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Soil organic carbon storage is a well-identified climate change mitigation solution. Quantification of the soil carbon storage in cropland for agricultural policy and offset carbon markets using in situ sampling would be excessively costly, especially at the intrafield scale. For this reason, comprehensive monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of soil carbon and its explanatory variables at a large scale need to rely on hybrid approaches that combine remote sensing and modelling tools to provide the carbon budget components with their associated uncertainties at intrafield scale. Here, we present AgriCarbon-EO v1.0.1: an end-to-end processing chain that enables the estimation of carbon budget components for major and cover crops at intrafield resolution (10 m) and regional extents (e.g. 10 000 km 2) by assimilating remote sensing data (e.g. Sentinel-2 and Landsat8) in a physically based radiative transfer (PROSAIL) and agronomic models (SAFYE-CO2). The data assimilation in AgriCarbon-EO is based on a novel Bayesian approach that combines normalized importance sampling and look-up table generation. This approach propagates the uncertainties across the processing chain from the reflectances to the output variables. After a presentation of the chain, we demonstrate the accuracy of the estimates of AgriCarbon-EO through an application over winter wheat in the southwest of France during the cropping seasons from 2017 to 2019. We validate the outputs with flux tower data for net ecosystem exchange, biomass destructive samples, and combined harvester yield maps. Our results show that the scalability and uncertainty estimates proposed by the approach do not hinder the accuracy of the estimates (net ecosystem exchange, NEE: RMSE =1.68 –2.38 gC m -2 , R2=0.87 –0.77; biomass: RMSE =11.34 g m -2 , R2=0.94). We also show the added value of intrafield simulations for the carbon components through scenario testing of pixel and field simulations (biomass: bias =-47 g m -2 , - 39 % variability). Our overall analysis shows satisfying accuracy, but it also points out the need to represent more soil processes and include synthetic aperture radar data that would enable a larger coverage of AgriCarbon-EO. The paper's findings confirm the suitability of the choices made in building AgriCarbon-EO as a hybrid solution for an MRV scheme to diagnose agro-ecosystem carbon fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil record of gladius-bearing coleoids is scarce and based only on a few localities with geological horizons particularly favourable to their preservation (the so-called Konservat-Lagerstätten), which naturally leads to strongly limited data on geographical distributions. This emphasizes the importance of every new locality providing gladius-bearing coleoids. Here, we assess for the first time the gladius-bearing coleoid taxonomic diversity within the lower Toarcian "Schistes Cartons" of the Causses Basin (southeastern France). The material includes two fragmentary gladii, identified as Paraplesioteuthis sagittata and "Loligosepia sp. indet. Just with these two specimens, two (Prototeuthina and Loligosepiina) of the three (Prototeuthina, Loligosepiina and Teudopseina) suborders of Mesozoic gladius-bearing coleoids are represented. Thus, our results hint at a rich early Toarcian gladius-bearing coleoid diversity in the Causses Basin and point out the need for further field investigations in the lower Toarcian "Schistes Cartons" in this area. This new record of Paraplesioteuthis sagittata is only the second one in Europe and the third in the world (western Canada, Germany and now France). Based on these occurrences, we tentatively suggest that P. sagittata originated in the Mediterranean domain and moved to the Arctic realm through the Viking Corridor to eventually move even farther to North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Purpose(s). We have extensively used HCQ at 200 mg three times a day (tid) to treat various infections such as Q fever and Whipple's disease. Serum levels of between 1 μg/ml and 2 μg/ml serum level are recommended to achieve the safety and efficacy of these treatments. Our aim in this paper is to describe our experience regarding the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of HCQ in another infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. Methods. As recommended, we performed electrocardiograms before administering HCQ off-label. The HCQ concentration in the serum was monitored to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. We retrospectively analysed HCQ serum concentrations measured over time and toxicity data in patients with COVID-19 who were treated with HCQ at the IHU Marseille Infection. We did not treat patients with HCQ contraindications with this medication. Results. We measured HCQ concentrations in 1310 serum samples from 989 patients with COVID-19. The mean ± SD HCQ concentration increased in patients' sera during treatment from day 1 (0.10 μg/ml ± 0.08) to day 11 (0.85 μg/ml ± 0.44), confirming that HCQ accumulates in the body during short-term therapy. However, the observed concentrations did not exceed the therapeutic range for other indications (0.80–1.20 μg/mL in Q fever patients treated for between 18 and 24 months). In patients treated with HCQ, major side effects included intestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, and gastric pain) and QT prolongation. No conduction disorders (including torsades de pointes and ventricular arrhythmia), cardiomyopathy, retinopathy, or HCQ-related deaths were observed. Conclusions. In patients treated over a short time period with 200 mg tid of HCQ, therapeutic concentrations in serum were obtained in most patients without significant side effects or complications. Although patients must be carefully evaluated for HCQ contraindications, HCQ 200 mg tid for ten days can be considered an appropriate and safe dosage in patients with COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The territorial scale is increasingly recognised as a relevant scale for analysing, conceiving and supporting the ecological transitions of agri-food systems. France and Italy have both been pioneer countries for the valorisation of territorially-based food identity and more recently experimented innovative forms of collective and public action to support transitions to sustainable territorial food systems. In Italy, the biodistrict frame has progressively been legitimised and recently adopted as a legal framework, while in France, despite many regional experiences focused on organic agriculture, the legal framework recently established with the territorial food system policy, officially driven by the agroecological transition paradigm, leaves a very variable place to organic agriculture and its principles, depending on local features and power configurations. Our objective in this paper is to understand these processes of institutionalisation. Based on a focused review of the French and Italian literature on this issue and on the analysis of the relative place of organics in policies, experiences and debates in France and Italy over the five last decades, we show that these processes of institutionalisation result from specific interplays between science, policy and experience, where the related actors take a different role, leading to different configurations and favouring different framings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios de Linguistica del Espanol is the property of University Library of Bern 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.)

