A search for the decay of the Higgs boson to a Z boson and a light, pseudoscalar particle, a, decaying respectively to two leptons and to two photons is reported. The search uses the full LHC Run 2 proton–proton collision data at s=13 TeV, corresponding to 139 fb−1 collected by the ATLAS detector. This is one of the first searches for this specific decay mode of the Higgs boson, and it probes unexplored parameter space in models with axion-like particles (ALPs) and extended scalar sectors. The mass of the a particle is assumed to be in the range 0.1–33 GeV. The data are analysed in two categories: a merged category where the photons from the a decay are reconstructed in the ATLAS calorimeter as a single cluster, and a resolved category in which two separate photons are detected. The main background processes are from Standard Model Z boson production in association with photons or jets. The data are in agreement with the background predictions, and upper limits on the branching ratio of the Higgs boson decay to Za times the branching ratio a→γγ are derived at the 95% confidence level and they range from 0.08% to 2% depending on the mass of the a particle. The results are also interpreted in the context of ALP models.
With the growing health and environmental consciousness, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) has attracted more attention owing to its great potential in the food, health care, and material industry. For such an important crop, it is crucial to understand its development history, current status, and hotspots and finally find the future directions of flax research. This paper mainly analyzed the published articles (collected from the Web of Science) related to flax from 2000–2022 and the cited references by these articles using the software of CiteSpace. Results showed that the number of studies on flax kept increasing and increased rapidly from 2010 to 2022. Canada and France are the leading countries in flax research with more than 970 articles published during the period. By analyzing the high-frequency keywords, five important research areas were found: (1) flax fiber quality and its application in composites, (2) chemical composition and products of flaxseed, (3) tolerance of flax to stress and genetics, (4) cellulose and lignin, (5) fiber-reinforced composites and flax fabric. With the strongest citation bursts, bio-composite with flax straw has become the hottest research area for flax. In the future, efforts should still be made to the simplified and efficient production of flax owing to the higher labor cost, and more attention should be paid to healthier flaxseed food and flax-based environmentally friendly biomaterials. Finally, decreasing the cost of cultivation and pre-processing and developing end products with higher values would greatly promote the development of the whole flax industry.
Science, Textile bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc.
This paper explores the place neoliberalism has in Foucault’s opus and the reasons he turned to studying subjectivity in the latter part of his career. We will follow the thematic, theoretical, and methodological changes in Foucault’s work and show how they relate to the social context. We will claim that Foucault, due to his political engagement, gives a political dimension to his work by putting it in the service of political goals. The article starts by researching how the social context influenced the beginnings of Foucault’s work in order to show how even then the changes in the French political scene influenced his thought. Afterwards we move on to the period after the rebellion of 1968 when Foucault was working with radical Maoist organizations. It is here that we find the first form of politicization of his intellectual work. We argue that due to the conflict between progressive French intellectuals and the “Communist party of France” in the second half of the 1970s Foucault turned to studying the history of liberalism in order to find a conceptual framework for a new non-communist left politics. This can be seen as a second form of politicization of his intellectual work and Foucault’s study of neoliberal ideas can be located here. We claim that since this research is placed at the very end of his history of governmentality it is here that Foucault found a conceptual framework suitable for a new left politics. For him this politics would be based on the pursuit of an ever greater autonomy of the individual and his subjectivity. Therefore, after studying neoliberalism Foucault turns to studying subjectivity which we understand as a third form of politicization of his intellectual work. We argue that he conceptualized the “care for the self” as a form of subjectivity which is supposed to play the role of an ethical ideal for a new left politics. The paper concludes with a segment in which we contrast our claims with the claims of other authors that studied Foucault’s relation to neoliberalism and his turn towards studying subjectivity.
Arnaud Carrier, Cécile Desjobert, Loic Ponger
et al.
