Search

Objective: To analyze the surgical management of sigmoid diverticular disease (SDD) before, during, and after the first containment rules (CR) for the first wave of COVID-19. Methods: From the French Surgical Association multicenter series, this study included all patients operated on between January 2018 and September 2021. Three groups were compared: A (before CR period: 01/01/18–03/16/20), B (CR period: 03/17/20–05/03/20), and C (post CR period: 05/04/20–09/30/21). Results: A total of 1965 patients (A n = 1517, B n = 52, C n = 396) were included. The A group had significantly more previous SDD compared to the two other groups (p = 0.007), especially complicated (p = 0.0004). The rate of peritonitis was significantly higher in the B (46.1%) and C (38.4%) groups compared to the A group (31.7%) (p = 0.034 and p = 0.014). As regards surgical treatment, Hartmann's procedure was more often performed in the B group (44.2%, vs A 25.5% and C 26.8%, p = 0.01). Mortality at 90 days was significantly higher in the B group (9.6%, vs A 4% and C 6.3%, p = 0.034). This difference was also significant between the A and B groups (p = 0.048), as well as between the A and C groups (p = 0.05). There was no significant difference between the three groups in terms of postoperative morbidity. Conclusion: This study shows that the management of SDD was impacted by COVID-19 at CR, but also after and until September 2021, both on the initial clinical presentation and on postoperative mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article combining geophysics and archaeology aims to provide a more comprehensive characterization of the La Ruchelle valley located in the south of the Celtic site of La Peyrouse (Saint‐Félix‐de‐Villadeix, Dordogne, France) (occupied between the 3rd century BC and the 2nd century AD) through geological prospection (core sampling, geotechnical prospection and mechanical prospection) and near‐surface geophysics (electrical resistivity tomography). On this site, other studies have been carried out since the discovery of the site, such as magnetic prospecting and a hydrogeological study. Geophysical data coupled with geological prospection were used to understand the geology of the valley: (1) The bottom of the valley is filled with colluvium with a thickness of 6 m maximum; (2) part of the colluvium filling characterize by a very low resistivity is indeed archaeological remains; (3) three very distinct geological horizons have been detected—two of these horizons are characteristic of Campanian limestone (C6d and C6e), and the last consists of colluvium with a filling between 2 and 6 m in the centre of the valley, which is particularly thick. This last very thick formation is in fact filled with archaeological and prehistoric remains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Can machine learning predict the number of oocytes retrieved from controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH)? SUMMARY ANSWER Three machine-learning models were successfully trained to predict the number of oocytes retrieved from COH. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY A number of previous studies have identified and built predictive models on factors that influence the number of oocytes retrieved during COH. Many of these studies are, however, limited in the fact that they only consider a small number of variables in isolation. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study was a retrospective analysis of a dataset of 11,286 cycles performed at a single centre in France between 2009 and 2020 with the aim of building a predictive model for the number of oocytes retrieved from ovarian stimulation. The analysis was carried out by a data analysis team external to the centre using the Substra framework. The Substra framework enabled the data analysis team to send computer code to run securely on the centre's on-premises server. In this way, a high level of data security was achieved as the data analysis team did not have direct access to the data, nor did the data leave the centre at any point during the study. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The Light Gradient Boosting Machine algorithm was used to produce three predictive models: one that directly predicted the number of oocytes retrieved and two that predicted which of a set of bins provided by two clinicians the number of oocytes retrieved fell into. The resulting models were evaluated on a held-out test set and compared to linear and logistic regression baselines. In addition, the models themselves were analysed to identify the parameters that had the biggest impact on their predictions. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE On average, the model that directly predicted the number of oocytes retrieved deviated from the ground truth by 4.21 oocytes. The model that predicted the first clinician's bins deviated by 0.73 bins whereas the model for the second clinician deviated by 0.62 bins. For all models, performance was best within the first and third quartiles of the target variable, with the model underpredicting extreme values of the target variable (no oocytes and large numbers of oocytes retrieved). Nevertheless, the erroneous predictions made for these extreme cases were still within the vicinity of the true value. Overall, all three models agreed on the importance of each feature which was estimated using Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) values. The feature with the highest mean absolute SHAP value (and thus the highest importance) was the antral follicle count, followed by basal AMH and FSH. Of the other hormonal features, basal TSH, LH, and testosterone levels were similarly important and baseline LH was the least important. The treatment characteristic with the highest SHAP value was the initial dose of gonadotropins. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The models produced in this study were trained on a cohort from a single centre. They should thus not be used in clinical practice until trained and evaluated on a larger cohort more representative of the general population. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF FINDINGS These predictive models for the number of oocytes retrieved from COH may be useful in clinical practice, assisting clinicians in optimizing COH protocols for individual patients. Our work also demonstrates the promise of using the Substra framework for allowing external researchers to provide clinically relevant insights on sensitive fertility data in a fully secure, trustworthy manner and opens a number of exciting avenues for accelerating future research. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was funded by the French Public Bank of Investment as part of the Healthchain Consortium. T.Fe. C.He. J.C. C.J. C.