This article addresses the simulation of urban air temperatures with a focus on evaluating the Urban Weather Generator (UWG) model over Toulouse, France. As urban temperatures, influenced by factors like urbanization, anthropogenic heat release, and complex urban geometry, exhibit an urban heat island (UHI) effect, understanding and mitigating UHI become crucial. With increasing global warming and urban populations, aiding urban planners necessitates accurate simulations requiring data at the canyon level. The paper evaluates UWG's performance in simulating air temperatures under realistic conditions, emphasizing an operational context and a non-specialist user's perspective. The evaluation includes selecting the most suitable meteorological station, assessing the impact of the rural station choice, and conducting a sensitivity analysis of input parameters. The validation demonstrates good agreement, with a mean bias error (MBE) of 0.02 °C and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.73 °C. However, we highlight the fact that UWG performs better in a densely urbanized area, and exhibits limitations in sensitivity to urban surface parameter variations, particularly in less urbanized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Copyright of Basic & Clinical Andrology is the property of BioMed Central 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.)

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

This paper aims to research different strategies for developing the green economy in shrinking cities. Considering urban shrinkage and the green economy as two extended concepts, a French town in post-Fordist transition and a Mexican post-mining town are selected as the most diverse/similar systems to indicate different strategies for sustainable development in shrinking cities. Embedded into different national backgrounds, including urban dynamics and support schemes for the green economy, the selected cases share the objectives of greening and regrowing strategies relying on other sectors of the green economy. The methodology applied is qualitative, including fieldwork, semi-structured interview techniques, carried out in person or remotely, and questionnaires. Findings show some positive results regarding sustainability and ecological transition in the French case, while regrowth trends were reached in the Mexican case. However, the analysis leads to uncertain scenarios for positive long-term impacts, especially due to uncertainty around future supporting policies for territorial cohesion and sustainability at national and regional levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which cultural differences and slogan meaning type affect the role of comprehension in attitude toward the ad (Aad) and attitude toward the brand (Abrand) formation. Design/methodology/approach: In an online experiment, a total of 256 adult participants from the USA (ranged in age from 19 to 26 years old) and 184 participants from France (ranged in age from 18 to 28) were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions (slogan: single meaning vs polysemous) in a between-subjects experimental design. After getting exposed to the ad, participants responded to questions related to their Aad, Abrand, comprehension, uncertainty avoidance and demographics. Findings: Results from this research demonstrate the moderating effect of uncertainty avoidance and slogan type (single meaning vs polysemous) on the relationship between comprehension and Aad. The authors show that for polysemous (and not single meaning) slogans, comprehension results in more favorable Aad for low uncertainty avoidance individuals than for high uncertainty avoidance individuals. In addition, the authors demonstrate the mediating effect of Aad in the relationship between comprehension and Abrand. Research limitations/implications: The authors used nationality as a proxy for culture. Future research should include other cultural dimensions in the development of conceptual models and analysis of data. Another limitation is that the authors used a college student sample for this research. A more representative sample should be used in future research to examine cultural differences in interpreting adverting messages. One other limitation concerns the measurement tool the authors used to measure objective versus subjective comprehension in this research. While the theoretical foundations of the two modes of comprehension are clear and robust, improved measurement tools can enhance the validity and reliability of future research. Finally, the authors suggest that future research examine the effect of such variables as figure-ground contrast, figure attractiveness, stimulus repetition, prototypicality, symmetry and semantic or visual priming that may impact the processing of brand slogans. Practical implications: This study argues that the processing of brand slogans in advertising is impacted by culture. Individuals from different cultures perceive and comprehend brand slogans differently. This study contributes to the research stream that examines the influence of cultural dimensions on the effectiveness of advertising by focusing more precisely on the impact of uncertainty avoidance (one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions). In the case of single meaning slogans, advertisers might diminish the use of objective comprehension advertising strategies to influence both individuals with high and low uncertainty avoidance. In the case of polysemous slogans, advertisers should consider that consumers with high uncertainty avoidance (vs low uncertainty avoidance) are impacted more by subjective comprehension (vs objective comprehension) when forming Aad and Abrand. Originality/value: This research contributes meaningfully to the marketing literature by examining previous work on ad slogan processing through subjective vs objective comprehension and extending the analysis by incorporating culture as an important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

