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(1) Background: The main basis for the public recognition of the merits of scientists has always been the system of scientific publications and citations. Our goal is to identify and analyze the most cited articles in the Public, Environmental & Occupational Health category. (2) Methods: We searched the Web of Science for all articles published in the "Public, Environmental & Occupational Health" category up to March 2022 and selected the 100 most cited articles. We recorded the number of citations, the journal, the year of publication, quartile, impact factor, institution, country, authors, topic, type of publication and collaborations. (3) Results: 926,665 documents were analyzed. The top 100 had 401,620 citations. The journal with the most articles was the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology and the one with the highest number of citations was Medical Care. The year with the highest number of articles in the top 100 was 1998. The country with the highest percentage of publications was the USA and the most productive institution was Harvard. The most frequent keywords were bias, quality, and extension. The largest collaboration node was between the USA, Canada, Germany, Spain, Australia, France, and Sweden. (4) Conclusions: This bibliometric study on Public, Environmental & Occupational Health provides valuable information not only to identify topics of interest in the analyzed category, but also to identify the differences in the topics they study.

The present study is a scientometrics evaluation of refereed publications on bacterial mastitis in sheep; the objectives were the evaluation of the relevant papers and the presentation of quantitative characteristics regarding their scientific content and bibliometric details. The Web of Science platform was used with search terms: [mastitis OR *mammary infection*] AND [sheep OR ewe* OR ovine] for papers from 1970 tο 2019; only 'articles', 'reviews', 'proceedings papers', or 'data papers' were evaluated, whilst documents related solely to contagious agalactia, mammary aspects of lentiviral infections, or infections of the teats and the udder skin were excluded. Finally, 580 papers were considered in detail. The number of published papers increased from 8 during the 1970s to 273 during the 2010s. These papers originated from 43 countries (most from Greece or Spain, n = 87 from each) and 240 institutions (145 universities and 95 other establishments), of which 35 produced ≥ 5 papers each. Most papers present original studies (n = 539) with a few reviews (n = 41). The original papers refer to dairy (n = 428), meat (n = 113), or wool (n = 1) production systems and present field (n = 329), laboratory (n = 163), or experimental (n = 67) work; the papers report aetiology (n = 146), risk factors (n = 100), pathogenesis (n = 92), diagnosis (n = 88), effects (n = 66), treatment (n = 50), control (n = 36), or descriptive epidemiology (n = 32) of the disease. Papers related to dairy production present more field and fewer experimental work than papers related to meat production; also, in papers describing work performed in dairy sheep, studies about aetiology, risk factors, and diagnosis of the disease predominate, whilst in papers performed in meat sheep, studies about aetiology, pathogenesis, and effects/diagnosis are reported more often. The papers were published in 175 scientific journals (most in Small Ruminant Research, n = 90, or Journal of Dairy Science, n = 54). On average, the papers received 16.8 total citations and 1.6 yearly citations (h-index = 47). Most papers were published in Scimago classification Q1 (n = 240) or Q2 (n = 230) journals and received 23.4 or 15.4 total citations, respectively. Reviews received more citations than original papers; among the latter, papers with work referring to dairy production received more yearly citations than papers referring to meat production; no differences in citations were seen according to type of work or mastitis aspect covered. Most citations were received by papers from France. Papers published in Journal of Dairy Science or Small Ruminant Research received the most citations. In total, there were 1558 individual authors of the papers, with 24 authors having co-authored > 10 papers each (max: 73 papers); on average, there were 5.2 co-authors per paper (min–max: 1–25). Average number of co-authors progressively increased from 2.1 in the 1970s to 6.3 in the 2010s, with original papers having a higher number of co-authors than reviews: 5.3 and 3.7, respectively. Papers from France had highers number of co-authors (7.9). The findings of this first ever scientometrics study into ovine mastitis indicate that the disease has not been studied as other sheep diseases and that future studies in it should be directed to its control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the relationship between exile and migration as reflected in a case study of biblical exegesis in modern Jewish thought. I consider the place of the biblical figure of Joseph in an early text by Léon Askenazi (also known as Manitou), a North African kabbalist and French intellectual, and a key spiritual leader of Francophone Jewry in the second half of the twentieth century. The paper begins by locating Askenazi within the mass migration, or "repatriation", of the Algerian Jewish community to metropolitan France. I then examine and analyze the reinterpretation of Joseph in an early and unpublished text by Askenazi. I show how Askenazi's explication departs from a common reading of the Joseph story by recasting it as a positive diasporic narrative with direct contemporary implications. I argue that during Askenazi's early years in Paris, he sought to offer a "Josephic" model for Jewish life in postwar France, a model which also functioned as an alternative to the Zionist ethos of the negation of exile. The paper's conclusion reflects on how Askenazi's ideas may speak to conversations on religion and immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary management of worsening heart failure (HF) in the elderly improves survival. To ensure patients have access to adequate care, the current HF and French health authority guidelines advise establishing a clearly defined HF patient pathway. This pathway involves coordinating multiple disciplines to manage decompensating HF. Yet, recent registry data indicate that insufficient numbers of patients receive specialised cardiology care, which increases the risk of rehospitalisation and mortality. The patient pathway in France involves three key stages: presentation with decompensated HF, stabilisation within a hospital setting and transitional care back out into the community. In each of these three phases, HF diagnosis, severity and precipitating factors need to be promptly identified and managed. This is particularly pertinent in older, frail patients who may present with atypical symptoms or coexisting comorbidities and for whom geriatric evaluation may be needed or specific geriatric syndrome management implemented. In the transition phase, multi-professional post-discharge management must be coordinated with community health care professionals. When the patient is discharged, HF medication must be optimised, and patients educated about self-care and monitoring symptoms. This review provides practical guidance to clinicians managing worsening HF in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the global energy crisis in 2022, the Spanish and Portuguese governments introduced a subsidy to natural gas ("the Iberian exception"), attempting to lower the wholesale electricity market prices, with the understanding that gas-fired-combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) are price-setting technologies most of the time, directly or indirectly. The subsidy succeeded in lowering the market price but induced several other effects, such as (1) the increase in cleared energy in the Spanish market (mostly produced with gas), (2) the bias in the import/export cross-border position between Spain and France (Spain became a net exporter to France immediately), or (3) the consequent increase in congestion rents, which serve to lightly finance the subsidy, among other effects. This paper provides a framework for clustering the different effects based on the market participation phases: the subsidy, the market bidding, the market results, and surplus and rents. Moreover, this paper builds on the theoretical market models, with and without subsidies, and with and without cross-border exchanges. Based on the real market bids, the subsidies, and the generators' data, we reconstruct the supply and demand curves and simulate the counterfactual market scenarios in order to illustrate and quantify the effects. We highlight the quantification of the theoretical effect of the transfer of rents, from non-fossil to fossil fuel producers, induced by the gas subsidy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popularisation of legal knowledge is a critical issue for equal access to law and justice. Legal discourse has been justly criticised for its obscure terminology and convoluted phrasing, which notably led to the Plain Language Movement in English-speaking countries. In Canada, the concept of Plain Language has been applied to French since the 1980s due to the official policy of bilingualism, while the concept has only been recently discussed in France. In this paper, we examine the impact of Plain Language rewriting on legal phraseology in French popularisation contexts. The first aim of our study is to see if plain texts published in France contain more traces of legal phraseology than French Canadian texts. Our second objective is to determine if a 'phraseology of plain language' can