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Can travel writing be decolonised?:: A Flat Place (2023) by Noreen Masud
No full textInternational audienceA Flat Place (2023) by Noreen Masud, a literary scholar and writer of British-Pakistani heritage, lies at the intersection between travel writing, postcolonial memoir, and place writing. The work offers insight into domestic travel – since it deals with the author’s exploration of flat places in Britain – and may therefore be categorised as what Patrick Holland calls “within-the-country travel” (2004). It also engages with a form of “interior travel” since the very flat places Masud roams may be articulated with the flat places of her native Pakistan. Travelling, and recounting, such places is a way for Masud to address issues of trauma and memory as well as mobility which is conditioned by gender and race. This chapter discusses how Masud’s work engages with travel writing and with postcolonial takes on the genre. Despite its postcolonial perspective, does Masud’s endeavour remain, as Griffiths argues about texts drawing from travel writing, “problematic,” given what some critics have considered travel writing to be, i.e., inherently phallocentric and Eurocentric? Or does her text conversely offer new ways of encountering the world
Sleeping Spermatozoa: The Symbolism of Gamete Cryopreservation in the Context of Cancer in AYAs
No full textInternational audienceFor adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer, fertility preservation is recommended before starting gonadotoxic treatments. This is an important aspect of psychological support in the treatment of the disease. However, the enormous psychological impact of this procedure on adolescents and young adults with cancer needs to be addressed by professionals. The traumatic nature of cancer diagnosis disrupts the psychosocial development of AYAs. A young adolescent’s perception of reproduction, and in particular of sperm freezing, is greatly altered by the disease. For a teenager, the success of sperm banking results from a positive balance between facilitators and barriers, which are mentioned here. Moreover, this article proposes a symbolic interpretation of sperm banking, referring to landmarks integrated during childhood, especially in fairytales. Furthermore, it offers an original video documentary that can be used as an information support to help AYAs adhere to the process of preserving their fertility through sperm freezing
High tissue specificity of lncRNAs maximises the prediction of tissue of origin of circulating DNA
No full textInternational audienceSeveral studies have made it possible to envision a translational application of plasma DNA sequencing in cancer diagnosis and monitoring. However, the extremely low concentration of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) fragments among the total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) remains a formidable challenge to overcome and statistical models have yet to be improved enough to become of practical use. In this study, we set about appraising the predictive value of a variety of binary classification models based on cfDNA sequencing using fragmentation features extracted around transcription start sites (TSSs). We investigated (1) features summarising mapped fragment density around each TSS, (2) long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes versus coding genes and (3) selection criteria to generate gene classes to be assigned by the model. Given that, in healthy samples, most of the cfDNA comes from lymphomyeloid lineages, we could identify the model parametrisation with the best accuracy in those lineages using publicly available datasets of healthy patients' cfDNA. Our results show that (1) the way tissue-specific gene classes are defined matters more than what fragmentation features are included, and (2) in particular, lncRNAs are more tissue specific than coding genes and stand out in terms of both sensitivity and specificity in our results
Real-Life Data of 2-Year Lumasiran Use in the DAILY-LUMA Cohort
No full textInternational audienceIntroduction: Lumasiran is a drug used in RNA-interference (RNAi) therapy for primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1). Data on its efficacy and safety mainly come from industry-sponsored trials.Methods: For postmarketing follow-up, French authorities requested a quasi-exhaustive retrospective and prospective study over 5 years for patients receiving lumasiran, requiring the inclusion of at least 90% of patients, named as the DAILY-LUMA cohort (NCT06225882). Here, we analyzed data from all patients who were not previously included in the industry-sponsored trials and had received lumasiran for at least 2 years.Results: We included 38 patients, 22 from DAILY-A (i.e., estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 45 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , age $ 6 years), 6 from DAILY-B (i.e., eGFR > 45 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , age < 6 years), and 10 from DAILY-C (i.e., all ages, eGFR < 45 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , 6 on dialysis). In DAILY-A and DAILY-B, decreased urinary oxalate-to-creatinine (UOx/creat) ratio, stable eGFR, and decrease in both nephrocalcinosis severity and stone numbers were observed, with a progressive tapering of conservative therapies. The decreased proportion of patients with nocturnal hydration and G-tubes overtime likely reflects improved quality of life. With a low number of patients -2 patients on peritoneal dialysis and 3 patients with infantile oxalosisthe results are less conclusive for DAILY-C; however, in older patients, change in plasma oxalate (POx) levels is similar to previously published data. Tolerance was good with no severe side effects; injection site reactions, abdominal pain, and headaches were the main adverse events.</p
Effects of residential greenness during pregnancy on childhood asthma, rhinitis, eczema, and their comorbidity: findings from the French mother-child cohort Pélagie.