The article throws light on the psychology of attitudes and gives insight into one aspect of newspaper behavior. An analysis of the rumors regarding communist leader Joseph Stalin's real or pretended illness in thirty newspapers in Paris, France revealed that the papers tended to publish rumors that arced with their political attitudes. Anti-communist papers published rumors stressing Stalin's illness and a crisis in Russia; communist papers ignored the subject or carried rumors denying the illness and crisis. Studies such as this might be used as a test for listing and grouping papers according to their political attitudes. Studies have been made repeatedly showing that the news content of newspapers is influenced by their editorial political attitudes. Less attention has been paid to the question of susceptibility to editorial manipulation. The collection of all rumor echoes in daily newspapers was undertaken during a period of four months. All news items, which had a particular character of vagueness, lack of authority regarding their source or outright improbability, were included regardless of whether or not rumor as a source was specifically mentioned.

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

COVID-19 led to a shockwave in all aspects of the tourism sector, generating an increase in significant studies. The research regards the selected problems within the tourism industry in France: the participation in tourism for personal purposes; the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP; domestic tourism expenditure; spending of international tourists; the direct contribution of travel and tourism to employment; the average price of a standard double hotel room in Paris in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundamental aim of the paper is the assessment of the situation within the tourism industry in France in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper is using of statistical, dynamics, comparative and documentation analysis. The discussion shows that the tourism sector in France within the chosen aspects impacted various COVID-19 pandemic related shocks in the examination time. The authorities applied the relevant instruments, solutions, and activities that mitigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and, in result, positioned tourism industry in France on the proper way to return to the position as one of the most visited countries in the world. Originally from 2021, similar tourism tendencies to those noticed in 2020 (country lockdowns, quarantines, border closures), modifications of structure beginning from summer 2020 can result in hysteresis consequences in 2022. The inference process took place in a deductive way. The presented paper regards the leading tourist country. It focuses on the considerations in such scientific areas as participation in tourism for personal purposes; the total contribution of travel domestic tourism expenditure; spending of international tourists; employment. Applying the instruments and measures of the analysis enables one to examine the crucial problems of the tourism industry. The arguments indicated in the paper can be beneficial for practitioners, decision-makers, and managers. The pandemic's trajectory is challenging to be forecast. The COVID-19 pandemic modifications can cause the growth of infected people. Furthermore, the defined economic activity within the tourism sector resulting from additional lockdowns may have a meaningful influence on the different aspects of the socio-economic ground. The paper can inspire additional research and examination in the ground of crucial issues of the tourism industry in France and other stimulating scientific analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a methodology to analyse debris flows focusing at the surge scale rather than the full scale of the debris-flow event, as well as its application to a French site. Providing bulk surge features like volume, peak discharge, front height, front velocity and Froude numbers allows for numerical and experimental debris-flow investigations to be designed with narrower physical ranges and thus for deeper scientific questions to be explored. We suggest a method to access such features at the surge scale that can be applied to a wide variety of monitoring stations. Requirements for monitoring stations for the methodology to be applicable include (i) flow height measurements, (ii) a cross-section assumption and (iii) a velocity estimation. Raw data from three monitoring stations on the Réal torrent (drainage area: 2 km 2 , southeastern France) are used to illustrate an application to 34 surges measured from 2011 to 2020 at three monitoring stations. Volumes of debris-flow surges on the Réal torrent are typically sized at a few thousand cubic metres. The peak flow height of surges ranges from 1 to 2 m. The peak discharge range is around a few dozen cubic metres per second. Finally, we show that Froude numbers of such surges are near critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