be identified across genres and languages. To do this, we compare two corpora of expert-to-expert legal texts written in French—made up, respectively, of legislative texts published in France and judicial texts published by the Supreme Court of Canada—with two corpora of texts that are claimed to have been written in Plain French Language for a non-expert readership—texts that guide laypersons through legal and administrative processes in France and summaries of decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada. Using n-grams, we extract and discuss the patterns that emerge from the corpora. In particular, our analyses rely on the concept of 'lexico–grammatical patterns', defined as the minimal unit of meaningful text made up of recurrent sequences of lexical and grammatical items. We then identify a sample of recurring lexico–grammatical patterns and their discursive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Assessing frailty from middle age onward offers valuable insights into predicting healthcare expenditures throughout the life cycle. Objectives: This paper examines the use of physical frailty as an indicator of healthcare demand across all age groups. The originality of this work lies in extending the analysis of frailty indicators beyond the typical focus on individuals under 50 years old to include those in mid-life and older. Methods: For this study, we used a database where frailty was measured in 2012 in a sample of individuals aged 15 to over 90. These individuals were tracked for their healthcare expenditures from 2012 to 2016. Results: Among the sample of 6928 individuals, frailty in 2012 resulted in a statistically significant increase in costs at the 5% level for the population aged 15 to 65. We applied multilevel linear regression models with year fixed effects, controlling for demographic factors, education level, precarity, social dimensions, lifestyle factors (e.g., vegetable consumption), physical activity, emotional well-being, and medical history. A Hausman test was conducted to validate the model choice. For mortality rate analysis, Cox models were used. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that physical frailty provides valuable information for understanding its impact on healthcare expenditure. The effect of frailty on mortality is particularly significant for the elderly population. Moreover, frailty is a predictor of healthcare costs not only in older adults but also across the entire life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals resort to different initiatives to build their brands, including media relations, events, and marketing campaigns. However, they face several challenges related to legal frameworks, patients' new demands, and hospitals' digital transformation. This paper analyzes how the best hospitals in France manage smart technologies to enhance their relationships with stakeholders and reinforce their brands. We resorted to the World's Best Hospitals 2023 to identify the 150 best hospitals in this country. Then, we defined 34 branding indicators to evaluate how each hospital managed smart technologies for branding purposes. We adapted these criteria to different platforms and targets: homepage (patients), online newsroom (media companies), About Us section (suppliers, shareholders, and public authorities), and artificial intelligence department (employees). When analyzing these criteria, we resorted to a binary system and only considered hospitals' official websites. Our results proved that 98% of hospitals had a website, but not all respected the criteria related to the homepage (4.54 of 11), online newsroom (2.52 of 11), or About Us section (1.56 of 6). The best hospitals in France, according to the number of criteria respected, were Institut Curie-Oncology (20), Institut Gustave Roussy–Oncology (19), and Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph (19). We concluded that French hospitals should implement collective branding processes that include all stakeholders, not just patients: media companies, public authorities, suppliers, shareholders, and employees. Moreover, these organizations should implement an in-house artificial intelligence department that leads a digital transformation from a medical, branding, and communication perspective. Finally, French hospitals' branding efforts on smart platforms should focus more on content about the brand so that stakeholders understand the uniqueness of these organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ship-to-shore connection is an important technological element that reduces air pollution in ports. Therefore, ports install facilities that allow mooring ships to connect to the port distribution network. By 2025, this will be mandatory for all ports in Europe. This can be a challenging task in most ports due to the different frequency of the network and ship frequency. This problem can be solved by the use of grid-forming static frequency converters. This solution also brings some other advantages: The ship is not threatened by high shore short-circuit currents, and the port distribution network is not affected by the character of the ship load. However, frequency converter software must include a droop control algorithm to ensure that voltage deviations do not exceed the allowed limits during transients. Typical frequency converters used for shore connection are those developed as static frequency converters (SFCs). However, those converters were not developed for large power outputs, which are needed to power large vessels, such as ferries or cruise ships. This paper proposes motor drives that were modified to operate as SFCs. This approach has quite a lot of advantages which are described in this article. This paper describes both a standard shore connection system without a frequency converter and a solution that includes static frequency converters. The paper then focusses on voltage deviation estimations during connection/disconnection of large load (ferry or cruise ship) to static frequency converters. In this work, a high-voltage shore connection (HVSC) simulation model is developed, including a frequency converter, a shoreside transformer, medium-voltage (MV) connection cables, and a power system of the ship, to analyze in detail the behavior of the system in the case of connection or disconnection of the ship load. The model was made in DIgSILENT PowerFactory for the case of a commercial port in southern France. The model gives credible estimations of voltage drops/surges during transient and steady states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codes and methods are subjected to a continuous update process for answering the regulatory requirements concerning the long-term operation of existing reactors and new concept deployment. In this continuous improvement process, new generation codes are developed for supporting industrial applications and the long-term strategy. In this paper, attention is devoted to selecting codes under development in France for lattice and core steady-state and transient calculations. These codes, APOLLO3® and CATHARE3, have been selected for carrying out the activities of the H2020 CAMIVVER Project oriented to the 3D-multiphysics couplings improvements. Multiscale and multiphysics solutions are key topics to keep competitiveness and answer to newer industrial needs in plant operations, licensing, and safe operating envelope requirements. The paper presents an overview of the activities performed by Framatome to support the definition of benchmarks exercises proposed in the CAMIVVER Project. Small core configurations subjected to a Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) are presented with associated preliminary results. To open the discussions toward the development of Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainties (BEPU) solutions, the URANIE statistical platform was used for sensitivity analysis over different configurations. These preliminary results are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, tools for engineering in the building industry have evolved. Due to the arrival of Industry 4.0, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software have replaced the usage of pens, pencils, and paper in the design process. This paper describes the work required to design a large-scale immersive visit of a district under construction in a suburban area of Greater Paris, France. As part of this real estate project, called LaVallée, we have access to its city information model: all the BIMs of the works to be carried out including roads, terrain, street furniture, fountains, and landscaping. This paper describes all the technical operations necessary for the design of an immersive 3D model with a high level of detail of the neighborhood with its surroundings. The objective of this technical report was to provide practitioners with feedback on such an achievement based on industrial-level data. The development of the city model begins with the registration of all the BIMs from different firms in a common Geographic Information System: this gives the opportunity to confront the operational requirement of a construction phase and the actual current practice of architecture firms. A first prototype was developed using the archviz tool TwinMotion. In order to increase the realism of the model, we describe the creation of a pipeline in Unreal Engine with the automated tasks of material and mesh replacement and the lighting and landscape configuration. The main contribution of this work is to give relevant experience on building such a large-scale model, with the Python script when possible, as well as the necessary manual steps. It is a valuable contribution to the making of large-scale immersive visits with a high level of