339 research outputs found
Consumption Growth and Agricultural Shocks in Rural Madagascar
No full textThe aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of rainfall and agricultural shocks on consumption growth in Madagascar. We are also interested in the impact of local endowments in infrastructures and social services on consumption growth. To achieve this goal, a micro model of household consumption growth is estimated thanks to household panel data collected by the Reseau des Observatoires Ruraux (ROR) between 1999 and 2004. Additional data sources include the 2001 communes census organized by the Ilo program of Cornell University. Altogether these different data sources make an unusually rich data set, at least when considered with developing country standards. We use panel data fixed effect estimation technique to remove unobserved household and community level time invariant heterogeneity. We find that production shocks have a substantial impact on consumption growth and we find sign of persistence of rainfall shocks. Roads and education seems to improve household’s consumption growth and remotness decreases it.risks, growth, poverty, Food Security and Poverty,
'The cracked mirror': Anne Sexton's poetics of self-representation
No full textThis thesis re-evaluates the work of the poet Anne Sexton (1928-1974), concentrating, in particular, on the indeterminacies, contradictions and aporia which it finds to be characteristic of her ostensibly frank and self-revelatory writing. The study is based on a close textual
analysis of Sexton's writing, is informed by oststructuralist theories, and is sustained by an
examination and discussion of archive collections of her previously unpublished papers. In seeking an understanding of Sexton's poetics, the thesis identifies and interrogates the strategies of denial and obfuscation apparent in her own explication of her work - principally, by scrutiny of the unpublished, and previously unresearched, drafts of a series of lectures
which she delivered in 1972. Chapters One and Two consider the origins of `confessional' or - Sexton's preferred term - 'personal' poetry and reassess her place within contemporary poetry. They suggest that
Sexton's writing is engaged in a process of negotiation and contestation, both with the boundaries and expectations of confessionalism, and with the strictures of T. S. Eliot's theory of `impersonality'. In support of these arguments, Chapter Two offer a reading of Sexton's
little-known poem, `Hurry Up Please It's Time', alongside its intertext, Eliot's The Waste Land. Chapter Three reassesses received views of the supposedly beneficial interrelationship between confessional speaker and reader. It examines Sexton's appropriation of dramatic
masks and personae and her use of metaphors of striptease and prostitution, and suggests that these are employed simultaneously to appease and to repel an intrusive audience. Similarly, Chapters Four and Five trace Sexton's problematisation of two previously-accepted tenets of confessional poetry: its status as autobiography and its truthfulness, drawing attention to the techniques employed in order to give the impression of both. Chapter Six considers Sexton's
problematic engagement with a language which is not malleable, transparent, and referential but, rather, is experienced as uncooperative and occlusive. Finally, the thesis recuperates Sexton from the common charge of narcissism, arguing that it is the writing, rather than the poet, which is self-reflexive and self-conscious. In this respect, it concludes that her work - perhaps unexpectedly - anticipates many of the tendencies of postmodernist writing
Effects of prenatal exposure to neurotoxicants on the child’s brain function evaluated by cerebral imaging
No full textRésumé : La vulnérabilité du cerveau en développement à son environnement est largement décrite dans la littérature. Certains effets cognitifs et comportementaux observés après une exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux insecticides organophosphorés suggèrent une possible atteinte des fonctions exécutives. Nous avons notamment suspecté une altération des capacités d’inhibition, une fonction prédictrice des performances scolaires et des comportements à risque à l’âge adulte. Ainsi, améliorer notre compréhension de ces effets semble être un enjeu majeur de santé publique. L’objectif de la thèse était d’évaluer les effets de l’exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux organophosphorés sur le fonctionnement du cerveau de l’enfant évalué par imagerie cérébrale. Ce travail s’appuie sur les données de la cohorte mère-enfant PELAGIE. Le suivi longitudinal a permis de mesurer l’exposition aux neurotoxiques pendant la grossesse par biomarqueurs. Nous avons utilisé une tâche de Go/No-Go et l’IRM fonctionnelle pour évaluer le contrôle inhibiteur et ses mécanismes neuraux chez des enfants âgés de 10 à 12 ans. Nos résultats suggèrent que le contrôle inhibiteur pourrait être altéré après une exposition prénatale à ces contaminants. Cependant, certains résultats concernant les éthers de glycol sont inattendus au regard de la littérature et peu robustes, ce qui ne nous permet pas de conclure à un effet important sur le cerveau en développement. Enfin, nous avons suggéré que le cortex frontal, impliqué dans le réseau de l’inhibition, peut