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

Empirical studies conducted at the Institut de Recherche de l'Entreprise (Lyon, France) show that, in 'stalemate industries' (cf. the BCG's typology. 1981), differentiation strategies are effective and profitable alternatives to the usual strategic recommendations. The knowledge of customers' behavior shows up several opportunities for differentiation, hidden by some kind of 'strategic presbyopia'. Total quality or 'zero default' strategy (product quality regularity, punctuality of deliveries, quick response to unexpected orders, quick and correct answers to requests, short delivery times) is the major opportunity for differentiation. Such strategies are compatible with a low-cost position: excellent companies which succeeded in building this 'total advantage' (diferentiation + low cost) over their competitors enjoy the highest market share growth and profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Framework: In qualitative research, drawing on a blank sheet of paper during the interview is one of the tools in the researcher’s toolbox. This technique is increasingly used in social sciences, but is still rarely included in research on social support for the chronically ill. Goals and Methods: The objective of this paper is to analyze the advantages of an innovative research method that uses both drawings and semi-structured interviews to study support networks of chronically ill patients. This method was used to conduct a qualitative research on changes in chronically ill support networks in France during the lockdown period (MarchMay 2020). The study triangulates three types of sources: 1. From chronically ill patients' oral accounts of their experience of lockdown, collected during 32 semi-directive interviews; 2. From the chronically ill patients’ drawings of support networks they were asked to make by the end of the interviews; 3. From their oral description of the drawn elements. Results: The drawing technique has several advantages: i. the playful nature of the drawing facilitates the degree of adhesion and interest in the investigation process, ii. it leads to greater reflexivity on the part of the respondents, iii. triangulation of the data from the narratives and the network drawings brings to light some unexpected results: it highlighted which types of support are valued or invisibilized and revealed the important support role of non-humans during lockdown. Conclusions: The complementary use of drawings and narratives allows a more detailed and complex qualitative analysis. However, this method requires investigators to take special precautions before, during and after the field work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Empirically, this paper questions whether accounting can help cope with crisis and preserve some form of feminist ideals. Theoretically, this paper aims to explore how accounting affects the division of emotional work in times of crisis. Design/methodology/approach: The paper relies on a qualitative study that investigates "life under lockdown" during the COVID crisis and focuses on middle-class well-educated couples aspiring for some form of gender equality and who introduced accounting tools (schedules, charts, to-do-lists, etc.) in their daily life to achieve it. Findings: The paper argues that accounting tools are not able to prevent couples from adopting traditional ways of carrying out emotional work. By favoring the masculine way of displaying emotions, they make invisible women's efforts for comforting. They even mask the unequal distribution of emotional work under some form of "neoliberal equality". Also, in a context where middle-class standards are perceived as crucial to meet for both parents to keep their social position, accounting tools, by holding parents accountable for these standards, let no time to find alternative ways of living. Consequently, traditional roles become impossible to reverse. Research limitations/implications: The paper investigates accounting, gender and emotions by showing the importance of making emotional work visible at a household but also at an organizational and societal level. It calls for an "integrative" emotional display that is crucial for resilience in times of crisis and invites to challenge neoliberal middle-class standards that make household life difficult for most women. Theoretically, it invites for further exploring how accounting tools are constructed and negotiated and how unpredictable elements of life other than emotions affect gender when accounting tools are introduced in times of crisis. Originality/value: This article contributes to the literature on gender-in-accounting by introducing the concept of emotional work and showing how accounting tools affect the gendered division of emotional work in praxis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the consequences of the COVID-19 global health crisis on the fashion and textile industry in France. This crisis is only part of an already long, slow decline in the industry. The paper analyzes the composition and organization of textile industry. It offers data related to: sales, consumption, employees, company size, as well as imports and exports - all highlighting the importance of fashion and textiles in France today. The paper shows how lockdown has asphyxiated production and retail sales. COVID-19 caused the appearance of new challenges: mask production, new aspects of CSR in luxury textiles and the development of antiviral fabrics. Mask production can be considered as a case study useful in the analysis of textile challenges. In this context, the French textile industry should continue to improve on innovation and quality. Promoting labelling on the global market can help the sector to develop its high-end. France is credible to expanding its fashion and textile supply in luxury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research background: Economic relations between countries members of the EU and EU candidates are very strong. Germany and France have the leading economies of the EU, are in the top ten economies worldwide, and drivers of EU development. Serbia has strong economic relations with Germany and France, especially with Germany. Therefore, it is necessary to examine whether Germany and France impact the development of Serbia. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine if there is a positive influence of a developed country on a developing country. The aim of the paper is to determine whether there is a long- and short-term positive relationship between Germany and France (EU members) and the Serbian economy (EU candidate). Research methodology: A Vector Error Correction Model is used to analyze quarterly data from 2002Q2 to 2018Q2. Results: The results showed a statistically significant long-term relationship between Germany and France and Serbia's real GDPs, so EU members have a long-term positive impact on the economy of EU candidates. In the case of the French, there is a short-run positive impact on the Serbian economy. For Germany, it is not the case. Novelty: This paper fills the literature gap about the influence of a developed country on a developing country. Recommendations for policymakers in EU candidates could be that if they want to motivate people to accept the process of access to the EU, they must provide them with more information about long-run economic benefits from the association to the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, physics-based numerical simulation (PBS) is employed to render a broad-band (0–10 Hz) realization of the near-field seismic response of the experimental nuclear site of Cadarache, located nearby the active Middle Durance Fault (southeastern France). The sensitivity of the earthquake numerical model to geological features is investigated by comparison with geophysical measurements and past aftershock and by highlighting the amplification induced by the soft sediments below Cadarache. The blind prediction of an M W6 target earthquake is approached by synthesizing four different finite-fault scenarios. The outcome is compared to the standard ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs), unveiling a possible GMPE overestimation of the pseudospectral acceleration ordinates at short natural periods, supporting the actual need to integrate synthetic and empirical predictions when direct observations are not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, long short-term memory (LSTM) networks have been successfully applied to a key