detail and their requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of cracks in concrete structures occurs due to a multitude of causes ranging from shrinkage to external loading and environmental exposure. This phenomenon can significantly affect the lifecycle of concrete structures. Self-healing concrete (SHC) is considered a promoted innovation capable of overcoming this inevitable occurrence. In accordance with current SHC development processes, this paper utilizes the numerical simulation approach to test the performance of reinforced SHC beam specimens modeled using the commercial software ABAQUS 6.14 (Vélizy-Villacoublay, France). This paper aims to contribute to the scarce literature on SHC models by utilizing the overlooked dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) agent and ambiguous variability of crystalline admixtures. The SHC is introduced to the beam models at various depths and analyzed using load against displacement curves compared with a reference model of ordinary concrete. The effects of SHC on the mechanical properties of structural elements were determined. The results show a distinct improvement of the load-carrying capacity of SHC beams, indicating an efficient contribution of SHC in structural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel energy management approach (imitation-Q-learning) based on imitation learning (IL) and reinforcement learning (RL). The proposed approach reinforces a decision-making agent based on a modified Q-learning algorithm to mimic an expert demonstration to solve a microgrid (MG) energy management problem. Those demonstrations are derived from solving a set of linear programming (LP) problems. Consequently, the imitation-Q-learning algorithm learns by interacting with the MG simulator and imitating the LP demonstrations to make decisions in real time that minimize the MG energy costs without prior knowledge of uncertainties related to photovoltaic (PV) production, load consumption, and electricity prices. A real-scale MG at the Lille Catholic University in France was used as a case study to conduct experiments. The proposed approach was compared to the expert performances, which are the LP algorithm and the conventional Q-learning algorithm in different test scenarios. It was approximately 80 times faster than conventional Q-learning and achieved the same performance as LP. In order to test the robustness of the proposed approach, a PV inverter crush and load shedding were also simulated. Preliminary results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The prevalence of obesity in horses is high, but the impact of obesity during pregnancy on placental function and milk production is currently unknown in this species. This paper is a follow-up study of previous work that showed that maternal obesity during gestation affected the glucose metabolism, systemic inflammation, and osteoarticular lesions in growing foals. At birth, placentas were collected for histology and qPCR analysis, and until 3 months of lactation, the colostrum, milk, and plasma of foals and mares were sampled for fatty acid profile analyses. No effects of obesity were observed for placental analyses. During the 2nd and 3rd months of lactation, mares and foals suffered heat stress as a strong heat wave, followed by a drought, occurred. According to the results previously observed in the foals, colostrum as well as the milk of obese mares had a more pro-inflammatory profile and indicated a decreased ability to adapt to heat stress in this group. In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insulin-resistant, presented increased systemic inflammation, and were more affected by osteoarticular lesions. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of maternal obesity on placental structure and function, as well as the fatty acid profile in the plasma of mares and foals, colostrum, and milk until 90 days of lactation, which, to our knowledge, has been poorly studied in the horse. Mares from both groups were fed the same diet during pregnancy and lactation. During lactation, mares were housed in pasture. A strong heat wave, followed by a drought, occurred during their 2nd and 3rd months of lactation (summer of 2016 in the Limousin region, France). In the present article, term placental morphometry, structure (stereology), and gene expression (RT-qPCR, genes involved in nutrient transport, growth, and development, as well as vascularization) were studied. Plasma of mares and their foals, as well as colostrum and milk, were sampled at birth, 30 days, and 90 days of lactation. The fatty acid composition of these samples was measured using gas chromatography. No differences between the N and O groups were observed for term placental morphometry, structure, or gene expression. No difference in plasma fatty acid composition was observed between groups in mares. The plasma fatty acid profile of O foals was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an altered placental lipid metabolism between birth and 90 days of age. These results are in line with the increased systemic inflammation and altered glucose metabolism observed until 18 months of age in this group. The colostrum fatty acid profile of O mares was more pro-inflammatory and indicated an increased transfer and/or desaturation of long-chain fatty acids. Moreover, O foals received a colostrum poorer in medium-chain saturated fatty acid, a source of immediate energy for the newborn that can also play a role in immunity and gut microbiota development. Differences in milk fatty acid composition indicated a decreased ability to adapt to heat stress in O mares, which could have further affected the metabolic development of their foals. In conclusion, maternal obesity affected the fatty acid composition of milk, thus also influencing the foal's plasma fatty acid composition and likely participating in the developmental programming observed in growing foals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the energy transition, new construction materials are emerging, notably bio-based materials such as wood concrete. This paper investigates the hygrothermal performance of walls constructed with wood–cement concrete. First, the thermal properties of wooden concrete, namely thermal conductivity, effusivity, and diffusivity, are experimentally characterized in both dry and wet conditions. Second, in situ measurements are carried out on a house in Lyon, a city in France, constructed with mono-layered wood–cement walls. This involves monitoring the temperature and relative humidity levels both inside and outside the building, as well as at three distinct positions within the wood walls over a 6-month period (from 20 April 2023 to 20 October 2023). The hygrothermal analysis at the center of the wall reveals that the wood wall effectively moderates fluctuations in the external temperature and relative humidity. Following this, a numerical study is performed to check the reliability of the adopted Reduced Heat, Air, and Mass (HAM) model to reproduce the hygrothermal performance of the wood–cement wall. The results show a strong agreement between the simulated and measured data, confirming the applicability of the 'Reduced HAM' model for the prediction of the hygrothermal behavior of wood–cement walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart charging is a means of monitoring and actively controlling EV chargers to optimize the distribution and consumption of energy with a focus on peak-load avoidance. This paper describes the most important requirements that have influenced the design and implementation of the "Smart Charging System" (SCS). It presents the architecture and main functional building blocks of the SCS, which have been realized in an iterative development process as an extension component of the already existing open-source solution "Open e-Mobility". We also provide details on the functionality of the core smart charging algorithm within SCS and show how various data sources can be utilized by the system to increase the safety and efficiency of EV charging processes. Furthermore, we describe our iterative approach to developing the system, introduce the real-world testbed at SAP Labs France in Mougins/France, and share evaluation results and experiences gathered over a three-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the diasporist French Jewish political group, Le Cercle Gaston Crémieux, founded in 1967 "to promote a diasporic Jewish existence without subjugation to the synagogue or to Zionism". In contrast to either an assimilationist model which demanded the acceptance of French national identity in the public sphere, or a Zionist model of Jewish nationalism, the Cercle offered a model in which the state of exile and diaspora becomes constitutive of Jewish identity, positioned as an alternate mode of being-in-the-world defined against white Christian European nationalism. Yet to expose the historically constructed, socially contingent nature of European nationalisms that claim the status of organic and natural, the Cercle had to imagine a particular narrative of the historical construction of Jewishness, and this social constructionism conflicted with the almost ontological, metaphysical status they wanted to accord to Jewish exile and otherness. Thus the Cercle failed to imagine an anti-national model of Jewishness, but this failure sheds light on larger fault lines in the possibility of a Jewish politics. The paper concludes that the Cercle's imaginal diasporic Jewishness tries to enable the articulation of other forms of minority identity, suggesting that this failure may nonetheless prove politically productive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus spp. are ubiquitous and cause severe infections in immunocompromised patients. Less is known about its incidence and prognosis in patients with HIV/AIDS. We reviewed the mortality of invasive aspergillosis in HIV/AIDS patients. Pubmed, Embase and Medline databases were used to search for articles. Studies were excluded if they contained other aspergillosis risk factors, no original or patient survival data or were not in English. From 747 articles published, 54 studies and case reports were identified following reading, published between 1985 and 2021, with 54% papers prior to 2000 reporting 853 patients from 16 countries, none from Africa. 