être une cible de l’effet des organophosphorés.Abstract: The vulnerability of the developing brain to its environment is well known in the literature. Some cognitive and behavioral alterations observed after prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticide suggest a possible impairment of executive functions. In particular, we suspected an alteration of the inhibitory control, a predictor of academic performance or tendency to risky behaviors in adulthood. Therefore, better understanding these effects appears as a key issue of public health. We aimed at investigating the effects of prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticides on the child’s brain function evaluated by cerebral imaging. This work is based on the data of the mother-child PELAGIE cohort. The longitudinal follow-up allowed to measure with biomarkers the exposure to neurotoxicants during pregnancy. We used a Go/No-Go task and functional MRI to assess the inhibitory control and its neural mechanisms in children aged 10-12 years. Our results suggest that inhibitory control may be altered after prenatal exposure to these contaminants. However, some of our findings about glycol ethers were unexpected regarding existing literature and showed little consistency, preventing us to conclude to a significant effect on the developing brain. Then, we suggested that the frontal cortex, involved in inhibition network, may be a specific target of organophosphates
Effets de l’exposition prénatale aux neurotoxiques sur le fonctionnement du cerveau de l’enfant évalué par imagerie cérébrale
No full textAbstract: The vulnerability of the developing brain to its environment is well known in the literature. Some cognitive and behavioral alterations observed after prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticide suggest a possible impairment of executive functions. In particular, we suspected an alteration of the inhibitory control, a predictor of academic performance or tendency to risky behaviors in adulthood. Therefore, better understanding these effects appears as a key issue of public health. We aimed at investigating the effects of prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticides on the child’s brain function evaluated by cerebral imaging. This work is based on the data of the mother-child PELAGIE cohort. The longitudinal follow-up allowed to measure with biomarkers the exposure to neurotoxicants during pregnancy. We used a Go/No-Go task and functional MRI to assess the inhibitory control and its neural mechanisms in children aged 10-12 years. Our results suggest that inhibitory control may be altered after prenatal exposure to these contaminants. However, some of our findings about glycol ethers were unexpected regarding existing literature and showed little consistency, preventing us to conclude to a significant effect on the developing brain. Then, we suggested that the frontal cortex, involved in inhibition network, may be a specific target of organophosphates.Résumé : La vulnérabilité du cerveau en développement à son environnement est largement décrite dans la littérature. Certains effets cognitifs et comportementaux observés après une exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux insecticides organophosphorés suggèrent une possible atteinte des fonctions exécutives. Nous avons notamment suspecté une altération des capacités d’inhibition, une fonction prédictrice des performances scolaires et des comportements à risque à l’âge adulte. Ainsi, améliorer notre compréhension de ces effets semble être un enjeu majeur de santé publique. L’objectif de la thèse était d’évaluer les effets de l’exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux organophosphorés sur le fonctionnement du cerveau de l’enfant évalué par imagerie cérébrale. Ce travail s’appuie sur les données de la cohorte mère-enfant PELAGIE. Le suivi longitudinal a permis de mesurer l’exposition aux neurotoxiques pendant la grossesse par biomarqueurs. Nous avons utilisé une tâche de Go/No-Go et l’IRM fonctionnelle pour évaluer le contrôle inhibiteur et ses mécanismes neuraux chez des enfants âgés de 10 à 12 ans. Nos résultats suggèrent que le contrôle inhibiteur pourrait être altéré après une exposition prénatale à ces contaminants. Cependant, certains résultats concernant les éthers de glycol sont inattendus au regard de la littérature et peu robustes, ce qui ne nous permet pas de conclure à un effet important sur le cerveau en développement. Enfin, nous avons suggéré que le cortex frontal, impliqué dans le réseau de l’inhibition, peut être une cible de l’effet des organophosphorés
Effets de l’exposition prénatale aux neurotoxiques sur le fonctionnement du cerveau de l’enfant évalué par imagerie cérébrale