No full textInternational audienceMaternal exposure to residential greenness during pregnancy may influence childhood respiratory and allergic diseases development. Yet, evidence is limited and results are not consistent, furthermore most studies focus on urban areas. In a predominantly rural population, we aimed to assess the effect of maternal residential greenness during pregnancy on childhood asthma, rhinitis, eczema, and their comorbidity. We analyzed data from 1325 to 1119 participants in the 6- and 12-year follow-ups of the Pélagie mother-child cohort in Brittany, France. Ever asthma, rhinitis, and eczema were defined using validated questionnaires, and a multimorbidity phenotype was constructed. Greenness was assessed using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within a 300m buffer around the residential address. Adjusted logistic regressions per 0.1-unit increase in NDVI were performed, further stratifying by urban and rural areas. At inclusion, 78 % of mothers were non-smokers, 64 % lived in rural areas, and their average age was 30 ± 4 years; 50 % of children were boys. Median NDVI differed significantly between urban (0.45) and rural (0.57) areas (p=<0.0001). Asthma, rhinitis, and eczema prevalence were respectively around 10 %, 20 %, and 20 % at both follow-ups. Overall, the NDVI within 300m did not show significant associations at either follow-up, across the whole study population, except for eczema (0.87 (0.76-1.00), p=0.05), and the single-disease category of the multimorbidity phenotype (0.87, (0.76-0.99), p=0.03) at 6 years, where it showed protective associations. Our findings highlight the need for further research, particularly in rural populations, to clarify the relationship between prenatal residential greenness and childhood health outcomes
Editorial: From landscape modifications to pathogen infections: are threats to amphibians the same in all biomes?
No full textInternational audienc
Jeunesse racisée, jeunesse marginalisée, jeunesse dépolitisée ? Repenser les gangs de rue étatsuniens comme vecteurs potentiels de politisation
No full textInternational audienceJeunesse racisée, jeunesse marginalisée, jeunesse dépolitisée ? Repenser les gangs de rue étatsuniens comme vecteurs potentiels de politisation Yohann Le Moigne (université d'Angers) Parce qu'ils rendent visibles, parfois de façon spectaculaire, les failles des sociétés modernes et leurs conséquences sur des populations urbaines, jeunes et marginalisées, les gangs de rue fascinent autant qu'ils répugnent. Depuis quelques décennies, la globalisation a permis la diffusion de produits culturels dépeignant ces groupes de façon particulièrement caricaturale et sensationnaliste 1 . De ce fait, les gangs « occupent une position clé dans l'imaginaire mondial de la violence 2 » et sont souvent représentés comme « une incarnation du mal, d'une sauvagerie incontrôlable, [et] d'une barbarie brutale et insensée 3 ». Dans aucun autre pays que les Etats-Unis les gangs n'ont autant fait l'objet de ce type de traitement. Beaucoup de choses y ont été dites et écrites, en particulier à propos de l'existence de supposées super-organisations décrites comme des multinationales du crime, à l'image de la Mara Salvatrucha (plus connue sous le nom de MS-13), un gang créé dans les rues de Los Angeles dans les années 1980 et essentiellement composé d'adolescents et de jeunes adultes d'origine salvadorienne. Souvent considéré comme « le gang le plus dangereux du monde 4 », ses membres ont également été qualifiés d'« animaux » par Donald Trump lors d'une conférence de presse à la Maison-Blanche consacrée à la lutte contre l'immigration irrégulière en mai 2018 5 . La « guerre contre la criminalité », et en particulier contre la drogue, lancée par l'administration Reagan dans les années 1980 a favorisé le développement d'une approche sensationnaliste et criminalisante des gangs et de leurs activités qui demeure encore aujourd'hui bien ancrée dans l'imaginaire collectif étatsunien. Ainsi déshumanisés, et présentés par les médias, de nombreux responsables politiques, la police mais également un grand nombre de chercheurs en sciences sociales comme des barbares nihilistes représentant un danger pour la société, les membres de gangs ont traditionnellement été dépeints comme dépourvus d'agentivité et de conscience politique.</div
Entretien avec Joséphine Boivineau, « une nymphe en basket ». De l’école du Centre national de danse contemporaine d’Angers à la Compagnie Sortie de secours, une trajectoire vers l’émergence
No full textInternational audienceThis interview looks behind the scenes at the creation of a young choreographic artist wishing to develop her own projects after completing her training at the Centre national de danse contemporaine in Angers, a benchmark school for contemporary dance in France since 1978. The challenge is therefore twofold: firstly, to understand the conditions that make it possible for the emergence and work of a young artist who chooses to set up her own company, while at the same time resorting to bricology, bringing into play the networks resulting from her training and opportune encounters. The choices made by young artists falling into the vague category of emergence are currently the subject of much debate in the context of a tightening cultural economy: peer teaching, pooling, etc. At what point does an artist become a professional? How do they gain access to institutional support and enter the process of responding to calls for projects and applying for grants? What kind of artistic project, both aesthetic and political, do they defend? There are many points of passage, both real and symbolic (intermittence...) to