-A.P. and C.Hi. are employed by Apricity. C.Hi. has received consulting fees and honoraria from Vitrolife, Merck Serono, Ferring, Cooper Surgical, Dibimed, Apricity, and Fairtility and travel support from Fairtility and Vitrolife, participates on an advisory board for Merck Serono, was the founder and organizer of the AI Fertility conference, has stock in Aria Fertility, TMRW, Fairtility, Apricity, and IVF Professionals, and received free equipment from Planar in exchange for first user feedback. C.J. has received a grant from BPI. J.C. has also received a grant from BPI, is a member of the Merck AI advisory board, and is a board member of Labelia Labs. C.He has a contract for medical writing of this manuscript by CHU Nantes and has received travel support from Apricity. A.R. haș received honoraria from Ferring and Organon. T.Fe. has received a grant from BPI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jacotines landslide is representative of the large mass movements that affect the Champagne vineyards. Understanding the subsurface structure of these slopes and the mechanisms leading to sliding events is of a great interest, particularly for winegrowers who produce Champagne. This knowledge is generally used to elaborate accurate hazard assessment maps, which is an important feature in land use planning. The approach presented is based on the integration of geophysical imaging (seismic wave velocity and electrical resistivity), lithostratigraphic analysis (drilling core) and geomorphological investigations (surface landforms) to reconstruct the relations between the landslide structure, surface water flow, groundwater regime and the overall slope stability. A first phase of instability resulting in a large rotational slip probably occurred during the Late Glacial Period in morphoclimatic conditions characterized by an excess of water. A second one, still active, leading to superficial reactivations and relates to present hydrogeological conditions determined by the internal structure of the landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alternative Francophone is the property of Alternative Francophone and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The current study aims to investigate the relation between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and information asymmetry, as well as the moderating effect of board characteristics (gender diversity, size and independence) on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a panel data regression analysis with the system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator of nonfinancial French firms included in the SBF 120 index. The environmental and social disclosure scores are collected from the Bloomberg database, while financial data are collected from the FactSet database. Findings: The empirical results demonstrate that environmental disclosure has a positive impact on the level of information asymmetry, while social disclosure has no effect on the information environment. Gender diversity and board independence negatively impact the opacity index, while board size has a positive effect. The presence of women in board composition has a substitution effect on the relationship between environmental disclosure and information asymmetry. There is no moderating effect of board size on the association between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. However, the proportion of independent female directors and board independence operates as substitutes to social disclosure on reducing information asymmetry. Research limitations/implications: Although the models include the most common control variables used in the literature, they omit some variables. Second, the results should be interpreted with caution and should not be generalized to the entire stock market since the sample is based on large French companies. Practical implications: The results of this study may be of interest to managers, investors and French market authorities since France is characterized by highly developed laws and reforms in the area of CSR. In addition, the paper leads to a better understanding of how women on the board, in particular, independent female directors, affect the relationship between CSR disclosure and information asymmetry. This could be of interest to French authorities, which has encouraged the appointment of women through the adoption of the Copé–Zimmermann law. Originality/value: First, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to explore the moderating effect of board characteristics on the relationship between CSR and information asymmetry. Second, unlike previous studies using individual proxies to measure information asymmetry, the authors favor the opacity index of Anderson et al. (2009). They calculate this index by including a fifth individual measure, namely, share price volatility. The opacity index better describes the information environment of companies than individual measures since it reflects the perceptions of investors and analysts together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed numerous worldwide challenges. The level of social vulnerability of the migrant population is disproportionately higher than other populations. Recent reports have shown that the access to care for the migrant population (i.e., non-French nationality patients) were greatly impacted during this pandemic. Thus, we would like to highlight the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care follow-up in those migrant people infected with HIV who receive HIV care in France. Two groups of patients were defined: that is, patients with continuous care and patients with a loss of follow-up of at least one year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among 672 HIV patients, 19 (2.7%) patients were lost to follow-up for at least one year during the COVID-19 pandemic. We found no significant difference for gender (p = 0.332) or age (p = 0.115) between the two groups. However, patients with a loss of follow-up were mainly migrants rather than from the other group (p < 0.001), and the same results were observed for the nation of birth (89.5% vs. 44%, p < 0.001). In our hospital, most of the patients who were living abroad but had HIV care in France before the COVID epidemic (mainly retired migrants) were lost to follow-up during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, most of them have not resumed HIV care in France and we do not know their present situation. We can only observe that the COVID-19 pandemic has predominately disrupted the HIV care of migrant populations. Do not let them be left behind! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light on the perception of corporate environmental management (CEM) in the lending business from the lenders' perspective. The importance of the implementation of the CEM practices of borrowing companies indicated by bank managers is used to measure the bank managers' perceptions of CEM in lending decisions. In addition, this paper examines the influence of institutional motivations – coercive, mimetic and normative – on the perception of CEM. A survey was conducted among 110 bank managers in France and Luxembourg in 2019. Through factor analysis and regression modeling, we found that banks' CEM requirements for borrowing firms are mainly determined by pressure-type motivations, such as coercive and mimetic, rather than benefit-type motivations, such as financial and reputational. Our results offer new insights into how bank managers perceive the importance of CEM in lending decision-making and explain the perceptions that have been less studied in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caregivers in healthcare settings are exposed to a risk of antineoplastic drug contamination which can lead to adverse health effects. Biological monitoring is necessary to estimate the actual level of exposure of these workers. This study was conducted with the aim of assessing blood contamination levels by irinotecan and its metabolites of pharmaceutical staff operating inside and outside a compounding unit. Methods: The study took place within the pharmaceutical unit of a French comprehensive cancer centre. Blood samples were collected from the pharmacy workers operating inside and outside the compounding unit, and analysed by UHPLC-MS/MS. Plasma and red blood cell irinotecan and its metabolites (SN-38; APC) were determined with a validated analytical method detection test. Results: A total of 17/78 (21.8%) plasma and red blood cell-based assays were found to be contaminated among staff. Overall, the total number of positive assays was significantly higher for staff members working outside the compounding unit than for workers working inside it (P = 0.022), with respectively 5/42 (11.9%) and 12/36 (33.3%) positive assays. For plasma dosages, the "outside" group had a significantly higher number of positive assays (P = 0.014). For red blood cell-based assays, no significant difference was found (P = 0.309). Conclusions: This study reveals that pharmaceutical staff serving in health care settings are exposed to a risk of antineoplastic drug contamination, not only inside the compounding room but also in adjacent rooms. The results would help to raise awareness and potentially establish protective measures for caregivers working in areas close to the compounding room as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rehabilitation and reconstruction works are usually performed with a view to conserving these landmarks and maintaining them culturally, architecturally and structurally. From this perspective, the mortars utilized in these repairs must be suitable, physiochemically and mechanically, to the ancient materials used in these buildings. Accordingly, it was proposed to evaluate tufa stone powder, a waste product of one of the most widely found stones in the Loire Valley in France, as an ingredient in repair-work mortar mixtures (M1, M2) through partially replacing the fine aggregate it contains with different amounts of this powder (37%, 42%) by weight of mix. Additionally, a third manufacturing mortar (M3) was utilized with both prepared mortars (M1, M2) for comparison with the tufa stone. The mechanical properties (including flexural, compressive and shear strengths, and ultrasonic pulse velocity) and the durability properties (total porosity, thermal dilation and conductivity, capillary absorption, and water and gas permeability) of the three mortars were examined in addition to those of the tufa stone. The results revealed that the prepared mortar, M2, (having lower binder content and a higher amount of substitution with tufa stone powder) has the lowest mechanical performance in comparison with the other mortars, indicating that this mortar is more supple and loose than the authentic tufa masonry. The thermal and durability properties are comparable to that of the tufa stone existent in ancient monuments. Consequently, the prepared mortar (M2) is the most appropriate mortar, for utilization in repairing old landmarks in the Loire Valley in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digs into the portrayal of multiracial and multiethnic discipline in contemporary literary and cinematic works dealing with urban spaces in France. Effects of the symbolism of sensationalist crime in the media on the creation of delinquency and racial conflict; Style of authors of immigrant origin to portray inhabitants as victims of violence and injustice; Reflection of the works suggesting a battle over the future of the city that opposes fundamentally different visions.

Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) colonies near the species' southernmost limits are experiencing plateaued or declining population growth and prolonged poor productivity. These trends have been linked to reductions in the availability of the species' key prey, the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus). Declines in mackerel availability have been associated with warming ocean temperatures and over-fishing. Here, we assessed the influence of prey availability, abundance, and sea surface temperature (SST) during the breeding season on Northern Gannet reproductive success over a multi-decadal time span at their southernmost colony at Cape St. Mary's, NL, Canada. We demonstrate that warming SST affects reproductive success differently in early vs. late chick-rearing, but that overall, declining mackerel availability (landings and biomass) due to warming SST and over-exploitation has resulted in poor productivity of Northern Gannets at their southernmost limit. Our study is consistent with previous findings in other colonies in Atlantic Canada and France, and contrasts with findings in more northern colonies where mackerel population increases and range expansion are coinciding with gannet population growth. This implies that warming SST is having opposing influences on Northern Gannets and mackerel at the different extremes of the gannets' breeding range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The French noir tradition is supposed to dominate the French market of crime fiction, regardless of the growing success of French and non-French thrillers in France. Yet in the last two decades, the French literary crime fiction market has been marked by the arrival of non-French European authors. By combining a quantitative and qualitative approach to publishing series, translations, prizes and festivals, this article highlights the transnational dimension of the French market independently from a spontaneous methodological nationalism encouraged by the reception discourses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of Technology Lipido-Colloid with Nano Oligo Saccharide Factor (TLC-NOSF) wound dressings versus neutral dressings in the management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) from a French collective perspective. We used a Markov microsimulation cohort model to simulate the DFU monthly progression over the lifetime horizon. Our study employed a mixed method design with model inputs including data from interventional and observational studies, French databases and expert opinion. The demographic characteristics of the simulated population and clinical efficacy were based on the EXPLORER double-blind randomized controlled trial. Health-related quality of life, costs, and resource use inputs were taken from the literature relevant to the French context. The main outcomes included life-years without DFU (LYsw/DFU), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), amputations, and lifetime