Scientific Methodology in Nineteenth Century Britain: Volume IV, Forces, Fields, and Energy: Physical Sciences

This collection of primary sources examines scientific methodology in Britain during the long nineteenth century. The nineteenth century begins with what was still a largely Newtonian perspective on the nature of matter and the physical world – Newtonian bodies moving through space, guided by a collection of forces, with gravity foremost among them. By the end of the century, physical science had refocused itself around the concept of energy, the first moves toward the understanding of atomic structure had been undertaken, and electricity and magnetism were understood in terms of fields of force. This volume examines primary sources related to the philosophy of the physical sciences, and will be of great interest to students of the history of philosophy and the history of science

User experience with adaptive user interfaces: Comparing performance and preferences

Adaptive user interfaces dynamically change their content, presentation, and behavior to optimize the user experience, which has been primarily evaluated using classic usability measures but to a lesser extent by using neurological measures. While the perceived preference of specific user interface elements, such as graphical adaptive menus, has already been studied, no consensus exists regarding their performance and how to substitute a static menu with an adaptive one. To gain insights into how graphical adaptive menus could influence the user experience and to identify any correlation between users’ performance and their preferences, we conducted an experiment in which forty participants used twenty graphical adaptive menus while their brain activity was captured by employing electroencephalography to derive four measures (i.e., cognitive load, engagement, attraction, and memorization). User performance was measured using task completion time, specifically the time to select menu items. Statistical analysis suggested which graphical adaptive menus were significantly better or worse than the static menu, our baseline. These results are used as the basis to suggest implications for software developers and researchers to design more effective adaptive user interfaces

Scientific Methodology in Nineteenth Century Britain: Volume III, Quantifying Life: Statistical, Social and Human Sciences

This collection of primary sources examines scientific methodology in Britain during the long nineteenth century. The nineteenth century played host to the development, for the first time, of statistical and probabilistic methods across the biological, human, and social sciences. A new kind of quantified, statistical social science came into being. Such innovations were quickly marshaled for use in the life sciences, from evolution to agriculture to eugenics. This title will be of great interest to students of the history of philosophy and the history of science

L'article 14 de la Convention européenne des droits de l'homme

L’article 14 paraissait destiné à ne jouer qu’un rôle modeste dans le droit de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme (CEDH). Principale limite : il n’interdit la discrimination que dans la jouissance des droits et libertés garantis par la Convention, revêtant un caractère accessoire par rapport aux autres dispositions. De fait, cette disposition a longtemps fait l’objet d’une jurisprudence limitée et d’une interprétation prudente de la part de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme. Mais depuis les années 2000, cette situation s’est inversée de façon spectaculaire. Les arrêts traitant de la discrimination se sont multipliés jusqu’à constituer une jurisprudence foisonnante. Mais c’est aussi l’interprétation de la norme inscrite à l’article 14 qui a été sensiblement enrichie et complexifiée. Par ailleurs, au-delà des considérations juridiques, la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme relative à l’article 14 constitue un passionnant observatoire de l’évolution des mœurs et des mentalités au sein des sociétés européennes et un révélateur des nouveaux débats qui les traversent. Entre 1949 et aujourd’hui, la conception de la famille, la vision des rapports de genre, la perception de l’homosexualité ont été profondément transformées. Les sociétés européennes se sont fortement diversifiées sur les plans culturel et religieux. Les problèmes du racisme et de l’exclusion structurelle frappant certains groupes ethniques ont suscité une attention croissante. Le regard porté sur le handicap s’est notablement modifié, surtout depuis les années 2000. Toutes ces transformations sont à la fois reflétées et alimentées par la jurisprudence de la Cour. Elles ont contribué à convaincre la Cour que certaines distinctions autrefois largement considérées comme légitimes méritaient d’être remises en cause. A travers ses constats de violation de l’article 14, la Cour elle-même renforce ces dynamiques et contribue à les étendre à l’ensemble des Etats du Conseil de l’Europe. Sur certains sujets, cependant, elle peut se montrer prudente et s’en remettre à la marge nationale d’appréciation face à des questions de société qu’elle juge trop indéterminées ou trop controversées pour adopter un point de vue tranché. Ce chapitre commence par évoquer les travaux préparatoires de l’article 14 de la Convention (II). Il précise ensuite la portée du caractère accessoire de cette disposition (III). Dans un troisième temps, il expose la façon dont la Cour a interprété la notion de discrimination au sens de cet article, en mettant en lumière les différentes formes de discrimination qu’elle a progressivement dégagées. (IV). On se penche enfin sur l’interprétation des critères prohibés de discrimination couverts par cet article. (V)

Hypoxia in head and neck cancer: current relevance

Hypoxia is a common characteristic of solid tumors, typically resulting from abnormal and inefficient tumor vasculature that fails to meet the high oxygen demands of rapidly dividing tumor cells. While healthy tissues generally maintain oxygen levels around 5%, most tumors exhibit median oxygen levels below 1%, a condition known to cause radioresistance. This observation has led to efforts to reverse tumor hypoxia or, alternatively, to exploit the hypoxic environment to ensure selective cytotoxicity of drugs, particularly in the context of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Nimorazole is one such hypoxia-activated compound that is at the center of a lively debate surrounding clinical trials conducted 25 years apart. At the edge of this passionate discussion, the higher radiosensitivity of HPV-positive oropharyngeal carcinoma (compared to HPV-negative HNSCC) presents an intriguing opportunity to identify molecular determinants of therapeutic response. Additionally, the resurgence of studies investigating tumor metabolism has brought renewed attention to strategies that combat hypoxia not by providing external oxygen, but by inhibiting cancer cell respiration. Ultimately, these insights underscore the potential for innovative treatments to improve HNSCC patient outcomes

Journalistic Values

This entry provides an overview of the major journalistic values in Western and non-Western countries. While numerous theoretical frameworks exist, our entry focuses mainly on normative theories of the media and cultural and comparative approaches. These theories show recurrent values in journalism practice and identity: truth, accuracy, independence, public interest, monitorial role, credibility and public forum. While these values are generally accepted by journalists, key differences still exist depending on the political and socio-cultural context. I therefore devote special attention to non-Western cultures and their journalistic values, such as social harmony, collectiveness, solidarity and deference to powers. The theoretical framework for this part relates to journalistic cultures (Hanitzsch et al., 2019) and media systems (Hallin & Mancini, 2004). I conclude by detailing some open questions for future research

« Reconstituer les cadres des polices locales » L’épuration des commissaires de police en Belgique après la Seconde Guerre mondiale

Cet article étudie l'épuration des commissaires de police des villes belges par la Police générale du Royaume après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Cette étude a été réalisée à partir des archives de la PGR dans le cadre du projet BRAIN.be "Napol-Intel"