707 (83%) patients died with an average time from diagnosis to death of 77.5 days. Postmortem diagnosis was seen in 21% of deaths recorded. A national series from France of 242 cases of invasive aspergillosis diagnosed in life recorded a 3 month mortality of 68% pre-ART, falling to 31% after introduction of ART and voriconazole. CD4 count was recorded in 39 studies and ranged from 2 to >1000 cells/mm3; only 8 patients (1.8%) had a CD4 > 100 cells/mm3. Aspergillosis occurs in patients with HIV/AIDS and associated with high mortality but its slow progression should allow diagnosis and treatment with improved outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islamic resistance to secularism is one of the most frequently stated problems in France. This paper addresses this issue as seen by French Muslim discourses. It is argued, here, that French Muslim discourses on laïcité are determined by the claim of equal treatment of Muslims and non-Muslims in France. Thus, this paper highlights the importance of the inequality framework and the tendency to give preference to rights over responsibilities in French Muslim discourses on secularism. Seven Islamic works published between 1994 and 2019 by mainstream-reformist Muslim intellectuals and activists will be analysed, showcasing that the general attitude of Islamic leadership in France is to demand the right to difference and equality, a laïcité that respects the autonomy and freedom to practice religion, including in the public space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rogoff predicted that the U.S. dollar will depreciate and that exchange rate volatility will return. The coronavirus crisis has also roiled the world economy. This paper investigates the exposure of French and Korean firm stock returns to exchange rate appreciations and the pandemic. Both France and Korea are major exporters, but Korea has managed the crisis better than France. The results indicate that Korean firms have come through the pandemic better than French firms. The findings also indicate that the Korean economy is less exposed to appreciations than the French economy. This paper concludes with suggestions to increase firms' resilience to these shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticks are acarids that can transmit diseases, such as Lyme borreliosis, to human beings. They have often been considered from an ecological perspective (the environments in which they live) or from a medical one (diagnosis and treatment), while relational approaches to human–tick encounters that integrate the social sciences have remained less common. This article opts for a socio-territorial approach and a cross-analysis of different groups of actors faced with tick risk in a rural environment during their professional or leisure activities: foresters, farmers, hunters, environmentalists and hikers. The paper is based on observations and about thirty sociological interviews conducted in 2021–2022 in the rural Argonne region (France). The survey reveals the interconnection and tension between three types of approach to tick-related issues, i.e., a localized approach (based on a knowledge of place as well as everyday uses), a health-centered approach (medical knowledge as transformed and shaped by the respondents' own experiences of tick-borne disease) and an emphasis on taking personal responsibility instead of collective preventive health initiatives or awareness campaigns (as to the location of "tick areas" or of protective measures). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic (PV) powered Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (PVCS) have received extensive attention recently due to the complementary relationship of PV energy and electric vehicles. This paper proposes a methodology aimed at assisting a Charging Point Operator (CPO) in determining the size of the main components of such PVCS. The modular structure of the method gives flexibility for possible use on a new sizing problem by modifying key parameters such as the EV charging demand (i.e., arrival/departure times and energy needed to fill the battery), the EV charging strategy or the business model, independently from each other. It is of particular interest for a CPO that sizes many PVCS operated in the same environment (for example, a car park at a workplace). In that case, the CPO first has to apply the method on a representative charging station. Next, he can re-use parts of the obtained results to drastically speed up (from weeks to hours) the sizing of the other charging stations. The proposed method has been applied to the EVCS of an industrial research complex in southern France. The input dataset used to apply the method consists of more than 32,000 charging transactions spanning over 6 years with 350 EV users and 80 charging points. Three charging strategies with different levels of complexity are investigated, including Mean Power, Plug and Charge, and Solar Smart Charging. The considered business model is based on the maximization of the self-production rate. The numerical findings reveal that employing a straightforward charging strategy, such as Mean Power, leads to a substantial reduction of nearly half in the required size of the PV plant compared to the basic Plug and Charge mode. In addition, our analysis demonstrates that Solar Smart Charging has the potential to decrease the PV plant size by nearly three times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various theoretical studies have shown that highly diluted plutonium solutions could have a positive temperature effect, but up to now, no experimental program has confirmed this effect. The French Plutonium Temperature Effect Experimental Program (or PU+ in short) aims to effectively show that such a positive temperature effect exists for diluted plutonium solutions. The PU+ experiments were conducted in the "Apparatus B" facility at the CEA VALDUC research center in France. It involved several sub-critical approach-type experiments using plutonium nitrate solutions with concentrations of 14.3, 15, and 20 g/L at temperatures ranging from 20 to 40 °C. Fourteen (five at 20 g/L, four at 15 g/L, and five at 14.3 g/L) phase I experiments (consisting of independent sub-critical approaches) were performed between 2006 and 2007. The impact of the uncertainties on solution acidity and plutonium concentration made it difficult to demonstrate the positive temperature effect, requiring an additional phase II experiment (with a unique plutonium solution) from 22 to 28 °C that was performed in July 2007. This phase II experiment has shown the existence of a positive temperature effect of ~+5.17 pcm/°C (from 22 to 28 °C for a plutonium concentration of 14.3 g/L). It has recently been possible to confirm the results of this program with MORET 5 calculations by generating thermal scattering data S(α,β) at the correct experimental temperatures. This paper finally presents a fully documented experimental program highlighting the Plutonium Temperature Effect theoretically described in the literature. Its high level of precision and its "one-step" approach to criticality allowed it to show a significant positive temperature effect for a rather small variation of temperature (+6 °C). The order of magnitude of the effect was confirmed with Monte Carlo calculations using thermal scattering data for hydrogen in the solution produced by IRSN for the purpose of the comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, land and ocean observations are crucial for monitoring climate change. The method of GNSS reflectometry is an opportunistic way to provide low-cost observations of many geophysical parameters. However, although this method has been the subject of numerous research studies, work is still in progress to improve its possibilities and fields of application. This paper focuses on GNSS reflectometry using carrier phase measurements for water altimetry measurements. The difficulties in implementing such a method lie in the need to collect a coherent signal and to solve the integer ambiguity value. In this context, the implementation of innovative signal processing is described, including the correlation of the reflected signals in dedicated software and the prolongation of the coherent integration time to enhance signal coherency. These processes were applied to data collected over Carcans-Hourtin Lake in France to compute the height of the reflection surface which was then compared to in situ GNSS buoy height measurements. The results show that at 300 ft (91.44 m), the differences between the lake heights measured with the buoy and with the reflectometry data can reach less than 1 cm for the L1, E1 and E5 GNSS signals. In addition, the slope of the geoid estimated with the reflectometry data is very consistent with that of the RAF20 geoid model, with a difference of up to less than 2 mm/km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the importance of accounting for climate when determining the impact of weather on product sales. Using a France-wide scanner panel dataset provided by our industry partner, we show that if climate is not accounted for, product categories may be misclassified as being