走进英国小学。

Elevational changes in vascular plants richness, diversity, and distribution pattern in Abune Yosef mountain range, Northern Ethiopia

The aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and distribution along an elevation gradient in the Abune Yosef mountain range,Ethiopia.Preferential systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation and environmental data along the elevation gradient.We found that plant species richness declines monotonically from low to high elevations.Specifically,vascular plant species richness and diversity were lower in the Afroalpine grassland(high elevation)than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest(low elevations).In contrast,endemic vascular plant richness was significantly higher in the Afroalpine grassland than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest.Elevation showed a significant impact on the richness,diversity,and endemism of vascular plants.According to Sorensen's coefficient,the similarity between Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest vegetation types is higher(32%)than the similarity between Ericaceous forest and Afroalpine grassland(18%).Only 5%similarity was recorded between the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Afroalpine grassland.Growth forms showed different elevationai richness patterns.Trees and liana increased monotonically up to 3300 m.Shrub and herb richness patterns followed a hump-shaped and inverted hump-shaped pattern along the elevation gradient.The elevation patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and growth form in the present study may be attributed to differences in management intensity,spatial heterogeneity,microclimatic variations,and anthropogenic disturbances.

Contrast enhancement of medical ultrasound imaging with reversal phase-inversion pulse technology

A new ultrasound contrast imaging technique was proposed for eliminating the harmonic components from the emission signal transmitted by the broadband ultrasonic system.Reversal phase-inversion pulse was used for the first time to separate the contrast harmonics from the harmonics in the emission signal to improve the detection of contrast micro-bubbles.Based on the nonlinear acoustic theory of finite-amplitude effects and the associated distortion of the propagating wave,the Bessel-Fubini series model was applied to describe the nonlinear propagation effects of the reversal phase-inversion pulse,and the Church's equation for zero-thickness encapsulation model was used to produce the scattering-pulse of the bubble.For harmonic imaging,the experiment was performed using a 64-element linear array,which was simulated by Field II.The results show that the harmonic components from the emission signal can be completely cancelled,and the harmonics generated by the nonlinear propagation of the wave through the tissue,can be reduced by 15-30 dB.Compared with the short pulse,the reversal phase-inversion pulse can improve the contrast and definition of the harmonic image significantly.

Church Monoid的集合表示

Stone Representation Theorem之于 Boolean Algebra就象 Cayley Theorem之于 Abstract GroupTheory一样重要 .本文推广 Stone Representation Theorem中所用的方法给出了 Church Monoid的集合表示 .而且根据此表示定理 ,给出了定理 1的一个新证明 .在证明的过程中 ,得到了一些抽象代数与关系代数的对应关系 .

菲利浦拉金诗歌Church Going标题的评论和新解

菲利浦·拉金诗歌Church Going标题翻译均为《去教堂》,然而就诗歌写作背景与内容而言,Church Going显然不仅仅是"去教堂"的含义,而是具有双关的含义。一方面诗中的"我"作为一个普通的路人,偶然经过乡间废弃的教堂,走了进去,这是去教堂。另一方面,诗歌所描绘的教堂的寂静冷清,暗含了人们宗教信仰的日渐缺失的意味。"去教堂"的翻译仅仅反映了诗歌的表面意思,暗含其中的深刻含义并没有体现出来,抓不住诗歌的灵魂。本文从拉金写Church Going的背景和内容上对标题提出新的翻译观点。

The Early Basilica Church, El-Ashmonein Archaeological Site, Minia, Egypt: Geo-Environmental Analysis and Engineering Characterization of the Building Materials

El-Ashmonein is a significant archaeological site with different buildings from various eras. Between the villages of El-Idara and El-Ashmonein are there mains of Hermopolis, one of the ancient Egyptian metropolis capitals of the fifteenth century of Upper Egypt, called the hare. The buildings in this archaeological site are exposed to many causes of destruction and damage. The remaining structures and granite free standing columns in this area are suffered from plenty of geo-environmental and geotechnical problems. The main objectives of this study are 1) to assess the current state of preservation of this important archaeological site, especially the basilica church with its free standing huge columns, 2) to analyze the different actions which cause the destruction of the archaeological site, in particular the old flash floods and earthquakes, and 3) to identify the geochemical and engineering properties of the construction materials of the granitic columns and other limestone structures of the basilica church by using different kind of sophisticated analytical and diagnostic tools and methods. The multi-criteria analysis allowed the integration of several elements for mapping the vulnerable zones. Results revealed that about 80% of the study area was exposed to high and medium old floods vulnerability because of the vicinity to the Nile River. The structural and non-structural measures recommended in this research will help the decision makers and planners to effectively develop strategies for future site management, intervention retrofitting and rehabilitation of this unique archaeological site.

Church Music and Atheistic Ideology in the Last Decade of the USSR

Authoritarian societies that follow certain rules in the religious,cultural,and political realms tend to be little tolerant of other views and practices.There is a very revealing research niche for the study of“otherness”in the regulated fields of human activity.Yet,a niche within a niche is a study of historical or,in any case,former practices that come back to life after a gap of many decades.This is the case with church music of the last decade of Soviet history that has returned to artistic practice after a sixty-year ban.The article examines the socio-cultural circumstances that accompanied the creation of a number of works in various church genres written by professional Soviet composers,supported by a brief description of these works.Information about atheistic ideology,cultural doctrine,music management,and church life in the USSR completes the range of topics discussed.