costs. To assess the robustness of the results, sensitivity and subgroup analyses based on the wound duration at treatment initiation were performed. Treatment with the TLC-NOSF dressing led to total cost savings per patient of EUR 35,489, associated with gains of 0.50 LYw/DFU and 0.16 QALY. TLC-NOSF dressings were established as the dominant strategy in the base case and all sensitivity analyses. Furthermore, the model revealed that, for every 100 patients treated with TLC-NOSF dressings, two amputations could be avoided. According to the subgroup analysis results, the sooner the TLC-NOSF treatment was initiated, the better were the outcomes, with the highest benefits for ulcers with a duration of two months or less (+0.65 LYw/DFU, +0.23 QALY, and cost savings of EUR 55,710). The results from the French perspective are consistent with the ones from the German and British perspectives. TLC-NOSF dressings are cost-saving compared to neutral dressings, leading to an increase in patients' health benefits and a decrease in the associated treatment costs. These results can thus be used to guide healthcare decisionmakers. The potential savings could represent EUR 3,345 per treated patient per year and even reach EUR 4,771 when TLC-NOSF dressings are used as first line treatment. The EXPLORER trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01717183. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to shed light on the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the cost of debt. It also investigates whether audit quality affects the cost of debt incurred by socially responsible firms. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a sample of French non-financial companies over the period 2005 to 2016, this paper uses panel data regressions. This paper re-estimates the model using Newey-West standard errors and the weighted-least-squares method. For further robustness, this paper runs instrumental variable regressions using the two-stage instrument variable method (two-stage least square). Findings: The results show a negative relationship between CSR performance and the cost of debt, suggesting that financial institutions are likely to apply preferential costs for socially responsible firms. Financial institutions reward socially responsible companies as they recognize the potentiality of CSR to reduce firm risk and enhance its reputation. The findings also show that the perceived audit quality, along with CSR performance, are relevant to banks in the pricing of debt. The incremental audit quality, attributable to audits by the Big 4 auditors, decreases the cost of debt for CSR firms. Big 4 auditors are expected to, simultaneously, play information and insurance roles, thereby enhancing the firm risk profile. The results are robust to alternative audit quality measures (i.e. audit fees). Practical implications: This study has important implications for managers and banks. Managers will be able to understand the effect of CSR on financing costs with relevant implications for strategic financing planning. Firms are also encouraged to signal their commitment to maintain a high-level quality reporting and reduce agency costs through their expenditure in auditing (i.e. hiring a large well-known audit firm). Moreover, this study sensitizes banking institutions to encourage the concept of socially responsible finance and consider soft information (i.e. involvement in societal issues, corporate citizen, trustworthiness, integrity and non-opportunistic behavior), as part of the credit decision-making and debt pricing process. Originality/value: This study extends the literature on CSR and the cost of debt. Unlike prior studies, this paper focuses on the debt-pricing effects of audit quality for CSR firms. Audit quality is deemed to be an important governance feature that is likely to constraint opportunistic behaviors (i.e. CSR diversion) and play information and insurance roles to lenders. Audit quality (perceived or real), along with CSR performance, are associated with lower costs of debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age‐related telomere shortening is considered a hallmark of the ageing process. However, a recent cross‐sectional ageing study of relative telomere length (rTL) in bats failed to detect a relationship between rTL and age in the long‐lived genus Myotis (M. myotis and M. bechsteinii), suggesting some other factors are responsible for driving telomere dynamics in these species. Here, we test if longitudinal rTL data show signatures of age‐associated telomere attrition in M. myotis and differentiate which intrinsic or extrinsic factors are likely to drive telomere length dynamics. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction, rTL was measured in 504 samples from a marked population, from Brittany, France, captured between 2013 and 2016. These represent 174 individuals with an age range of 0 to 7+ years. We find no significant relationship between rTL and age (p =.762), but demonstrate that within‐individual rTL is highly variable from year to year. To investigate the heritability of rTL, a population pedigree (n = 1744) was constructed from genotype data generated from a 16‐microsatellite multiplex, designed from an initial, low‐coverage, Illumina genome for M. myotis. Heritability was estimated in a Bayesian, mixed model framework, and showed that little of the observed variance in rTL is heritable (h2 = 0.01–0.06). Rather, correlations of first differences, correlating yearly changes in telomere length and weather variables, demonstrate that, during the spring transition, average temperature, minimum temperature, rainfall and windspeed correlate with changes in longitudinal telomere dynamics. As such, rTL may represent a useful biomarker to quantify the physiological impact of various environmental stressors in bats. see also the Perspective by Luise A. Seeker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test whether or not CSR disclosure (i.e. aggregate as well as its three sub-indicators) reduces the cost of debt for French corporations listed in the SBF 120 index between 2010 and 2015. Design/methodology/approach: CSR disclosure ratings of firms were collected from the Bloomberg database under three dimensions such as environmental, social and governance (ESG). Then, a pooled regression analysis was run. Findings: The results indicate that overall CSR disclosure score as a combination of ESG disclosure scores has a negative effect on the cost of debt (i.e. lowers the cost of debt). While environmental disclosure is negatively associated with the cost of debt, social disclosure is unexpectedly positively associated, and governance disclosure has an insignificant association with the cost of debt. Research limitations/implications: The study has two main limitations. First, the analysis does not consider contractual constraints and obligations that might exist in debt contracts (Jung et al., 2018). Second, the analyses cover a specific time period (i.e. between 2010 and 2015) for a specific country (i.e. France) excluding utilities and the financial sector. Practical implications: Overall, it is inferred from the results that financial markets for lenders take into account CSR disclosure when assessing the creditworthiness of borrowers. Specifically, environmental disclosure is the only subdimension of CSR that is influential on creditors' decisions to offer favorable interest rates. In line with this outcome, companies can assess their processes and be more aligned with eco-friendly practices, and investors are particularly advised to invest in those types of firms. Originality/value: This study extends scant literature on the association between CSR and the cost of debt by exploring how creditors treat CSR dimensions dissimilarly in granting loans to firms. The findings of this study have particular importance as financial debt is one of the most predominant forms of external financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting influences leverage ratios. In particular, this paper aims to determine whether firms with higher CSR disclosure scores have better access to debt financing. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a panel data analysis of non-financial French firms listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange and members of the SBF 120 index from 2010 to 2015. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure scores that are collected from the Bloomberg database are used as a proxy for the extent of ESG information disclosures by French companies. Findings: The empirical results demonstrate that leverage ratios are positively related to CSR disclosure scores. In addition, the results show that the levels of long-term and short-term debt increase with the disclosure of ESG information, thus suggesting that CSR disclosures play a significant role in reducing information asymmetry and improving transparency around companies' ESG activities. This finding meets the lenders' expectations in terms of extrafinancial information and attracts debt financing sources. Research limitations/implications: The research is based only on the quantity of the ESG information disclosed by French companies and does not account for the quality of the CSR disclosures. The empirical model omits some control variables (e.g. the nature of the industry, the external business conditions and the age of the firm). The results should not be generalized, since the sample was based on large French companies for 2010–2015. Practical implications: France is a highly regulated context that places considerable pressure on French firms in terms of CSR policies. The French Parliament has adopted several laws requiring transparency in the environmental, social, and corporate governance policies of French firms. In this context, firms often regard CSR policies as constraints rather than opportunities. This study highlights the benefits that result from transparent CSR practices. More precisely, it provides evidence that the high disclosure of ESG information is a pull factor for credit providers. Originality/value: This study extends the scope of previous studies by examining the value and relevance of CSR disclosures in financing decisions. More precisely, it focuses on the relatively little explored relationship between the extent of CSR disclosures and access to debt financing. This paper demonstrates how each category of CSR disclosure information (e.g. social, environmental and governance) affects access to debt financing. Moreover, this study focuses on the rather interesting empirical setting of France, which is characterized by its highly developed legal reforms in terms of CSR. Achieving a better understanding of the effects of ESG information is useful for corporate managers desiring to meet lenders' expectations and attract debt financing sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on social and financial objectives of business enterprises of France. Topics discussed include studies on organizational hybrids, their economic and financial goals, business activities of nonprofit organizations, their commercial objectives and social value of commercial activities.

Cancer patients use herbs in spite of severe interactions risks with major anticancer drugs. In daily practice, it is very difficult for oncologists to detect and define the risk of a herb-anticancer drug interaction ( HDI). In this work, we realised a state of play in one of the most populated region of France by evaluating, through a specific questionnaire, the position of a representative panel of oncologists. About 80% of them thought that herbs interact with anticancer treatments whereas only 15.4% of them actually knew the real HDI. About 89.1% of them thought that a practical detection tool would be relevant and useful for their daily practice. Then, we constructed a tool in order to rapidly evaluate a HDI risk level. Based on experts' reviews and using a criticality matrix, we determined the HDI risk level between 11 herbs and 126 anticancer drugs. Then, we measured satisfactory of oncologists. All of them considered the tool as useful in their daily practice and then used it. This work highlighted that even if HDI has been integrated as a theoretical risk, its practical detection and risk evaluation is difficult to implement for oncologists in their daily practice. Thus, the tool we developed should answer to an unmet medical need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schmallenberg virus ( SBV) has recently emerged in Europe, causing losses to the domestic livestock. A retrospective analysis of serodata was conducted in France for estimating seroprevalence of SBV among six wildlife species from 2011-2012 to 2013-2014, that is during the three vector seasons after the emergence of the SBV in France. Our objective was to quantify the exposure of wildlife to SBV and the potential protective effect of elevation such as previously observed for bluetongue. We also compared the spatiotemporal trends between domestic and wild animals at the level of the departments. We tested 2050 sera using competitive ELISA tests. Individual and population risk factors were further tested using general linear models among 1934 individuals. All populations but one exhibited positive results, seroprevalence up to 30% being observed for all species. The average seroprevalence did not differ between species but ranged from 0 to 90% according to the area and period, due to the dynamic pattern of infection. Seroprevalence was on average higher in the lowlands compared to areas located up to 800 m. Nevertheless, seroprevalence above 50% occurred in areas located up to 1500 m. Thus, contrary to what had been observed for bluetongue during the late 2000s in the same areas, SBV could spread to high altitudes and infect all the studied species. The spatial spread of SBV in wildlife did not fully match with SBV outbreaks reported in the domestic livestock. The mismatch was most obvious in mountainous areas where outbreaks in wildlife occurred on average one year after the peak of congenital cases in livestock. These results suggest a much larger spread and vector capacity for SBV than for bluetongue virus in natural areas. Potential consequences for wildlife dynamics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The risk of major bleeding after percutaneous native kidney biopsy is usually considered low but remains poorly predictable. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of major bleeding and to build a preprocedure bleeding risk score., Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements: Our study was a retrospective cohort study in all 52,138 patients who had a percutaneous native kidney biopsy in France in the 2010-2018 period. Measurements included major bleeding ( i.e. , blood transfusions, hemorrhage/hematoma, angiographic intervention, or nephrectomy) at day 8 after biopsy and risk of death at day 30. Exposures and outcomes were defined by diagnosis codes., Results: Major bleeding occurred in 2765 of 52,138 (5%) patients (blood transfusions: 5%; angiographic intervention: 0.4%; and nephrectomy: 0.1%). Nineteen diagnoses were associated with major bleeding. A bleeding risk score was calculated (Charlson index [2-4: +1; 5 and 6: +2; >6: +3]; frailty index [1.5-4.4: +1; 4.5-9.5: +2; >9.5: +3]; women: +1; dyslipidemia: -1; obesity: -1; anemia: +8; thrombocytopenia: +2; cancer: +2; abnormal kidney function: +4; glomerular disease: -1; vascular kidney disease: -1; diabetic kidney disease: -1; autoimmune disease: +2; vasculitis: +5; hematologic disease: +2; thrombotic microangiopathy: +4; amyloidosis: -2; other kidney diagnosis: -1) + a constant of 5. The risk of bleeding went from 0.4% (lowest score group =0-4 points) to 33% (highest score group ≥35 points). Major bleeding was an independent risk of death (500 of 52,138 deaths: bleeding: 81 of 2765 [3%]; no bleeding: 419 of 49,373 [0.9%]; odds ratio, 1.95; 95% confidence interval, 1.50 to 2.54; P <0.001)., Conclusions: The risk of major bleeding after percutaneous native kidney biopsy may be higher than generally thought and is associated with a twofold higher risk of death. It varies widely but can be estimated with a score useful for shared decision making and procedure choice., (Copyright © 2020 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

The development of anthropology in France and North America during the early to mid 20th century showed both similarities and pronounced differences. In both cases anthropology matured alongside sociology, a relationship that would prove increasingly problematic as the century wore on. In France, in particular, another important influence was art and literature, especially the Surrealism of the 1920s and 1930s. This was less the case in North America, but in both countries, anthropology occupied a medial position between science and the humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research tests the hypothesis that parental values and educational practices are intermediary variables between the socio-economic status (SES) of families and early learning in children. Our empirical study was based on 299 parents with children in their final year at eight French kindergartens. We constructed an explanatory theoretical model of early learning that brings together variables relating to parental values, parental educational style and educational practices linked to schooling. Path analyses were used to determine whether our model was consistent with our field data. Findings suggest that SES influences parental values in education. We also found that SES directly influences parental educational style. As previous research has shown, high SES families tend to be more responsive to their children's needs but are also more demanding of their children than other families. Results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: High arterial pulse pressure is a predictor of cardiovascular morbimortality. Mineral metabolism has been associated with blood pressure regulation. Our objective was to determine which variable among serum calcium, parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, was associated with pulse pressure among older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study corresponding to the baseline assessment of the EPIDOS study. Setting: Five French cities including Amiens, Lyon, Montpellier, Paris and Toulouse. Participants: Randomized sample of 610 community-dwelling older women (mean age 80.2±3.5 years) using no antihypertensive drugs. Measurements: Serum calcium, parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations; supine pulse pressure after 15 minutes of rest (hypertension defined as pulse pressure >50mmHg). Age, body mass index, the number of morbidities and of drugs daily taken, diabetes mellitus, dysthyroidy, the use of estrogenic drugs, smoking, alcohol consumption, practice of a regular physical activity, creatinine clearance, and the effects of season and study centers were used as potential confounders. Results: Hypertensive participants (n=539) had higher calcium concentrations than normotensive ones (94.33±4.12mg/L versus 93.28±3.36mg/L respectively, P=0.040). There were no between-group differences for serum parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. The multiple logistic regressions examining the serum calcium, parathyroid hormone and 25-hydroxy vitamin D concentrations as predictors of hypertension found an association only with calcium (adjusted odds ratio=1.19, P=0.015), but not with parathyroid hormone (adjusted OR=1.01, P=0.349) or 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration (adjusted OR=0.99, P=0.971). Conclusion: Increased serum calcium concentration was independently and positively associated with high pulse pressure in our study, possibly due to increased arterial stiffness. Interventions aimed at normalizing calcaemia may be attractive to prevent hypertension and cardiovascular risk in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the management of hypertension in the French population, the French Society of Hypertension has decided to issue a new set of guidelines that include the following practical characteristics: usefulness for clinical practice, short, easy-to-read format, comprehensive writing for non-physicians, wide dissemination among healthcare professionals and the hypertensive population, assessment of their impact among healthcare professionals and with regard to public health goals. These guidelines, so-called the appointments of the hypertensive patient, include 15 recommendations, divided into three chapters, according to the timing of the medical management: prior to treatment initiation, the initial treatment plan (first 6 months) and the long-term care plan (beyond 6 months). We hope that a vast dissemination of these simple guidelines will help to improve hypertension control in the French population from 50% to 70%, an objective expected to be achieved in 2015 in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study set out to examine in a large real-life cohort of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) the impact of imatinib threshold of 1000 ng/mL on molecular response, as suggested in a small subset of patients. Patient plasma samples were submitted from around France to a central facility, free of charge under