weather sensitive when they are not, and vice versa. This is motivated by previous research and industry reports that suggest a relationship between weather and retail sales. However, these studies often fail to distinguish between weather and climate, leading to inaccurate conclusions. Our results highlight the need to control for climate in order to accurately assess the effects of weather on retail sales. We use ordinary least squares regression to estimate the relationship between temperature and sales for 29 different product categories. The regression models control for various factors, including shelf space allocation, week of observation, quantity purchased, promotion, store brand, store surface area, store competition, and consumer behavior measures. We find that when accounting for climate, only a subset of the product categories is sensitive to weather. Additionally, we show that climate can be approximated using a week index, eliminating the need for additional data collection and approximation efforts. Our findings have implications for both researchers and practitioners. Researchers should be aware of the importance of accounting for climate when studying the impact of weather on retail sales, as failing to do so may lead to erroneous conclusions. Practitioners can use our results to inform their marketing and sales strategies, taking into account the weather sensitivity of different product categories and the role of climate in shaping consumer behavior. Overall, our study emphasizes the need to consider climate when determining the impact of weather on retail sales, and provides practical insights for retailers and economists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A number of food quality schemes may be associated with dairy products, promoting specific production methods (e.g., organic) as well as products obtained from a narrow area of origin (e.g., protected designation of origin, PDO). The coexistence of multiple labels is less investigated in the literature, even if its role in consumer studies could reveal interesting hints for both the stakeholders in the production chains (e.g., to target marketing strategies) and for consumers, who could access more precise information about the origin and the production processes. In this study, we provide evidence of consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for cheese products (Comté and Parmigiano Reggiano) in two EU countries (France and Italy, respectively). We found how consumers' choices varied by combining the PDO label with other quality features (i.e., the organic label in France, and the Mountain Product label in Italy). Still, price remained the most important factor influencing consumers' decisions; however, we found how combined food quality labels could influence consumers' choices. We found different market segments in the two countries presenting more positive attitudes towards quality-labeled food products, thus providing stakeholders with helpful information on how to develop tailored marketing strategies. The paper examined the potential demand for a food specialty dairy product, cheese, with alternative multiple labels. A random-parameter logit model was applied to interpret the results of online discrete choice experiments (DCE) for the elicitation of the preference of the cheese consumers surveyed in two European countries, France (n = 400) and Italy (n = 408). We analyzed consumers' choices of quality-labeled cheeses, i.e., protected-designation-of-origin (PDO)-labeled Parmigiano Reggiano and Comté. Other features were tested, such as organic (Comté) and Mountain Product (Parmigiano Reggiano) labels, companies' brands and price. The paper contributes to the literature on credence attributes by examining consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for differentiated cheese products in two EU countries, and by identifying the effects of personal characteristics, in terms of socio-demographics and level of product involvement, on the differences in preferences. The results show that price was the most important attribute in both countries, followed by the PDO quality label, particularly when paired with the second quality feature. Two cheese consumer segments were identified via latent class models in each country, helping producers to improve their marketing of agri-food products with a high gastronomic value and differentiation potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of electromobility is placing ever higher demands on new electric motor designs. This results in a gradual reduction in weight with a simultaneous increase in maximum torque. As a result, unfavorable phenomena, such as vibration and noise, can become apparent in the drivetrain. Modeling and evaluation of the acoustic noise sources of a traction motor are particularly important when it is used, for example, as the traction drive of an electric bus, where too high noise levels can have a negative impact on passengers. This article describes methods for analyzing and evaluating the root causes of noise that occurs in permanent magnet traction motors with a rotor in which the magnets have been placed inside the rotor (PMSM IPM). This paper presents an analysis of acoustic noise and forces acting in the air gap of a 240 kW motor with 60 stator slots and 2p = 10 (s60p20) as the number of pole pairs designed for bus and truck drives. To determine the dominant noise sources and evaluate their value, the forces acting in the air gap and their effect on the deflection of the outer surface of the stator yoke were calculated. The natural frequencies of the machine, their frequencies for the entire rotor speed range, and the frequency of vibration of the motor stator were calculated. Based on these data, the sound power level (A-SWL) was calculated at varying motor speeds. MANATEE software (EOMYS, 9, avenue de la Créativité, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq—FRANCE) from EOMYS was used to perform vibroacoustic calculations. The analysis results were also subjected to verification on a laboratory bench. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental characterization of the proposed radio link model for an underground mine sensor network. Power efficiency and range are critical factors to consider when designing a wireless sensor network, particularly for low data rate applications where the goal is to have a long-lasting, low-maintenance network. A 'deploy and forget' strategy is desirable because it allows the network to operate autonomously without requiring frequent maintenance or intervention from network operators. DASH7 and IEEE 802.15.4f are both excellent choices for low-power, long-range wireless sensor networking applications. The proposed radio link model was developed and evaluated for 433 MHz DASH7 in underground mines, considering the practical electromagnetic properties of mine walls and the propagation medium, which helps in calculating accurate signal characteristics. Radio wave propagation is a critical factor that needs to be considered when designing a wireless sensor network for complex mine structures. The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and packet error rate (PER) are two key parameters that are used to measure wave propagation and assess the quality of the radio link between sensor nodes. The radio link design has been optimized for complex mine structures by utilizing these parameters in a model, leading to improved performance and reliability. The measurements were carried out in the world's second largest salt mine at Khewra, Pakistan, with representative irregular mine structures. The RSSI and PER were measured at different node positions and with variable separation between the nodes. The proposed model allows for the easy placement of nodes on either the rooftop or near the side walls of the mine corridors, with an average variation of 6% in RSSI and 1.9% in PER. The proposed model was validated using off-the-shelf wizzi sensor nodes received from Wizzi Lab, France, and was programmed to measure RSSI and PER while operating under the 433 MHz DASH7 protocol. An agreement between modeled and measured parameters has been noted, making the proposed model a decent method for efficient node deployment in underground mine sensor networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition and quantification of fluvial transport and depositional processes has widely been studied. However, few works have focused on the interpretation and quantification of sedimentary processes in low-energy fluvial environments. This paper features and compares the results of five methods of grain size data processing (statistic moments, textural analysis, multivariate statistics combining Principal Component Analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, and CM image and end-member modeling analysis) and discusses their efficiencies in characterizing low-energy alluvial plain deposits. These environments are characterized by fine grain size, high-homogeneity deposits at the macroscopic scale, and low grain size variability, hence presenting a difficulty in identifying and splitting an apparently homogeneous sedimentary record into sedimentary sequences. These statistical methods are applied on a ~9 m long core extracted from the fluvial island of la Baine located in the downstream section of the Charente River (Chaniers, Charente-Maritime, France). In the light of these results, elementary statistical parameters (statistical moments, modes, and sorting index) have limited interest in the sedimentary description and interpretation of fine fluvial deposits. Textural analyses are more informative but highly dependent on the classification scheme. Only the multivariate statistics approach and end-member modeling