Aberrant DNA methylation is a well-known feature of tumours and has been associated with metastatic melanoma. However, since melanoma cells are highly heterogeneous, it has been challenging to use affected genes to predict tumour aggressiveness, metastatic evolution, and patients’ outcomes. We hypothesized that common aggressive hypermethylation signatures should emerge early in tumorigenesis and should be shared in aggressive cells, independent of the physiological context under which this trait arises. We compared paired melanoma cell lines with the following properties: (i) each pair comprises one aggressive counterpart and its parental cell line and (ii) the aggressive cell lines were each obtained from different host and their environment (human, rat, and mouse), though starting from the same parent cell line. Next, we developed a multi-step genomic pipeline that combines the DNA methylome profile with a chromosome cluster-oriented analysis. A total of 229 differentially hypermethylated genes was commonly found in the aggressive cell lines. Genome localization analysis revealed hypermethylation peaks and clusters, identifying eight hypermethylated gene promoters for validation in tissues from melanoma patients. Five Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpGs) identified in primary melanoma tissues were transformed into a DNA methylation score that can predict survival (log-rank test, p=0.0008). This strategy is potentially universally applicable to other diseases involving DNA methylation alterations.
Sarah Itoïz, Sebastian Metz, Evelyne Derelle
et al.
The last century has witnessed an increasing rate of new disease emergence across the world leading to permanent loss of biodiversity. Perkinsea is a microeukaryotic parasitic phylum composed of four main lineages of parasitic protists with broad host ranges. Some of them represent major ecological and economical threats because of their geographically invasive ability and pathogenicity (leading to mortality events). In marine environments, three lineages are currently described, the Parviluciferaceae, the Perkinsidae, and the Xcellidae, infecting, respectively, dinoflagellates, mollusks, and fish. In contrast, only one lineage is officially described in freshwater environments: the severe Perkinsea infectious agent infecting frog tadpoles. The advent of high-throughput sequencing methods, mainly based on 18S rRNA assays, showed that Perkinsea is far more diverse than the previously four described lineages especially in freshwater environments. Indeed, some lineages could be parasites of green microalgae, but a formal nature of the interaction needs to be explored. Hence, to date, most of the newly described aquatic clusters are only defined by their environmental sequences and are still not (yet) associated with any host. The unveiling of this microbial black box presents a multitude of research challenges to understand their ecological roles and ultimately to prevent their most negative impacts. This review summarizes the biological and ecological traits of Perkinsea—their diversity, life cycle, host preferences, pathogenicity, and highlights their diversity and ubiquity in association with a wide range of hosts.
French colonization and the consequent War of Independence in Algeria have marked contemporary French society deeply in numerous ways. For decades, the history and memories of these events have been described as ‘padlocked’ by the state. Since the 2000s, academics have observed an increase in the political use of memory. While the literature has often employed psychoanalytical concepts to interpret this resurgence of the repressed, I argue that these readings are in fact designed to be present incursions into the past, serving to legitimate contemporary political projects. This is because new political actors and projects have emerged defending certain visions of the past in order to bolster present ambitions. In recent years, France has also experienced a rise of both far-right nationalist movements and Islamism. These radical formations continue to instrumentalize the history and memories of colonization and the war in Algeria to legitimate their discourses. In a fast-changing world, radical groups promote the rehabilitation of a reassuring past in which racial hierarchies and endogamy are associated with prestige and stability. I contend that while radical elements develop discourses bearing on the past, they thrive on the cultural insecurities of today’s youth and thereby contribute to the reification of identities. Thus, while trying to come to terms with the past, memory policies might actually contribute to its resurgence, as they tend to focus on discourses rather than social frustrations.
Fighting against the stereotype of « exotic Brazil », present in the French press of the late 19th century, Brazilian propagandists – among whom Count de Barral and José de Santa-Anna Nery – tried to establish an image of their country as modern and civilized. The use of the press is one of the main strategies used. Through it, they informed about Brazilian history, current events, and culture. The dissemination of Brazilian literature was, in this context, an essential mean through which they tried to shape a positive image of Brazil in France. Through analyses of Revue du Monde Latin, this article demonstrates the practices used by these mediators to deconstruct the images of Brazil considered as erroneous, spread by the French press in the late 19th century.
Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
L. Grimaldi-Bensouda, M. Rossignol, I. Koné-Paut
et al.