problem in hydrology: the prediction of runoff. Unlike traditional conceptual models, LSTM models are built on concepts that avoid the need for our knowledge of hydrology to be formally encoded into the model. The question, then, is how we can still make use of our domain knowledge and traditional practices, not to build the LSTM models themselves, as we do for conceptual models, but to use them more effectively. In the present paper, we adopt this approach, investigating how we can use information concerning the hydrologic characteristics of catchments for LSTM runoff models. In this first application of LSTM in a French context, we use 361 gauged catchments with very diverse hydrologic conditions from across France. The catchments have long time series of at least 30 years. Our main directions for investigation include (a) the relationship between LSTM performance and the length of the LSTM input sequence within different hydrologic regimes, (b) the importance of the hydrologic homogeneity of catchments when training LSTMs on a group of catchments, and (c) the interconnected influence of the local tuning of the two important LSTM hyperparameters, namely the length of the input sequence and the hidden unit size, on the performance of group-trained LSTMs. We present a classification built on three indices taken from the runoff, precipitation, and temperature regimes. We use this classification as our measure of homogeneity: catchments within the same regime are assumed to be hydrologically homogeneous. We train LSTMs on individual catchments (local-level training), on catchments within the same regime (regime-level training), and on the entire sample (national-level training). We benchmark local LSTMs using the GR4J conceptual model, which is able to represent the water gains/losses in a catchment. We show that LSTM performance has the highest sensitivity to the length of the input sequence in the Uniform and Nival regimes, where the dominant hydrologic process of the regime has clear long-term dynamics; thus, long input sequences should be chosen in these cases. In other regimes, this level of sensitivity is not found. Moreover, in some regimes, almost no sensitivity is observed. Therefore, the size of the input sequence in these regimes does not need to be large. Overall, our homogeneous regime-level training slightly outperforms our heterogeneous national-level training. This shows that the same level of data adequacy with respect to the complexity of representation(s) to be learned is achieved in both levels of training. We do not, however, exclude a potential role of the regime-informed property of our national LSTMs, which use previous classification variables as static attributes. Last but not least, we demonstrate that the local selection of the two important LSTM hyperparameters (the length of the input sequence and the hidden unit size) combined with national-level training can lead to the best runoff prediction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the impact of past mining on public safety. It emphasizes the need to understand the induced seismic hazard and consequently improve the post-mining management procedures and legislations, as many mining sites are located in proximity to populated areas. Due to many challenges and complexity of the post-mining environments, induced seismic hazard nowadays remains largely unknown. However, the return experience of several post-mining sites in recent decades have shown us that the mine flooding and/or degradation of mining works can lead to the stress perturbations, inducing the seismicity and the reactivation of the surrounding geological faults. Hence, it is important to advance the seismic monitoring and research of seismicity in flooded post-mining districts. As the number of mine closures worldwide is rising, it can be expected that flooding induced reactivation of the surrounding faults becomes a more often observed phenomenon. We present in this paper the experience of the abandoned flooded coal mine of Gardanne in France, which has been experiencing post-mining seismicity problems since its closure in 2010. We show the results of a recent study of seismic multiplets and clustering of seismic events, as well as their spatio-temporal activity compared to meteorological conditions. These results provide us new insights as well as lead to raising new questions on seismic sources and triggering mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper tests the claim that insurers often engage in risk‐shifting years before the materialization of a failure. It compares the mechanisms of insurance insolvency across different jurisdictions, using a first‐of‐its‐kind international database assembled by the authors, merging individual financial data together with information on impairments over the last 30 years in four of the largest insurance markets in the world (France, Japan, the UK, and the United States). Results show evidence that low profitability is a leading indicator of failures. Further, there is an asymmetry between life insurance, where bond investment is highly significant, and nonlife insurance sectors, where operating inefficiency plays a larger role. Moreover, this paper highlights differences across countries: a stronger reaction to operating inefficiency in nonlife insurance in France and a less positive impact of bond investment in life insurance in Japan. Both results are linked to differences in the functioning of insurance markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six agricultural landscapes in Poland (PL), the Netherlands (NL), France (FR), Italy (IT), Scotland (UK) and Denmark (DK) were studied, and a common method was developed for undertaking farm inventories and the derivation of farm nitrogen (N) balances and N surplus from the in total 222 farms and 11 440 ha of farmland. In all landscapes, a large variation in the farm N surplus was found, and thereby a large potential for reductions. The highest average N surpluses were found in the most livestock-intensive landscapes of IT, FR, and NL; on average 202±28, 179±63 and 178±20 kgNha-1 yr-1, respectively. However, all landscapes showed hotspots, especially from livestock farms, including a special UK case with landless large-scale poultry farming. So, whereas the average N surplus from the land-based UK farms dominated by extensive sheep grazing was only 31±10 kgNha-1 yr-1, the landscape average was similar to those of PL and DK (122±20 and 146±55 kgNha-1 yr-1, respectively) when landless poultry were included. However, the challenge remains how to account for indirect N surpluses and emissions from such farms with a large export of manure out of the landscape. We conclude that farm N balances are a useful indicator for N losses and the potential for improving N management. Significant correlations to N surplus were found, both with ammonia air concentrations and nitrate levels in soils and groundwater, measured during the landscape data collection campaign from 2007-2009. This indicates that farm N surpluses may be used as an independent dataset for validation of measured and modelled N emissions in agricultural landscapes. However, no significant correlation was found to N measured in surface waters, probably because of the short time horizon of the study. A case study of the development in N surplus from the landscape in DK from 1998-2008 showed a 22% reduction, related to statistically significant effects (p < 0.01) of measures targeted at reducing N emissions from livestock farms. Based on the large differences between the average and the most modern and N-efficient farms, it was concluded that N-surplus reductions of 25--50% as compared to the present level were realistic in all landscapes. The implemented N-surplus method was thus effective at comparing and synthesizing results on farm N emissions and the potentials of mitigation options, and is recommended for use in combination with other methods for the assessment of landscape N emissions and farm N efficiency, including more detailed 5 N sink and N source hotspot mapping, measurements and modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article compares the administration of whooping cough immunization in France and Great Britain. It has been noted that the latter is not really active in the vaccination policy, while the former normally incorporates whooping cough vaccine with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids. However, administration of the vaccine had brought out various side effects in each of the country.