the auspices of the European Treatment and Outcome Study (EUTOS) for CML. Submitting physicians were required to complete an 'imatinib monitoring request form', including details of why therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) was requested, dose and duration of imatinib treatment, cytogenetic and molecular response, adverse events, and concurrent medications. Imatinib trough plasma concentration ( Cmin) was measured at the central facility. Among 1985 eligible plasma samples analyzed, from 1216 CML patients, imatinib Cmin correlated positively with reported imatinib dose, but interpatient variability in Cmin was high (60%). A logistic regression analysis revealed that treatment duration and imatinib Cmin > 1000 ng/ mL were significantly associated with major and complete molecular responses with odds ratios of 1.69 and 2.08, respectively. These data support in real-life setting that imatinib Cmin threshold of 1000 ng/mL is associated with major and complete molecular response and that TDM could play an important role in dose optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV infection may result in stressful situations such as disclosure to others and could be a mediator between seropositivity status and psychiatric illness, depression, or anxiety. Several results have shown that anxiolytic use (mainly benzodiazepines [BDZ]) is highly prevalent in HIV-infected individuals, but few studies have highlighted to what extent this use could be associated with HIV disclosure. A national cross-sectional survey representative of people living with HIV and AIDS in France enrolled 2932 individuals in 102 French HIV hospital departments. Face-to-face interviews and self-administered questions collected information about patients' experience with HIV and HIV care, including use of psychotropic drugs, social support, stigma, and disclosure of HIV status. We identified factors associated with regular BDZ use (i.e., more than once a week) using a weighted logistic regression model. Regular BDZ use and anxiety symptoms were reported by 16% and 29% of the patients, respectively. After multiple adjustment for known correlates of BDZ use and anxiety symptoms, individuals who had disclosed their HIV status to relatives or friends were found to be more likely (OR [95% CI] = 1.78 [1.02-3.09]) to regularly use BDZ. These results show both to what extent disclosure to others continues to be a stressful step in the course of HIV infection and that disclosure is something that could be identified by BDZ use. They also highlight the need for appropriate case management and psychiatric care to help patients manage the consequences of disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper discusses recent advances on a Passive Optical Network inspired Timing-Trigger and Control scheme for the future upgrade of the TTC system installed in the LHC experiments' and more specifically the currently known as TTCex to TTCrx link. The timing PON is implemented with commercially available FPGAs and 1-Gigabit Ethernet PON transceivers and provides a fixed latency gigabit downlink that can carry level-1 trigger accept decisions and commands as well as an upstream link for feedback from the front-end electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Geriatrics / Türk Geriatri Dergisi is the property of Turkish Geriatrics Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents an examination into the history of French opera and ballet throughout the 19th-century. Details are given profiling the development of the relationship shared between the two performance arts during the Restoration period as well as the Second Empire, highlighting changes in legal policy and common production management trends. Particular attention is given to the gradual distinction and separation of the Grand Opéra and Petit Opéra genres with their differing treatment of dance.

Focused on an arts center in Marseille, this article explores how globalization and Europeanization are affecting relations between local cultural producers, national culture, and the state. In France, the state's claims to reshape civil society through cultural policy have been challenged by critics who conclude that economic priorities have ended an era of civic-centered state arts policy. At the same time, local authorities in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d'Azur region value “new territories of art” projects as initiatives consonant with Euro-Mediterranean commerce and exchange. Adapting to this context, these artists both challenge and rearticulate state cultural policy. They pursue the same universalist Republican ideals of earlier state policy but they re-define them for the distinctively Mediterranean setting of Marseille. Thus, in spite of anti-state discourse by artists, and fears that the public nature of their work has been compromised by economic liberalization, this case shows the ongoing power of the state to shape cultural policy discourse at the same time that it shows artists interpreting the terms of this discourse in ways that are dynamic, locally-distinctive, and transnational. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Rossini left Paris in 1836, he left a city with which he had been closely associated for nearly fifteen years. But he also departed with the nagging sense that Paris was owed more than the single grand opéra represented by Guillaume Tell, an obligation that emerged anew in the early 1840s. The Paris premiere of the revised version of the Stabat mater in 1842 laid the ground for Rossini's return to the city in the following year. Expectations that he was coming to Paris to provide a successor to Guillaume Tell were not matched by Rossini's own ambitions: to consult with the world-famous urologist Jean Civiale. While a wide range of new Rossini endeavours were mooted for the Académie Royale de Musique—translations of La donna del lago, Semiramide, and L’italiana in Algeri—none came to fruition. The question of Rossini's second grand opéra continued in the background alongside various rumours of new works—an opera based on Jeanne d’Arc and one on a new libretto by Scribe—the concrete results were a French translation of Othello (1844) and the pasticcio Robert Bruce (1846). In 1844, a statue of Rossini was proposed for the foyer of the Académie Royale de Musique in the Salle Le Peletier, and it was inaugurated in 1846. Rossini was the only living composer to be so honoured, a fact that triggered a number of discourses—formal and informal—that equated Rossini's creative silence with death. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article discusses popular culture and entertainment in Marseille, France during the interwar period between World War I and World War II, during the Nazi occupation, and during the post-Liberation period. It particularly focuses on jazz music and culture. The author considers the influence of American popular culture, including music and films. Topics include Marseille music halls, film production and film distribution in Marseille, and the inability of the Nazi occupiers to curb interest in jazz music.