No full textAbstract: The vulnerability of the developing brain to its environment is well known in the literature. Some cognitive and behavioral alterations observed after prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticide suggest a possible impairment of executive functions. In particular, we suspected an alteration of the inhibitory control, a predictor of academic performance or tendency to risky behaviors in adulthood. Therefore, better understanding these effects appears as a key issue of public health. We aimed at investigating the effects of prenatal exposure to glycol ethers and organophosphate insecticides on the child’s brain function evaluated by cerebral imaging. This work is based on the data of the mother-child PELAGIE cohort. The longitudinal follow-up allowed to measure with biomarkers the exposure to neurotoxicants during pregnancy. We used a Go/No-Go task and functional MRI to assess the inhibitory control and its neural mechanisms in children aged 10-12 years. Our results suggest that inhibitory control may be altered after prenatal exposure to these contaminants. However, some of our findings about glycol ethers were unexpected regarding existing literature and showed little consistency, preventing us to conclude to a significant effect on the developing brain. Then, we suggested that the frontal cortex, involved in inhibition network, may be a specific target of organophosphates.Résumé : La vulnérabilité du cerveau en développement à son environnement est largement décrite dans la littérature. Certains effets cognitifs et comportementaux observés après une exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux insecticides organophosphorés suggèrent une possible atteinte des fonctions exécutives. Nous avons notamment suspecté une altération des capacités d’inhibition, une fonction prédictrice des performances scolaires et des comportements à risque à l’âge adulte. Ainsi, améliorer notre compréhension de ces effets semble être un enjeu majeur de santé publique. L’objectif de la thèse était d’évaluer les effets de l’exposition prénatale aux éthers de glycol et aux organophosphorés sur le fonctionnement du cerveau de l’enfant évalué par imagerie cérébrale. Ce travail s’appuie sur les données de la cohorte mère-enfant PELAGIE. Le suivi longitudinal a permis de mesurer l’exposition aux neurotoxiques pendant la grossesse par biomarqueurs. Nous avons utilisé une tâche de Go/No-Go et l’IRM fonctionnelle pour évaluer le contrôle inhibiteur et ses mécanismes neuraux chez des enfants âgés de 10 à 12 ans. Nos résultats suggèrent que le contrôle inhibiteur pourrait être altéré après une exposition prénatale à ces contaminants. Cependant, certains résultats concernant les éthers de glycol sont inattendus au regard de la littérature et peu robustes, ce qui ne nous permet pas de conclure à un effet important sur le cerveau en développement. Enfin, nous avons suggéré que le cortex frontal, impliqué dans le réseau de l’inhibition, peut être une cible de l’effet des organophosphorés
The map and the territory by Michel Houellebecq : an author and the heart of this novel
No full textL'objectif principal de ce travail est de démontrer que Michel Houellebecq est au centre de son roman dans La Carte et le Territoire. En d'autres termes, nous pouvons dire qu'il est affecté à un poste roman Michel Houellebecq. Mais derrière cet objectif, d'autres peaux. En effet, il est aussi comprendre les motivations de l'auteur de développer son roman au sujet de son personnage. Nous voulons aussi déchiffrer les stratégies littéraires utilisés par l'auteur pour écrire son roman et définir le genre autobiographique de l'œuvre. Mais la difficulté de la question réside dans le caractère Auteur ambigu. Définir précisément le type de la carte et le territoire est une tâche difficile en raison de la originalité des performances offertes par l'écrivain. On pourrait penser qu'il a inventé, créé ce roman, un nouveau genre autobiographique encore à définir.
La réponse à la question suivra un itinéraire: à partir de la première place, par la définition du genre Autobiographical de La Carte et le territoire à travers un inventaire des genres autobiographiques existantes et caractéristiques de chacun, une brève analyse du roman à la position dans des genres étudiés précédemment. Mais si la théorie est simple, la pratique est pas nécessairement parce que le roman Michel Houellebecq ne correspond pas à une réplique parfaite des caractéristiques d'un sexe déclarations. En fin de compte, il est réglé par le biais de cette étude, les limites générales genre et les limites du roman autobiographique étudiés. Deuxièmement, nous allons essayer d'analyser la roman et en particulier le caractère de Michel Houellebecq et les stratégies littéraires utilisés par l'auteur pour être placé au centre de son livre. Ces analyses nous permettent d'atteindre notre troisième approche pour étudier ce qui implique de comprendre les motivations de l'auteur pour l'auto-écrit ou moins la suggestion de motivationsThe main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that Michel Houellebecq is at the heart of his novel inThe map and the territory. In other words, we can say that it is a matter of assigning a position to Michel Houellebecq in his novel. But behind this objective are hidden others. Indeed, it is also a question of understanding the motivations of the author to evolve the novel around his character. We also want to decipher, among other things, the literary strategies that the author used when writing his novel and defining the autobiographical genre of the work. Now the whole difficulty of the question lies in the equivocal character of the author. Defining precisely the genre of The map and the territory is a task
made difficult by the originality of execution that the writer proposes. One might think that he invented, created with this novel, a new autobiographical genre still undefined.