BACKGROUND Safety of HPV vaccines is still in question due to reports of autoimmune diseases (ADs) following HPV immunization. OBJECTIVES To assess the risk of ADs associated with HPV vaccination of female adolescents/young adults in France. METHODS Systematic prospective case-referent study conducted to assess the risks associated with real-life use of HPV vaccines. Cases were female 11-25 years old with incident ADs [central demyelination/multiple sclerosis (CD/MS), connective tissue disease (CTD), Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), type-1 diabetes (T1D), autoimmune thyroiditis (AT), and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)]. Cases were consecutively and prospectively identified at specialized centers across France (2008-2014) and individually matched by age and place of residence to referents recruited in general practice. Risk was computed using multivariate conditional logistic regression models adjusted for family history of ADs, living in France (north/south), co-medications and co-vaccinations. RESULTS With a total of 478 definite cases matched to 1869 referents, all ADs combined were negatively associated to HPV vaccination with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.58 (95% confidence interval: 0.41-0.83). Similar results were obtained for CD/MS, AT, CT, and T1D, the last two not reaching statistical significance. No association was found for ITP and GBS. Sensitivity analyses combining definite and possible cases with secondary time window showed similar results. CONCLUSION Exposure to HPV vaccines was not associated with an increased risk of ADs within the time period studied. Results were robust to case definitions and time windows of exposure. Continued active surveillance is needed to confirm this finding for individual ADs.
Claude Lévi-Strauss' relationship with Japan is as in-depth as it is little known. The culture and history of the archipelago were never the direct subjects of his research and studies, except for some fragmentary mentions. These writings on Japan by Lévi-Strauss have been recently collected in a volume. From this work emerges his excellent knowledge about Japan and the crucial role that the country has played since childhood in his education as a man and as a scholar. This paper focuses on the analogy between Lévi-Strauss's approach to Japan and the way we look at the world of the bricoleur through the lesson of The Savage Mind. Guided by a strong empathy, Lévi-Strauss finds many resemblances between Japan and the West, France mainly, also working through binary oppositions. With this background, this paper analyses the work of the ningen kokuhō (living national treasure) in Japan and the Maître d'art in France, and the recognition they both share for their savoir-faire.
Anthropology, Dramatic representation. The theater
Abstract:This essay first explores two contexts that have transformed the way that the international history of the French Revolution has been written over the last thirty years and which have recently provoked so many historians to take a global turn in their research and teaching at the expense of strictly national historiography. First, political relations between France and the Anglo-American world in the 1980s made the older, regnant model of Franco-American sister revolutions, inherited from R. R. Palmer, less plausible; this development sent historians looking for other models that would make the Revolution seem more immediately relevant to students and readers. Second, transformations in the global economy since the 1970s have put globalization on the agenda in a particularly striking manner. These same forces have transformed the economies within academia in ways that have favored teaching and publishing global history. This essay closes with some reflections on the difference between critical and naively enthusiastic approaches to the subject of globalization, and some recommendations on paths for future research on the French Revolution.
Invasive exotic plant species are considered a serious threat to plant diversity. Creating work zones involves actions that disturb balances existing among species in the ecosystems and thus promote the propagation and the development of invasive plants. In this context, the Gaz Reseau Distribution France «GRDF», the major french natural gas distributor, with the support of the French National Museum of Natural History «MNHN» and the Research center focused on innovation in gas and new energy sources ENGIE Lab CRIGEN, sought to develop a method for evaluating the risk of propagation of invasive alien plant species in GRDF work zones. When these kind of species are identified, in a woks zone the method calculates the risk of propagation, and depending on the case, specific actions can be recommended. The aim of this paper is to provide data maps and to explain the method developed for the calculation of the risk of propagation of invasive alien plant species in work zones.
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, Science (General)
After the Cold War and more specifically at the beginning of the 21st century we are witnessing a
resurgence of Anti-Americanism in the West. This paper explores the origins of Anti-American ideas and
discourse, arguing that they go beyond just a simple reaction to various U.S. decisions and actions on the
world stage. Drawing upon constructivist theories and approaches in the study of international relations that
put a premium on the role of heuristics and ideas in international politics, it attempts to uncover the cultural
substratum that lies underneath current criticism oriented against the U.S., focusing on two significant actors
of the Euro-Atlantic community: Germany and France, The main findings of this historical approach
highlight the existence of a negative cultural predisposition when considering U.S. behavior and mere
existence in the world. As such, Anti-Americanism generates cognitive biases which are greatly inflated due
to the technological tools available in the information era. Moreover, this predisposition may be
unintentionally or willingly activated, given the increasing impact of public opinion on the preferences of
democratic states in the realm of international relations. Hence, the study may be of use not just for research
dedicated to history and international relations, but also for academic and decision-making circles interested
into information warfare.