analysis present interesting results and allow the robust identification of sub-units. However, multivariate statistics results are dependent on the choice of input variables and do not support non-zero values, while the second method, the most recent and complex one, needs further developments to clearly connect end-member classes to sedimentary processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of renewable energies has the potential to decarbonize the electricity supply. This is more challenging in difficult-to-electrify sectors. The use of hydrogen provides a massive potential for this issue. However, expanding hydrogen production increases electricity demand while providing additional flexibility to the electricity market. This paper mainly aims to analyze the economic effects of this sector coupling between the European electricity and national hydrogen markets. The developed energy market model jointly considers both markets to reach an overall welfare optimum. A novel modeling approach allows the interaction of these markets without the need for several iterative optimization runs. This allows for a detailed analysis of various market participants' changes in consumer and producer surpluses. The optimization is conducted in 13 connected Central European countries to account for various power plant fleets, generation mixes, and electricity prices. Results show an overall welfare increase of EUR 4 to 28 billion in 2030 and an EUR 5 to 158 billion increase in 2040. However, there is a surplus shift from consumers to producers. The consumer surplus is reduced by up to EUR 44 billion in 2030 and EUR 60 billion while producers benefit to achieve the overall welfare benefits. The reduction of consumer surplus changes if significant price peaks occur. Fuel cell applications can avoid these price peaks, resulting in a surplus shift from thermal power plants to consumers. Hence, consumer surplus can increase by up to EUR 146 billion in the respective 2040 scenarios. Pink hydrogen accounts for a sizable portion of total hydrogen production, up to 58 percent in 2030 and up to 30 percent in 2040. As a result, nuclear power plants that are nearly entirely allocated in France stand to benefit greatly from this sector coupling. Additional efforts could be made to address the link between hydrogen and natural gas prices. Furthermore, the potential for cross-border hydrogen trade and the implementation of national legal and regulatory frameworks could be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The depressed river mussel Pseudanodonta complanata (Rossmässler, 1835) is an endangered freshwater bivalve with sparse distribution across Europe. Despite its high conservation priority, available data on the current population genetics and biogeography of P. complanata are very limited. In this paper, we studied the genetic diversity and differentiation of P. complanata based on newly sequenced COI and ND1 gene fragments, and on available sequences from the NCBI GenBank. We discovered a localized and highly divergent lineage in the Don River basin and a widespread but low diversified lineage distributed from the Volga River basin to the Oise River in France. A star-like haplotype network, results of mismatch analysis, and significant negative values of neutrality tests reveal that the pan-European lineage went through a bottleneck event. The discovery of the separate lineage in the Don River basin is and additional evidence of the existence of Pleistocene glacial refugia in the south of the Russian Plain. Moreover, this finding confirms the significance of the Azov Sea drainage as a freshwater biodiversity hotspot of great conservation importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the usefulness of shear-wave elastography (SWE) and strain elastography (SE) for identifying and monitoring thyroid gland changes in children diagnosed with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT). Our study included 77 children between the ages of six and eighteen. Of these, 45 were diagnosed with CAT, while 32 had no thyroid pathology. Following a clinical examination and laboratory tests, an ultrasound was carried out, and then a SE (using a Hitachi Preirus machine) and SWE (using an Aixplorer Mach 30, Supersonic imagine, France) were performed in the same session. The median thyroid elastic index (EI) in the CAT group was 13.8 (13.3–17) kPa compared to 10.1 (9.3–11.2) kPa in healthy children (p < 0.0001). We found a median strain ratio (SR) of 1.2 (1.2–1.3) for CAT compared to 0.7 (0.6–0.9) for healthy thyroid tissue (p < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off value for predicting the presence of CAT in children using SR was >1 (Se = 82.2%, Sp = 87.5%, PPV = 90.2%, and NPV = 77.8%, AUROC = 0.850), while using SWE, the optimal cut-off value for predicting the presence of CAT in children was >12 kPa (Se = 88.9%, Sp = 93.7%, PPV = 95.2%, and NPV = 85.5%, AUROC = 0.943). Both techniques are useful for measuring thyroid tissue elasticity, and their diagnostic accuracy and reliability are comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the examination of a values–beliefs–norms (VBN) model, modified by climate change risk perception, in France, Germany, and Spain, to investigate consumers' intentions to purchase personal and house care products that are going to contain innovative ingredients made from recycled CO2. Electronic interviews were undertaken by a research agency on stratified (gender and age) samples in each country. Solely biospheric values indicated a statistically significant and positive causal relationship with risk perception. Risk perception provided the strongest of all impacts on awareness of consequences. Awareness of consequences affected the ascription of responsibility, and ascription of responsibility affected personal norms, which in turn generated consumption intentions. VBN was found powerful in explaining 58%, 60.2%, and 43.3% of the variance in intentions to buy CPGs with green chemical ingredients in French, German, and Spanish consumers, respectively. Moderation analysis indicated that the relationship between personal norms and consumption intentions is stronger in France and Germany than in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has developed an operation and maintenance (O&M) model for projected 20 MW tidal stream farm case studies at two sites in the northeast Atlantic in France and at EMEC's Fall of Warness site in the UK. The annual energy production, number of incidents, and downtimes of the farms for corrective and planned (preventive) maintenance strategies are estimated using Monte Carlo simulations that vary weather windows, repair vessel availabilities, and mean annual failure rates modelled by Weibull distributions. The trade-offs between the mean annual failure rates, time availability, O&M costs, and energy income minus the variable O&M costs were analysed. For all scenarios, a 5-year planned maintenance strategy could considerably decrease the mean annual failure rates by 37% at both sites and increase the net energy income. Based on a detailed sensitivity analysis, the study has suggested a simple decision-making method that examines how the variation in the mean annual failure rate and changes in spare-part costs would reduce the effectiveness of a preventive maintenance strategy. This work provides insights into the most important parameters that affect the O&M cost of tidal stream turbines and their effect on tidal energy management. The output of the study will contribute to decision-making concerning maintenance strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes online sermons on Muslim loyalty to non-Muslims uttered by Tareq Oubrou, one of the most prominent Muslim religious authorities in France. The aim of this study is twofold. First, Oubrou's rhetoric will be examined (especially in what pertains to the opening, the hybrid format of preaching, the languages used, citations, digital tools, and the closing). Second, Oubrou's online sermons will be addressed as a counter-narrative on loyalty intended primarily to neutralize the radical Salafi discourses which forbid any form of loyalty towards non-Muslims. Oubrou utilizes online preaching: (1) to teach wider audiences of ordinary Muslims, outside of the practicing audience who attend mosques regularly, loyalty towards non-Muslims; (2) to compete for space and authoritative discourse on Islam; and (3) to prosecute radical discourses on loyalty particularly present in the virtual space as well as among undersized, albeit active, Salafi communities in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, many SAR missions have been launched to reinforce the all-weather observation capacity of the Earth. The precise modeling of radar signals becomes crucial in order to translate them into essential biophysical parameters for the management of natural resources (water, biomass and energy). The objective of this study was to demonstrate the capabilities of two statistical algorithms (i.e., multiple linear regression (MLR) and random forest (RF)) to accurately simulate the backscattering coefficients observed over bare agricultural soil surfaces. This study was based on satellite and ground data collected on bare soil surfaces over an agricultural region located in southwestern France near Toulouse. Multi-configuration backscattering coefficients were acquired by TerraSAR-X and Radarsat-2 in the X- and C-bands, in co-(abbreviated σ0HH and σ0VV) and cross-polarization states (abbreviated σ0HV and σ0VH) and at incidence angles ranging from 24° to 53°. Models were independently calibrated and validated using a ground dataset covering a wide range of soil conditions, including the topsoil moisture (range: 2.4–35.3%), root-mean-square