be crossed. It is important, therefore, to approach the first steps of structuring by example, not with the aim of making an exemplary figure but of contributing to a mapping of the emergence of as yet unknown artists. In this case, Joséphine Boivineau, a dancer who graduated from the Cndc in 2019-2021. Keen to develop her own projects, she set up her own company, Sortie de secours, in 2021, with which she explores the complex links between the body, sound and music in their relationship to space.Cet entretien se propose de découvrir les coulisses de la création d’une jeune artiste chorégra-phique souhaitant développer ses propres projets au sortir de sa formation au Centre national de danse contemporaine à Angers, école de référence pour la danse contemporaine en France depuis 1978. L’enjeu est en premier lieu de comprendre les conditions de possibilité de l’émergence et du travail d’une jeune artiste faisant le choix de monter sa propre compagnie tout en faisant appel à la bricologie, aux réseaux issus de sa formation et aux rencontres opportunes. En effet, les choix ef-fectués par les jeunes artistes relevant de la catégorie floue de l’émergence sont actuellement en plein débat au regard d’une économie de la culture qui se resserre : enseignement par les pairs, mutualisation… A partir de quand l’artiste devient-il professionnel ? Comment accède-t-il au sou-tien institutionnel et entre-t-il dans la dynamique de réponse à des appels à projets et de montage de dossiers de subventions ? Quel projet artistique, tout à la fois esthétique et politique défend-il ? Nombreux sont les lieux de passages, réels et symboliques (intermittence…) à franchir. Il importe donc d’approcher les premiers pas de la structuration par l’exemple, non pas dans le projet d’en faire une figure exemplaire mais de contribuer à une cartographie de l’émergence d’artistes encore inconnu.e.s. Celle-ci ne saurait trouver tout son sens sans présenter le projet artistique porté par l’artiste, en l’occurrence celui de Joséphine Boivineau, danseuse issue de la formation 2019-2021 du Cndc. Désireuse de porter ses propres projets, elle monte sa compagnie Sortie de secours en 2021 avec laquelle elle interroge les liens complexes unissant le corps, le son et la musique dans leur relation à l’espace
La mondialisation du tourisme est-elle un vecteur d’homogénéisation des pratiques et des représentations ? : le cas de Bali
No full textTourism, both a product and an agent of globalization, plays a central role in connecting people, cultures and economies, across borders. Globalization could lead to a standardization of tourists' behavior, all favoring the same places of frequentation and the same uses. This research therefore nourishes the intention to question the globalization of tourism, as a vector of homogenization of practices and representations, in the relation of the study of domestic and international tourism in Bali. Thus, we question the capacity of national cultural singularities to resist, in determining models of tourist practices, in a globalized world. Thereby, our methodology is based on a hybrid approach, combining qualitative and quantitative studies, through the prism of three perspectives: the offer of tour operators, the practices and representations of tourists, and the point of view of Balinese tourist guides. This research demonstrates that cultural singularities persist, and contribute to determining the specificity of places of frequentation, practices and associated values, according to the geocultural origin of vacationers. The globalization of tourism has not led to a homogenization of the frequentation of sites on the island, nor of the uses associated with them. On the contrary, the latter demonstrate great diversity. The globalized attraction of destinations can therefore hide a much more complex reality, relating to a combination of practices and representations, reflecting the socio cultural diversity of populations, which persist.Le tourisme, à la fois produit et agent de la mondialisation, joue un rôle central dans la mise en relation des populations, des cultures et des économies, par-delà des frontières. La globalisation pourrait engendrer une uniformisation des comportements des vacanciers, privilégiant tous les mêmes lieux de fréquentation et les mêmes usages. Cette recherche nourrit donc le dessein d’interroger la mondialisation du tourisme, comme vecteur d’homogénéisation des pratiques et représentations, à l’aune de l’étude des tourismes domestique et internationaux à Bali. Ainsi, nous questionnons la capacité de résistance des singularités culturelles nationales, dans la détermination des modèles de pratiques touristiques, dans un monde globalisé. Pour ce faire, notre méthodologie repose sur une approche hydride, associant études qualitatives et quantitatives, au prisme de trois perspectives : l’offre des tours opérateurs, les pratiques et représentations des touristes, et le point de vue des guides touristiques balinais. Cette recherche permet de démontrer que les singularités culturelles persistent, et contribuent à déterminer les la spécificité des lieux de fréquentations, des pratiques et des valeurs associées, en fonction de l’origine géoculturelle des vacanciers. La globalisation du tourisme n’a pas engendré une homogénéisation de la fréquentation des sites sur l’île, ni des usages qui leur sont associées. Au contraires, ces derniers témoignent d’une grande diversité. L’attraction mondialisée des destinations peut donc dissimuler une réalité beaucoup plus complexe, relevant d’une combinaison de pratiques et représentations, reflétant la diversité socio-culturelles des populations, qui perdurent