Starting from a practice of research that has been going back for years on the question of the use of scales in geohistorical works, this text offers a reflection on the plays of scale, as well as on the question of the MAUP (modifiable areal unit problem). By studying the history of the distribution of post offices in France during the last three centuries, it is a question of trying to place the questioning on the scale at the same level as those relating to space and time when studying social facts. In this framework, we offer to go through the idea of “scalable scalar profiles”, not only to insist on the necessary variations of scale in the analysis of spatio-temporal phenomena, but also to try to define evolutionary spatial templates to enable the widest possible understanding of processes.Keywords: scale, geohistory, spatio-temporal
Les historien.ne.s n’ont pas encore décrit précisément ni à quoi ressemblait la frontière franco-allemande autour de 1900 ni comment elle fonctionnait concrètement. Cet article propose de partir des réflexions de la praxéologie, de la micro-histoire et de l’anthropologie historique pour expliquer la construction de cette frontière. Il souligne l’importance, sur place, des « petits acteurs » dont les pratiques quotidiennes ont créé la frontière et influencé sa perméabilité dans des situations concrètes. Les rapports rédigés par des fonctionnaires d’un rang subalterne – tels que des gendarmes ou des douaniers – contiennent aussi des représentations du territoire et du principe de l’État-nation. L’approche proposée consiste donc en une histoire de l’État-nation par le bas et par les marges.
Poland and Ukraine are the two biggest and most populated countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Because of their size, neighbourhood and position in the region the two countries have often been compared to France and Germany. Both countries are deeply interested in their mutual cooperation. Such situation steams from five factors: direct neighbourhood, common (albeit difficult) history, attractiveness of the Polish labour market for the Ukrainians, membership of Poland in the Western structures, and last but not least, the Russian threat. Despite complimentary interests, both countries have difficulty to effectively develop their mutual relations and turn them into a real “strategic partnership”. These problems are due to the internal political and economic situation in Ukraine, limits imposed by the membership of Poland in the EU, Russian policy aiming at keeping Ukraine within its zone of influence and, finally, the EU reluctance to effectively engage in Ukraine.
In the present paper we investigate how fatherhood influences childbirth in the second union of men in three European countries. We use data from the first wave of the Generations and Gender Survey for France (2005), Norway (2007/8) and Hungary (2004/5) and we apply piecewise exponential event history models. The analysis complements earlier literature by focusing on men, taking a comparative perspective, looking at change over time, considering both cohabiting and marital unions, and also differentiating between the effects of non-residential and (part- or full-time) residential fatherhood.
Findings show that the probability of childbearing in the second union is the lowest if both partners already have child(ren) and highest if neither of them are parents. However we found different results if only one of the partners has pre-union children in the three countries. Findings are discussed in view of demographic trends, family and gender role attitudes, and relevant family policies.
Social Sciences, Demography. Population. Vital events
Significance of the findings and scientific generalizations, which were made by the the leading Russian scientist of Korean Studies Natalia Bazhanova, goes far beyond the Korean issues. It is of great interest for both the expert community, and for a wide range of readers. Analysis of the political and economic development of the DPRK allowed Bazhanova highlight the characteristics of authoritarian regimes and non-market economy, and to see how they affect the foreign policy and international relations. Natalia Evgen'evna has made a great contribution to the development of historical science. She was the first who introduced into scientific use unique documents on the history of the Korean War of 1950-1953, allowing to understand the causes, course and consequences of the conflict. Bajanova proved itself as a political scientist, analyzing and forecasting the development of the international situation on the Korean Peninsula, making constructive proposals aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear problem. The works of Bazhanova dedicated to Russian-Korean relations are very significant. Her conclusions on the current development of relations between our two countries are especially valuable, as well as on international multilateral cooperation in the matter of a Korean settlement. Natalia Evgen'evna was the author of monograph, publicistic books and papers devoted to the many countries of the world, including the United States, France, Italy, China. She put her exceptional talent to the study of these topics. The works of Bazhanova characterized by internal logic, depth and light, have “transparent” style of presentation.
International relations, Political science (General)