The answer to the question will follow a specific itinerary: beginning with the definition of the autobiographical genre of The map and the territory through an inventory of existing autobiographical genres and characteristics of each, a brief analysis of the novel to place it in one of the genres previously studied. But if the theory is simple, practice is not necessarily, since Michel Houellebecq's novel does not correspond to a perfect layer of the characteristics of one of the formulated genres. In the end, it is a matter of fixing, thanks to this study, the general limits of the autobiographical genre and the limits of the novel studied. In a second phase, it will be necessary to analyze the novel and particularly the character of Michel Houellebecq as well as the literary strategies used by the author to place himself at the heart of his book. These analyses will allow us to arrive at our third step of study which consists in understanding the motivations of the author for the self-writing or at least the suggestion of motivationsEl objetivo principal de este trabajo es demostrar que Michel Houellebecq está en el centro de su novela en El mapa y el territorio. En otras palabras, podemos decir que se trata de asignar una posición a la novela de Michel Houellebecq. Pero detrás de este objetivo se esconde otros. De hecho, se trata también de la comprensión de las motivaciones del autor para desarrollar su novela alrededor de su
personaje. También queremos, descifrar las estrategias literarias que usó el autor al escribir su novela y establecer el género autobiográfico de la obra. Pero la dificultad de la cuestión reside en el carácter ambiguo del autor. Definir con precisión el tipo de El mapa y el territorio es una tarea difícil debido a la originalidad de rendimiento que ofrece el escritor. Uno podría pensar que él inventó, creó esta novela,
un nuevo género autobiográfico aún por definir.
La respuesta a la pregunta seguirá una ruta: empezando en un primer lugar, por la definición del género autobiográfico de El mapa y el territorio a través de un inventario de los géneros autobiográficos existentes y las características de cada uno, un breve análisis de la novela para posicionarla en géneros estudiado previamente. Pero si la teoría es simple, la práctica no lo es necesariamente porque la novela
de Michel Houellebecq no corresponde a un calco perfecto de las características de uno de los géneros enunciados. En última instancia, se trata de fijar a través de este estudio, los límites generales del género autobiográfico y los límites de la novela estudiada. En segundo lugar, se tratará de analizar la novela y en particular el carácter de Michel Houellebecq y las estrategias literarias utilizadas por el autor para ser colocado en el centro de su libro. Estos análisis nos permitirán llegar a nuestro tercer enfoque para estudiar lo que implica la comprensión de las motivaciones del autor para la auto-escritura o al menos, la sugerencia de motivacionesDepto. de Estudios Románicos, Franceses, Italianos y TraducciónFac. de FilologíaFALSEunpu
Jeanne Lapointe et Anne Hébert : une longue amitié
No full textOn connaît le rôle exercé par Jeanne Lapointe dans la valorisation des textes d’Anne Hébert. La professeure de littérature de l’Université Laval signe, en 1954 et 1961, des articles importants sur la poésie de cette auteure dans la revue Cité libre. Et c’est Jeanne Lapointe qui demande à Pierre Emmanuel un texte de présentation pour Le Tombeau des rois. En plus de signer une note explicative au Dialogue sur la traduction, Lapointe aura présidé aux échanges de ce dialogue entre Anne Hébert et Frank Scott. Nous rendrons compte de son projet de publier un choix de poèmes des Songes en équilibre, projet auquel l’auteure s’est montrée un temps réceptive. Mais la contribution de Lapointe ne s’arrête pas à sa lecture attentive de l’oeuvre et aux réseaux de sociabilité qu’elle développe. Dans la nouvelle « Shannon », publiée en 1960, se profile, sous les traits du personnage de Claire, la présence de l’amie. D’autres interventions privées et publiques d’Hébert ou de Lapointe nous renseignent sur les dates, voire sur le sens de certaines oeuvres. Nous en examinerons les différentes facettes pour offrir un portrait complet de l’apport de Jeanne Lapointe à l’oeuvre d’Anne Hébert.We know the role played by Jeanne Lapointe in promoting Anne Hébert’s texts. The literature teacher at Laval University published, in 1954 and 1961, important papers on Hébert’s poetry in the journal Cité libre. And it was Lapointe who asked Pierre Emmanuel for a foreword to Le Tombeau des rois. In addition to signing an explanatory note for the Dialogue sur la traduction, Lapointe presided over the exchanges of this dialogue between Anne Hébert and Frank Scott. We will examine her project to publish a selection of poems from Hébert’s Songes en équilibre, a project to which the author was receptive for a while. But Lapointe’s contribution does not stop with her careful reading of the work and the networks of sociability she develops. In the short story “Shannon”, published in 1960, the presence of the friend is profiled in the character of Claire. Other private and public interventions by Hébert or Lapointe provide us with information on the dates and even the meaning of certain works. We will examine the various facets to offer a complete portrait of Jeanne Lapointe’s contribution to Anne Hébert’s work