The article presents a case study which investigates the use of agricultural statistics for C3 crops and grasslands to verify the interannual variability of biomass simulated by interactions between soil, biosphere and atmosphere (ISBA)-A-gs land surface model (LSM) over the 1994-2008 period in France. The study reveals that agricultural statistics have potential to evaluate plant response to drought. It shows that agricultural statistics can be utilized for model benchmarking.

The article discusses the ground-based observatory, the Observations of the Atmosphere by Solar absorption Infrared Spectroscopy (OASIS), which was installed in Créteil, Paris, France to measure atmospheric ozone concentrations. It compares the tropospheric ozone columns obtained by the OASIS with data derived from Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). It also explores the ability of a Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) instrument to monitor tropospheric ozone.

Low-salinity water (LSW, Salinity<37.5) lenses detached from the Rhone River plume under specific wind conditions tend to favour the biological productivity and potentially a transfer of energy to higher trophic levels on the Gulf of Lions (GoL). A field cruise conducted in May 2006 (BIOPRHOFI) followed some LSW lenses by using a lagrangian strategy. A thorough analysis of the available data set enabled to further improve our understanding of the LSW lenses' functioning and their potential influence on marine ecosystems. Through an innovative 3-D coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical modelling approach, a specific calibration dedicated to river plume ecosystems was then proposed and validated on field data. Exploring the role of ecosystems on the particulate organic carbon (POC) export and deposition on the shelf, a sensitivity analysis to the particulate organic matter inputs from the Rhone River was carried out from 1 April to 15 July 2006. Over such a typical end-of-spring period marked by moderate floods, the main deposition area of POC was identified alongshore between 0 and 50m depth on the GoL, extending the Rhone prodelta to the west towards the exit of the shelf. Moreover, the main deposition area of terrestrial POC was found on the prodelta region, which confirms recent results from sediment data. The averaged daily deposition of particulate organic carbon over the whole GoL is estimated by the model between 40 and 80 mgC/m², which is in the range of previous secular estimations. The role 20 of ecosystems on the POC export toward sediments or offshore areas was actually highlighted and feedbacks between ecosystems and particulate organic matters are proposed to explain paradoxical model results to the sensitivity test. In fact, the conversion of organic matter in living organisms would increase the retention of organic matter in the food web and this matter transfer along the food web could explain the 25 minor quantity of POC of marine origin observed in the shelf sediments. Thus, the effective carbon deposition on the shelf might be strongly dependent on the zooplankton presence in the GoL. Owing to their fertilizing ability in phosphorus, the LSW lenses could then have indirectly a negative impact on the carbon deposition on the shelf by favouring the development of large phytoplankton fuelling in turn zooplankton communities. The effective carbon deposition would then be delayed out of the GoL, unless a novel transfer of matter occurs toward higher trophic levels further in the open sea through small pelagic fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the winners of the Marr Prize given at the biannual flagship vision conference, the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision, held in Nice, France. Selection criteria; Members of the selection committee.

The article presents information on the 2003 IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society's (GRS-S) Awards that were presented at the IGARSS'03 banquet on July 24 at Hotel Dieu in Toulouse, France. Charles Luther, the president of the society, presented those awards with the assistance of the Awards Committee Chairman Werner Wiesbeck. The award ceremony was started with the recognition of the IEEE Fellows who have declared the GRS-Society as their home society. The GRS-S Transactions Editor, based on recommendations of associate editors and reviewers, compiled the list of nominees for the Transactions Prize Paper Award.

