Gaseous emissions and toxic hazards associated with plastics in fire situations: A literature review

The hazards of plastics in fire situations, the gases emitted, the factors influencing the nature of these emissions, the characteristics of toxic gases, and the results of laboratory studies, are discussed. The literature pertaining to the pyrolysis and oxidation of plastics was reviewed. An effort was made to define the state of the art for determining the toxic gases emitted by plastics under fire conditions. Recommendations are made and research needs defined as a result of this review

La théâtralisation du prophète dans les tragédies françaises de la Renaissance

Cet article analyse la figure du prophète dans les tragédies françaises de la Renaissance entre 1550 et 1585 environ. À l’instar des figures de Cassandre et de Jérémie, le personnage du prophète trouve dans le genre tragique un environnement favorable où il peut exprimer les aspects douloureux de sa fonction sur le mode pathétique. Mais on observe que sa position est fragile, car il est victime de plusieurs stratégies visant à l’évacuer. Que ce soit la concurrence d’autres personnages qui s’arrogent certaines de ses prérogatives ou l’auteur qui lui fait jouer des rôles annexes, le prophète voit sa place constamment menacée. Robert Garnier, dans Les juives, va jusqu’à annoncer la fin de toutes les prophéties. Il semblerait que ce soit le seul élément qui définisse de façon constante le prophète : l’annonce de sa propre fin.This article examines the figure of the prophet in French Renaissance tragedies from 1500 to 1585. Such prophets as Cassandra and Jeremy, the most prominent figures, find a hospitable environment in the tragic genre where they can express the most painful aspects of their mission. However, we see that the role of the prophet in these tragedies can be exceedingly fragile, vulnerable to menacing strategies. At times other characters in the play assume the prophet’s role or the prophet himself abandons it to assume another. In Robert Garnier’s Les juives, the author even heralds the end of prophecies, leaving the speculation that the only permanent element defining the prophet is to foretell his own demise

L’excès autour de 1550 : crépuscule du mystère et aube de la tragédie

Cet article utilise la notion d’excès pour saisir les transformations qui se produisent au milieu du XVIe siècle dans le domaine théâtral. Distinct de l’abondance, l’excès est souvent représenté par les métaphores de l’hydre et de l’hydropique. Il se manifeste en particulier par les différentes formes d’hybridité qui caractérisent les mystères : participation du spectateur, improvisation, contaminations possibles à l’infini, juxtaposition du profane et du religieux. Elles expliquent la multiplication des interdits, des censures et des législations dans le domaine théâtral des années 1540-1550. Nous analyserons trois pièces appartenant à cette période d’expérimentation générique et dramaturgique : le Chant natal de Barthélémy Aneau (1539), Trop, Prou, Peu, Moins de Marguerite de Navarre (1544) et l’Abraham sacrifiant de Théodore de Bèze (1550). Ce qui semble évident dans la transition du monde du mystère à celui de la tragédie, c’est que, dans le premier, l’excès touche avant tout au spectacle même, alors que dans le second, c’est le spectacle qui interroge l’excès. La représentation du Mal vaincu par le Bien, dans une scénographie débridée, cède sa place à l’invention d’une forme maîtrisée, vouée à interroger les racines maléfiques de l’outrecuidant. En passant des excès des mystères au mystère de l’excès, la société française révèle avant tout le grand degré d’incertitude qui affecte les interrogations sur son destin.Drawing from the notion of excess, this article outlines the transformations of French theater that occurred in the middle of the 16th century. Excess is often figured by the metaphors of the hydra or the dropsical monster. Hybridism is one of the most obvious forms of excess and a major characteristic of the mystery plays. The blurring between actors and spectators, written text and improvised performance, religious story and profane scenes are part of this hybridism. This explains why censorship, prohibition, and legislations are multiplying during the years 1540-1550 in the theatrical domain. This article analyses three plays published during this decade of generic and dramatic experimentation: Barthélémy Aneau's Chant natal (1539), Marguerite de Navarre's Trop, Prou, Peu, Moins (1544), and Théodore de Bèze's Abraham sacrifiant (1550). The transition from the era of the mystery plays to the era of the humanistic tragedy, sheds light on an essential difference: in the mystery play, the performance itself is excessive, while in the tragedy the performance represents and questions the nature of excess. By means of an unbridle scenography, the mystery play shows the Evil being defeated by the Good. Conversely, the tragedy invents a well mastered form to question the maleficent power of the presumptuous hero. The evolution going from the excesses of the mystery plays to the mysteries of excess reveals the great deal of uncertainty that permeates the French society after 1550