height (range: 0.5–7.9cm) and clay fraction (range: 9–58%). Higher-magnitude correlations (r) and lower errors (RMSE) were obtained when using RF (r values ranging from 0.69 to 0.86 and RMSE from 1.95 to 1.00 dB, depending on the considered signal configuration) compared to MLR (r values ranging from 0.58 to 0.77 and RMSE from 2.22 to 1.24 dB). Both surpass the performance presented in previous studies based on either empirical, semi-empirical or physical models. In the linear approach, the information is mainly provided by the surface moisture and the angle of incidence (especially in the case of co-polarized signals, regardless of the frequency), while the influence of roughness or texture becomes significant for cross-polarized signals in the C-band. On the contrary, all the surface descriptors contribute in the approach based on RF. In future work, the use of the RF algorithm developed in this paper should improve the estimation of soil parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main research question addressed in the paper is related to the possibility of medium-term forecasting of the public debts of the EU member states. The analysis focuses on a broad range of indicators (macroeconomic, fiscal, monetary, global, and convergence) that influence the public debt levels of the EU member states. A machine learning prediction model using random forest regression was approbated with the empirical data. The algorithm was applied in two iterations—a primary iteration with 33 indicators and a secondary iteration with the 8 most significant indicators in terms of their influence and forecasting importance regarding the development of public debt across the EU. The research identifies a change in the medium term (2023–2024) in the group of the four most indebted EU member states, viz., that Spain will be replaced by France, which is an even more systemic economy, and will thus increase the group's share of the EU's GDP. The results indicate a logical scenario of rising interest rates with adverse effects for the fiscal imbalances, which will require serious reforms in the public sector of the most indebted EU member states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automatic extraction of individual tree from mobile laser scanning (MLS) scenes has important applications in tree growth monitoring, tree parameter calculation and tree modeling. However, trees often grow in rows and tree crowns overlap with varying shapes, and there is also incompleteness caused by occlusion, which makes individual tree extraction a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose a trunk-constrained and tree structure analysis method to extract trees from scanned urban scenes. Firstly, multi-feature enhancement is performed via PointNet to segment the tree points from raw urban scene point clouds. Next, the candidate local tree trunk clusters are obtained by clustering based on the intercepted local tree trunk layer, and the real local tree trunk is obtained by removing noise data. Then, the trunk is located and extracted by combining circle fitting and region growing, so as to obtain the center of the tree crown. Further, the points near the tree's crown (core points) are segmented through distance difference, and the tree crown boundary (boundary points) is distinguished by analyzing the density and centroid deflection angle. Therefore, the core and boundary points are deleted to obtain the remaining points (intermediate points). Finally, the core, intermediate and boundary points, as well as the tree trunks, are combined to extract individual tree. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated on the Pairs-Lille-3D dataset, which is a benchmark for point cloud classification, and data were produced using a mobile laser system (MLS) applied to two different cities in France (Paris and Lille). Overall, the precision, recall, and F1-score of instance segmentation were 90.00%, 98.22%, and 99.08%, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that our method can effectively extract trees with multiple rows of occlusion and improve the accuracy of tree extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, interest in geoheritage among scientists and the broader public alike seems to be growing. However, concern for geological heritage is relatively late, compared to that of living heritage. Actions for protections have long remained marginal. The increase in the number of views on this notion has gone along with a reflection on its meaning and a multiplication of the number of laws to accommodate situations and be able to take into account the diversity of possible cases. In this paper, after a historical review, we propose a synthesis of this notion of geoheritage, as it is currently underway in France. We support our point on specific examples, and especially those that have an echo at the international level: in stratigraphy, for example, with the list of stages based on French localities, as well as in petrography and mineralogy with the lithotypes or minerals whose name is linked to the territory. Finally, we deal with the legal aspects, which apply to objects (movable geoheritage), geosites, especially with recent developments because of these texts, and databases that govern the operation and current development of geoheritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the French Wars of Religion, both the Huguenot and the radical Catholic factions started by stressing their devotion to the Valois monarchy, for reasons both pragmatic and ideological. Both were hoping for the support of the Crown in achieving their goals—the Huguenots to convert France to the Reformation, the radical Catholics to eradicate the Protestantism from the kingdom—and their propaganda made use of numerous Biblical references in order to urge the kings of France to pursue such policy goals. However, Biblical precedents could be a two-edged sword: once hope for royal support was replaced by disappointment and even resentment, the nature of the Biblical models and comparisons changed as well. From appeals to emulate the righteous kings from the Bible, like David, Solomon or Josiah, the propagandists moved to warnings and even threats, by presenting the kings of France with the fate of, this time, wicked rulers like Ahab or Herod, who were grievously punished by God for their transgressions. This paper aims to analyze the recurrences of such examples in the Catholic propaganda during the French Wars of Religion, until the death of Henry III in 1589, and their significance in the political discourse of that age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special status of satire in France is examined historically from the French Revolution to the Fifth Republic. It is argued that satire in France functions with a normative reference to the secular, universalist Jacobin values (hostile to church, aristocracy, and monarchy) that underpinned the foundation of the French Republic. Since the French Revolution, French journalistic satire has, in different ways, perpetrated what can broadly be categorized as either lèse majesté or blasphemy. Given France's turbulent history over the past two centuries, satire has frequently been used as an instrument to reaffirm the Republic's values vis-à-vis authoritarian regimes with different characteristics. The symbolic connection between satire and the French Republic's founding mythology has conferred upon the idiom a special status that endures today. The Fifth Republic, however, has presented a unique challenge to satire because of its authoritarian institutional character with personal power in the hands of the head-of-state. Three case studies are examined: the newspapers Le Canard Enchaîné and Charlie Hebdo and the satirical television program Les Guignols de l'Info. Today satire has found expression on online social networks in the form of memes, gifs, and videos. This marks a shift from satire produced by journalistic elites to more diffused and socially distributed satirical mockery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metaheuristic algorithms and their hybridization have been utilized successfully in the past to extract the parameters of photovoltaic (PV) cells and panels. The novelty of the paper consists of proposing the black widow optimization algorithm (BWOA) for the first time to identify the parameters of the two photovoltaic cells RTC France, amorphous silicon (aSi), and two photovoltaic panels PWP201, PVM 752 GaAs. The single-diode model (SDM) and double-diode model (DDM) for analyzing the PVs are considered. The performance of the BWOA is verified using four statistical tests: the root mean square error, which is the primary tool, the mean relative error, the mean bias error, and the coefficient of determination. The research results of this study are as follows: BWOA gave the same results, or very slightly better, for RTC and PWP201 for SDM in comparison with the best algorithms from the specialized literature; for all the other cases, BWOA has substantially better results, especially for PVM 752 GaAs, where the improvements in RMSE are: 16.5%, for PWP201: 6.25%, and for aSi: 5.3%, all for the DDM; the computing time is around 2 s, which is one of the lowest durations. A consistent study is made to optimize the accuracy and computational time in function of the number of iterations and population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Highlights: We analyze the costs of plantation failure and evaluate the distribution of replantation costs and risk sharing between the forestry company and the forest owner in France. Background and Objectives: Due to the lack of a clear definition of drought, forestry companies are increasingly considered as liable for plantation failure, increasing