In the frame of the France-Japan agreement on nuclear collaboration, a bilateral collaboration agreement on nuclear energy was signed on March 21st, 2017, including a topic dedicated to Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR). This agreement has set the framework to start a bilateral discussion on a joint view of an SFR concept. France (CEA and FRAMATOME) and Japan (JAEA, MHI and MFBR) have carried out these studies from 2017 to 2019. Based on the beginning of the basic design phase of ASTRID project − ASTRID − 600 MWe (ASTRID for Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor for Industrial Demonstration), the two countries performed a common work to examine ways to develop a feasible common design concept, which could be realized both in France and in Japan. The subject was then extended and extrapolated with the ASTRID − 150 MWe data (reduced power reactor and enhanced experimental capabilities) in a second phase of this study. France and Japan first focused on design requirements. Common requirements were identified, as well as differences in the safety approach and the structural design requirements, according to national standards and respective site conditions, in particular considering seismic hazards. The teams developed common Top-Level design Requirements (TLRs) to allow common specification data, then joint design. This collaborative work was carried out through the implementation of twelve France-Japan Working Groups, working jointly. This paper is providing a review of this joint synthesis on Sodium Fast Reactor design concept. It is summarizing the context and objectives, then the definition and approaches of the Top Level Requirements. This paper is then dealing with the major design features: the core design and their related safety aspects, and the nuclear island design. Thus, this paper is providing a comprehensive review of this joint work gathering French and Japan nuclear design teams during two full years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on academic integrity reveal high rates of plagiarism and cheating among students. We have developed an online teaching tool, Integrity Games (https://integgame.eu/), that uses serious games to teach academic integrity. In this paper, we test the impact of a soft intervention – a short quiz – that was added to the Integrity Games website to increase users' interest in learning about integrity. Based on general principles of behavioral science, our quiz highlighted the intricacy of integrity issues, generated social comparisons, and produced personalized advice. We expected that these interventions would create a need for knowledge and encourage participants to spend more time on the website. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial involving N = 405 students from Switzerland and France, half of the users had to take a short quiz before playing the serious games, while the other half could directly play the games. We measured how much time they spent playing the games, and, in a post-experimental survey, we measured their desire to learn about integrity issues and their understanding of integrity issues. Results: Contrary to our expectations, the quiz had a negative impact on time spent playing the serious games. Moreover, the quiz did not increase participants' desire to learn about integrity issues or their overall understanding of the topic. Conclusions: Our quiz did not have any measurable impact on curiosity or understanding of integrity issues, and may have had a negative impact on time spent on the Integrity games website. Our results highlight the difficulty of implementing behavioral insights in a real-world setting. Trial registration: The study was preregistered at https://osf.io/73xty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SEIR (Susceptible–Exposed–Infected–Recovered) approach is a classic modeling method that is frequently used to study infectious diseases. However, in the vast majority of such models transitions from one population group to another are described using the mass-action law. That causes inability to reproduce observable dynamics of an infection such as the incubation period or progression of the disease's symptoms. In this paper, we propose a new approach to simulate the epidemic dynamics based on a system of differential equations with time delays and instant transitions to approximate durations of transition processes more correctly and make model parameters more clear. The suggested approach can be applied not only to Covid-19 but also to the study of other infectious diseases. We utilized it in the development of the delay-based model of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and France. The model takes into account testing of different population groups, symptoms progression from mild to critical, vaccination, duration of protective immunity and new virus strains. The stringency index was used as a generalized characteristic of the non-pharmaceutical government interventions in corresponding countries to contain the virus spread. The parameter identifiability analysis demonstrated that the presented modeling approach enables to significantly reduce the number of parameters and make them more identifiable. Both models are publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Raumforschung und Raumordnung is the property of Oekom Verlag GmbH 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.)

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

This paper explores the influence of spatial mobility on the risk of overeducation of French young workers. Mobilizing a survey following a cohort of young graduates entering the labour market from 2010 until 2013, our results reveal that interregional migration decreases the risk of (statistical and subjective) overeducation. We also evidence that migration to an economic centre (the Paris region) has an even stronger negative effect and that more educated workers benefit more from spatial mobility. These results are robust to controlling for self‐selection and the endogeneity of migration, as well as to various specifications of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat is an important element in human nutrition, and its consumption is expected to increase in the coming years in parallel with population growth. However, the livestock sector faces problems related to climate change, animal protection and welfare, and various epizootics, which have decimated livestock. In this context, the article analyses pig, cattle and sheep herds, as well as the production of pig, beef and sheep meat resulting from slaughterhouses in the EU, focusing on the main animal breeders and meat producers, for the period 2018-2022. The results of the study show that the number of pigs, cattle and sheep in the EU decreased during the period under review, as well as the total production of slaughtered meat. The most important pig breeders were Spain, Germany and France, for cattle - France, Germany and Ireland, and for sheep - Spain, Romania and Greece. Among the meat-producing countries stood out: for pork - Spain, Germany and France; for beef - France, Germany and Italy and for sheep meat - Spain, France and Ireland. At the same time, the article presents the perspectives of meat consumption, in the context of the pressures to which the livestock sector is subject and the changes that are manifested in the food preferences of European consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles is the property of Asociacion de Geografos Espanoles 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.)