This article charts the increasing popularity in France of the regional crime novel. The polar's spread from Paris to major provincial cities is initially discussed, and the function of place within crime fiction is examined with specific reference to two writers using Lyon as the scene of crime(s). The current success of provincial publishers of the polar régional is then highlighted, and an attempt is made to assess what the reader is looking for in series (such as those offered by small Breton or Burgundian publishing houses) which concentrate on crime 'in one's own backyard', be it urban, rurbain or rural. Finally a promising field for further exploration is posited, given both the healthy sales of polars à racines which can establish the smallest hamlet on the polar map, and the theories of place image currently being explored by a tourist industry eager to exploit the boom in postmodern literary/heritage tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relatively little attention has been paid to how France's second city, Marseilles, has appeared in recent French film. This article analyzes a film by one of the city's most famous directors, Robert Guédiguian, who has situated almost all his films specifically within the city and its periphery over the last 25 years. La Ville est tranquille (2001) pictures Marseilles at the millennium but differs markedly from how he previously imagined the city. This article argues for the importance of this film within Guédiguian's oeuvre and assesses how it diverges from traditional representations of the Mediterranean metropolis. Particular attention is paid to how social and ethnic relations appear in a city usually constructed as an example of multicultural conviviality and ethnic harmony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marseilles, the second-largest city in France, presents many points of interest that can be described and analyzed using a sociolinguistic perspective. In spite of its position in the Provençal zone, it is said that Marseilles is "the least Provençal city of Provence." Indeed, Marseilles and its inhabitants have developed a singular identity that places them at the center, but at the same time also at the margins of the global Provençal identity. The sociolinguistic situation of Marseilles can be described by means of three major dimensions, as follows: (1) This study will highlight the uses of Provençial on particular occasions, the actions carried out by some advocacy groups to defend and develop the practice of the language (songs, associations), but also the general perceptions of Provençial in the kinds of representations of it created by its speakers. What is really remarkable about the sociolinguistic situation is to see that, in spite of very low usage, the Provencial language has a very high status in Marseilles. (2) The regional French of Marseilles (RFM) is well known in France for its many peculiarities but above all for its "flavor" or its "comic" aspects. In fact, this variety of French is an excellent way to study the language contact situation involving a major manifestation of the Provençal substratum, some interesting influences of some other languages (Italian, Arabic, etc.), but also its many uses and social functions, such as creating in-group solidarity, reinforcing urban and social identity, creativity in verbal art and humor, and others. (3) The various languages of the city (Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Comorian, etc.) must also be taken into account, for Marseilles is often presented as a "plurilingual" town. In fact, it should be noted that the sociolinguistic situation reveals above all a multilingual situation. A global description of the sociolinguistic situation of Marseilles seems a good way... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the economic policy in France and Italy since the World War II. Fifty years ago, France and Italy had two very different economies. Though agriculture still loomed large in both, its weight in total employment was much higher in Italy (45 versus 28 percent in 1950). French income per capita (at purchasing power parity) was at the time some 50 percent above the Italian level, and its territorial distribution was much less unequal than in Italy, where pre-existing wide regional income gaps between North and South had further opened in the inter-war years. Italy suffered from massive unemployment and underemployment. France, in contrast, was at virtual full employment; its industry enjoyed productivity levels a quarter higher than Italy's. Its exports of manufactures accounted for some 8 1/2 percent of world trade as against Italy's 3 1/2 percent, and so on. Today, many of these differences have either disappeared or greatly diminished. Per capita incomes are close and so are levels of productivity, overall unemployment is similar and the value of manufactured exports is almost identical. Similarly, consumption standards and ways of life are much more uniform compared with the pronounced differences that prevailed at the end of World War II. This paper's aim is to survey the course of the two countries' macroeconomic policies over this half century. The first section provides a bird's eye view of the main changes that have occurred during the period. The second section advances some explanation for why two broadly successful economies, which have faced similar problems and have increasingly come together in the framework of European unification, have, nonetheless, often framed their policy responses in different ways. The last section asks whether such different responses have resulted in different outcomes and puts forward a tentative assessment of the comparative record.

Cryptosporidium is an apicomplexan parasitic protist, which infects a wide range of hosts, causing cryptosporidiosis disease. In farms, the incidence of this disease is high in animals such as cows, leading to extensive economic loss in the livestock industry. Infected cows may also act as a major reservoir of Cryptosporidium spp., in particular C. parvum, the most common cause of cryptosporidiosis in these animals. This poses a risk to the trading of livestock, to other farms via breeding centres, and to human health. This study is a part of a global project aimed at strategies to tackle cryptosporidiosis. To reach this target, it was essential to determine whether prevalence was dependent on the studied countries or if the issue was borderless. Indeed, C. parvum occurrence was assessed across dairy farms in certain regions of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. At the same time, the animal-to-animal transmission of the circulating C. parvum subtypes was studied. To accomplish this, we analysed 1084 faecal samples, corresponding to 57 dairy farms from all three countries. To this end, 18S rRNA and gp60 genes fragments were amplified, followed by DNA sequencing, which was subsequently used for detection and subtyping C. parvum. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic methods were integrated to analyse and characterise the obtained DNA sequences. Our results show 25.7%, 24.9% and 20.8% prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in Belgium, France, and the Netherlands respectively. Overall, 93% of the farms were Cryptosporidium positive. The gp60 subtyping demonstrated a significant number of the C. parvum positives belonged to the IIa allelic family, which has been also identified in humans. Therefore, this study highlights how prevalent C. parvum is in dairy farms and further suggests cattle as a possible carrier of zoonotic C. parvum subtypes, which could pose a threat to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]