their costs and leading to financial instability. In this context, this paper aims to address the following questions. In the case of plantation failure, is it less costly to replant, not replant, or restart the whole plantation? What is the impact of changing the liability scheme between the company and the forest owner in terms of replantation costs and risk sharing? Materials and Methods: We performed a cost assessment of different itineraries of plantations as a function of different mortality rates. The breakdown of the replantation costs between the company and the forest owner was also investigated. Results: No replanting is the least expensive option for the forest owner, followed by replanting and then by starting the whole plantation anew. Reducing the company's liability is an interesting option to reduce its exposure to risk. Conclusions: Modifications of the company's liability allows for the inclusion of private insurance contracts against plantation failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shipbuilding is inherently a social process involving numerous craftsmen utilizing their knowledge and skills while working together to produce a complex machine. The construction of a ship traditionally relies on a stratified apprenticeship system that entails a master teaching apprentices their trade. In this type of setting, the shipyard becomes the classroom where the younger generations learn and mimic mannerisms from their instructors. The development of this technique is considered an individual practice, which, with other construction methodologies and shared interactions, becomes social structures within a specific society. Repetition of this type of practice may reaffirm the existing structure, which in this article relates to various communities of shipbuilders. This paper addresses shipbuilding's social perspective through an operational process based on surviving shipwreck timbers. Two case studies are addressed: Mediterranean shipbuilding between the Medieval and Modern periods and a case study of late 17th-century French shipbuilding social organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cohort studies of nuclear workers are key to study the health effects of protracted exposures to low doses of ionizing radiation (IR), which is necessary to verify the adequacy of radiation protection standards. In this cohort of nuclear workers monitored for exposure to IR and followed-up for mortality, a strong healthy worker effect was observed. Exposure to IR was significantly associated with death from leukaemia and dementia. This second finding is novel and should be interpreted with caution at this stage. It should motivate the research community to evaluate its replicability by studying dementia in other cohorts exposed to low-dose IR. Findings for solid cancers were not statistically significant, but estimates were still imprecise and compatible with those from other studies. Continued follow-up of the cohort and its participation in pooled analyses with similar cohorts will help to further improve the statistical precision of risk estimates in the future. Cohorts of nuclear workers are particularly relevant to study the health effects of protracted exposures to low doses at low dose-rates of ionizing radiation (IR). In France, a cohort of nuclear workers badge-monitored for external IR exposure has been followed-up for several decades. Its size and follow-up period have recently been extended. The present paper focuses on mortality from both cancer and non-cancer diseases in this cohort. The SELTINE cohort of nuclear workers employed by CEA, Orano, and EDF companies was followed-up for mortality from 1968 to 2014. Mortality in the cohort was compared to that in the French general population. Poisson regression methods were used to estimate excess relative rates of mortality per unit of cumulative dose of IR, adjusted for calendar year, age, company, duration of employment, and socioeconomic status. The cohort included 80,348 workers. At the end of the follow-up, the mean attained age was 63 years, and 15,695 deaths were observed. A strong healthy worker effect was observed overall. A significant excess of pleural cancer mortality was observed but not associated with IR dose. Death from solid cancers was positively but non-significantly associated with radiation. Death from leukaemia (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia), dementia, and Alzheimer's disease were positively and significantly associated with IR dose. Estimated dose–risk relationships were consistent with those from other nuclear worker studies for all solid cancers and leukaemia but remained associated with large uncertainty. The association between IR dose and dementia mortality risk should be interpreted with caution and requires further investigation by other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of religious signs in schools, as in other areas of the public sphere, is a current topic, given that legislative changes are constantly taking place. In countries as close as Germany, France, England and Spain, the legislation governing the wearing of the Islamic veil differs considerably due to their different historical, cultural, social, economic and idiosyncratic contexts. Leaving aside the ethnocentric perspective, in this paper a comparative study of the situation was carried out in these four countries. The main results include a negative attitude towards the wearing of the Islamic veil in France as opposed to a more tolerant position in England and Spain. In the case of Germany, there is a greater diversity of positions due to the characteristic autonomy of each federal state. Given the different types of veils, the reasons for wearing them, the traditions of each society and regional idiosyncrasies, it is considered that, a priori, there should not be a fight against its use, although it is recommended to adopt a belligerent stance against its imposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a currently on-going multicenter, randomized controlled trial designed to assess the efficacy of calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on changes in maximal walking distance in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD), compared with a non-intervention control-group. This study (NCT03795103) encompasses five participating centers in France. PAD participants with a predominant claudication at the calf level and a maximal treadmill walking distance ≤300 m are randomized into one of the two groups: NMES group or Control group. The NMES program consists of a 12-week program of electrical stimulations at the calf-muscle level. The primary outcome of the study is the change in maximal treadmill walking distance at 12 weeks. Main secondary outcomes include changes in the pain-free treadmill walking distance; 6 min total walking distance; global positioning system (GPS)-measured outdoor walking capacity; daily physical activity level by accelerometry; self-reported walking impairment; self-reported quality of life; ankle-brachial index; and skin microvascular function, both at the forearm and calf levels. Recruitment started in September 2019 and data collection is expected to end in November 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adopting a need-based approach can help companies to create products and services that are preferred by their customers and improve their well-being, thus providing a competitive advantage. To put need-based designs into practice, it would be interesting to know how innovative product and service ideas can address the needs of a specific target group in a specific business domain. This paper presents an approach for (a) identifying such target group-specific need sets based on an online survey and (b) integrating them into the company's innovation processes as part of a Need-based Creativity Workshop. To illustrate and validate this approach, we present a case study that investigates varying need subsets for two different user groups of future banking products and services in France: adults with and without families. Our study shows that a different set of needs is important for each group and reflects upon the benefits and challenges of a target group-specific, need-based design approach to leverage a company's potential for innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomimicry is a growing field of developing environmental innovations for materials, facade systems, buildings, and urban planning. In France, we observe an extensive diversity of initiatives in biomimicry for the development of regenerative cities. These initiatives blossom in a large range of areas, from education to urban policies, to achieve a major environmental, social and economic paradigm shift. To provide a comprehensive understanding of this development at the national scale, this paper presents and discusses the diversity of the developed initiatives over the last 10 years in six main fields-education, urban policies, fundamental and applied research, design demonstrators, arts, and communication. This research is an opportunistic study based on the analysis of these initiatives enriched by the feedback of the stakeholders collected by the authors working in the field of biomimicry over the last seven years. We identify that biomimicry in France has mainly extended through individual initiatives of teachers, territorial authorities, architectural studios, or researchers rather than through the support of public policies. Putting into perspective developments in biomimicry by other countries, this cross-discipline analysis provides recommendations for the extensive development of regenerative architecture and urbanism at the national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]