In this paper we describe a new lizard from the early Eocene of the Cos locality in the Quercy region (near the Caylus village, Southwest France). The age of the Cos deposit has been proposed as the MP 10-11 interval, close to the transition of the late Ypresian to early Lutetian. The fossil material includes a nearly complete right maxilla and a large section of the right dentary, both elements attributed to Pan-Gekkota. These specimens are morphologically different from crown gekkotans, therefore, we describe them as a new species. Some aspects of the maxilla are very atypical regarding geckos (e.g., the shape of the facial process). The posterior margin of the facial process slopes down gradually dorsoventrally towards the jugal facet, reaching the posterior end of the maxilla, in contrast to gekkotans, where the facial process ends anterior to the posterior end of the maxilla. A similar maxilla is present in the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous pan-gekkotan genus Eichstaettisaurus. This suggests that the new fossil taxon represents either a lineage that persisted from the Mesozoic to the early Eocene in Europe, or perhaps a morphology otherwise unrepresented in crown gekkotans. We allocate this taxon provisionally to Pan-Gekkota, and contribute to increase the diversity of this clade in Western Europe during the Paleogene, which now includes the stratigraphically similarly aged Laonogekko lefevrei from France (MP 10), and older Dollogekko from Belgium (MP 7). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The Indo-Pacific has partially replaced the term Asia-Pacific and emerged as a geo-economic and geostrategic concept over the last decade, with Japan, Australia, the United States, and India launching their respective plans. As a resident power and a long-time partner, France seized the opportunity. In May 2018, the French Indo-Pacific strategy was initiated during President Macron's state visit to Australia and released as an official document a year later, making France the first European power to adopt such a strategy. To unveil the driving forces behind French policies and the roles of France in the region, this article employs major theories in international relations (realism, liberalism, and constructivism). In particular, the authors analyze France's tactical actions concerning like-minded partners and a rising China, addressing how France can protect its interests and amplify its leverage in the region amid Sino-American tensions. The paper specifies several differences between the French approach and other major countries. Last but not least, given the importance of the Franco-ASEAN links mentioned in Section Three of the official strategy, the article also clarifies recent developments in their relationship, focusing on the role of Vietnam in France's overall scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the emergence of Live Streaming Shopping (LSS) in Europe and the scant academic coverage it has attracted in terms of characterization, this study's aim is twofold: (1) explore how both consumers and retailers assess the distinctive attributes of LSS in order to identify its characteristics as a new form of commerce, or even retail format, and (2) analyze the motivations of both consumers and retailers for choosing it. Design/methodology/approach: A hybrid literature review – bibliometric and structured – summarizes the body of research available on LSS. Considering the research gap and the authors' two research questions, a qualitative methodology was adopted. This incorporates three primary data sets, collected in France from LSS experts, retail managers and consumers over 18 months. Findings: LSS is a new online retail format, to be added to the range of existing options as it exhibits a typical retailing mix that is substantially different from other formats. From the retailer's perspective, three main motivations are identified while for the consumer, a total of seven motivations to participate in LSS sessions emerged. This new online format appears to be part of the continuum reflecting omnichannel integration. Research limitations/implications: Once the LSS literature has been further developed, the bibliometric review could be repeated to better map the field within contemporary research. Practical implications: Today's retailers cannot ignore LSS: it is a multifaceted hybrid format and touchpoint that is part of an omnichannel strategy and through which both quantitative and qualitative objectives can be achieved. Originality/value: This paper (1) structures the emerging literature on LSS by developing the first hybrid literature review on the topic; (2) substantiates what characterizes LSS as a retail format from the consumer and retailer perspectives and a retail touchpoint in the consumer's omnichannel journey; and (3) proposes a definition of LSS and a research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The aim of this paper is to discuss the management aspect of artificial intelligence development policy by the national regulators of the 27 European Union (EU) member states. The solutions formulated by three of them—Germany, France (as a pioneers), and Poland—are analyzed in depth. The obtained results allow us to conclude that out of 27 EU countries, only one has not yet prepared its strategic project on artificial intelligence (AI) development, while among the existing policies one can find significant differences in the approach to the matter of strategic management. The research methods used are content analysis and comparative analysis of selected source documents. In the course of the deliberations presented, key legal acts concerning the areas of AI and modern technologies are cited. The presented work formulates a starting point for further research and directions of changes in the management of AI development policy. The attention of subsequent researchers should focus on the possibility of a detailed analysis of other documents published by EU member states, a comparison of policies of other countries across the world, and even an attempt to examine the global dimension of AI strategies. The article addresses the problem of creating law only following, rather than preceding, the emergence of technological changes, the lack of systemic regulation of AI tools and mechanisms, as well as the absence of integrated forms of international cooperation with a strategic and long-term dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]