Magnetic Field induced Dimensional Crossover Phenomena in Cuprate Superconductors and their Implications

We discuss the occurrence of crossing points in the magnetization - temperature $(m,T$) plane within the framework of critical phenomena. It is shown that in a two-dimensional superconducting slab of thickness $d_{s}$ $m_{z}(\delta)$ versus temperature $T$ curves measured in different fields $\mathbf{H} = H(0,\sin (\delta) ,\cos (\delta))$ will cross at the critical temperature T_c of the slab. In contrast, in a 3D anisotropic bulk superconductor the crossing point occurs in the plot $m_{z}(\delta) /H_{z}^{1/2}$ versus $T$. The experimental facts that 2D crossing point features have been observed in ceramics and in single crystals for $\mathbf{H}$ close to $\mathbf{H} = H(0,0,1)$, but not for $\mathbf{H} = H(0,1,0)$, is explained in terms of an angle-dependent crossover field separating the regions where 2D or 3D thermal fluctuations dominate. The measured 2D-crossing point data are used to estimate one of the fundamental parameters of cuprate superconductors, the minimum thickness of the slab $(d_{s})$, which remains superconducting. Our estimates, based on experimental 2D-crossing point data for single crystals, reveal that this length adopts material dependent values. Therefore, experimental data for T_c and $\lambda_{\Vert}^{2}(T=0)$, plotted in terms of T_c versus $1/\lambda_{\Vert}^{2}(T=0)$ will not tend to a straight line with universal slope as the underdoped limit is approached. Implications for magnetic torque measurements are also worked out

Unstable Adams operations on p-local compact groups

A p-local compact group is an algebraic object modelled on the p-local homotopy theory of classifying spaces of compact Lie groups and p-compact groups. In the study of these objects unstable Adams operations, are of fundamental importance. In this paper we define unstable Adams operations within the theory of p-local compact groups, and show that such operations exist under rather mild conditions. More precisely, we prove that for a given p-local compact group G and a sufficiently large positive integer $m$, there exists an injective group homomorphism from the group of p-adic units which are congruent to 1 modulo p^m to the group of unstable Adams operations on

Comment sortir du cauchemar? Le discours de l’histoire dans les tragédies des guerres de religion

Cet article analyse la tragédie de la Renaissance (Des Masures, Rivaudeau, La Taille, Garnier, Matthieu) et ses rapports avec la notion d’histoire. Si l’histoire garantit la vérité du discours tragique, elle est aussi un principe d’incertitude que la tragédie tente de dissiper. La tragédie de la Renaissance, plus pathétique que didactique ou dramatique, ne parvient que très imparfaitement à donner sens à l’histoire contemporaine, mais elle réussit à enregistrer le sentiment d’emballement qui accompagne la perception de l’histoire. Pour intégrer un discours sur l’histoire passée autant que présente, la tragédie, protestante en particulier, doit sacrifier l’orthodoxie générique.This article addresses the notion of history in the French Renaissance tragedies (Des Masures, Rivaudeau, La Taille, Gamier, Matthieu). History traditionally guaranties the truthfulness of the tragic discourse. However, during the time of religious wars, History becomes subject to uncertainty and anxiety. French Renaissance tragedies can be characterized as pathetic rather than didactic or dramatic. Tragic plays are largely unable to decide of the meaning of History, they are only able to register the dominant feeling about historic events. In the tragedies written by Protestant authors in particular, History challenges the Aristotelian criteria, both stylistically and dramatically, since historical facts are more important than the laws of the genre