Literary Jacobitism: the writing of Jane Barker, Mary Caesar and Anne Finch
No full textThis thesis argues that much of the gender based criticism that has led to the "rediscovery" of neglected early modern women writers has, paradoxically, also served to limit our understanding of such writers by distracting attention from other aspects of their writing, such as their political commitments. The three authors considered, Jane Barker (1652-1732), Mary Caesar (1677-1741) and Anne Finch (1661-1720), have been selected precisely because Jacobitism is central to their writing. However, it will be argued that a focus upon gender politics in the texts of these writers has led to a failure to comprehend the party political boldness of their work. The thesis examines the writing of each author in turn and explores the implications of Barker's, Caesar's and Finch's Jacobite allegiances for their respective views of human history as played out in political affairs. It also considers the ways in which each author attempts to reconcile a cause that is supposedly supported by God with apparent political failure. The quest of Barker, Caesar and Finch to investigate these issues and to comprehend how Jacobitism forms part of their own authorial identities is central to what is meant here by "literary Jacobitism" in relation to these writers. The thesis demonstrates that Jacobitism is enabling for each of these three women as it enhances their ability to conceive of themselves as authors by allowing their sense of political identity to overcome their scruples about their position as women who write. However, it also illustrates that Jacobitism functions differently in the writing of each of the selected authors. It thus argues that an undifferentiated labelling of the work of these three women as "Jacobite" is as restrictive as their previous categorisation as "women writers"
Urban environment and health: a cross-sectional multiregional project based on population health surveys in Spain (DAS-EP project) - study protocol
No full textIntroduction: The European Environment Agency estimates that 75% of the European population lives in cities. Despite the many advantages of city life, the risks and challenges to health arising from urbanisation need to be addressed in order to tackle the growing burden of disease and health inequalities in cities. This study, Urban environment and health: a cross-sectional multiregional project based on population health surveys in Spain (DAS-EP project), aims to investigate the complex association between the urban environmental exposures (UrbEEs) and health. Methods and analysis: DAS-EP is a Spanish multiregional cross-sectional project that combines population health surveys (PHS) and geographical information systems (GIS) allowing to collect rich individual-level data from 17 000 adult citizens participating in the PHS conducted in the autonomous regions of the Basque Country, Andalusia, and the Valencian Community, and the city of Barcelona in the years 2021-2023. This study focuses on the population living in cities or metropolitan areas with more than 100 000 inhabitants. UrbEEs are described by objective estimates at participants' home addresses by GIS, and subjective indicators present in PHS. The health outcomes included in the PHS and selected for this study are self-perceived health (general and mental), prevalence of chronic mental disorders, health-related quality of life, consumption of medication for common mental disorders and sleep quality. We aim to further understand the direct and indirect effects between UrbEEs and health, as well as to estimate the impact at the population level, taking respondents' sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and lifestyle into consideration. Ethics and dissemination: The study was approved by the regional Research Ethics Committee of the Basque Country (Ethics Committee for Research Involving Medicinal Products in the Basque Country; PI2022138), Andalusia (Biomedical Research Ethics Committee of the Province of Granada; 2078-N-22), Barcelona (CEIC-PSMar; 2022/10667) and the Valencian Community (Ethics Committee for Clinical Research of the Directorate General of Public Health and Center for Advanced Research in Public Health; 20221125/04). The results will be communicated to the general population, health professionals, and institutions through conferences, reports and scientific articles
To See Nature: A Window of Opportunity to Decrease the Risk of Depression and Anxiety
No full textInternational audienceWe re-examined the associations between nature views and depression and anxiety specificall
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