Latinité d’Occident, Latinité d’Orient: Le ‘Latin’ du Livre des Cérémonies de Constantin Porphyrogénète

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the imperial ritual was preserved and systematized in the East, in the ‘Byzantine’ Empire, by intensifying and Christianizing. The Book of Ceremonies by Constantine Porphyrogennetos, written in Greek in Constantinople in the 10th century, by compiling protocols of the previous centuries, gathers a rich collection of court rituals to be observed during the great religious and civil ceremonies which accompanied the important events of the reigns of the sovereigns, and the sportive events at the Hippodrome. We investigate about the permanence and the future of the Latin language in the ceremonial of the Byzantine Court: the survival of formulaic expressions of order and acclamation in Latin (rhômaïzein), Latin phrases underlaying the Greek text, and a great lot of Latinisms (rhômaï(k)a lexis) in the institutional and technical lexicon, sometimes unknown in Latin, which attest integrational processes, lexical creation, and phenomens of ‘aller-retour’ (round trip) between the West and the East, and between the Greek and the Latin languages

Le De aduerbio de Priscien

International audienceQuantitativement, l’essentiel du De aduerbio est consacré à deux classifications: la classification morphologique selon la finale, et la classification sémantique. Cela étant, ce qui précède ces deux ensembles définit un cadre d’analyse qui leur donne leur sens. La définition initiale de l’adverbe en dégage deux caractères : l’un formel, l’invariabilité, l’autre sémantico-fonctionnel, à savoir que sa signification se combine avec celle du verbe. L’ensemble du livre sur l’adverbe illustre ensuite de diverses façons les problèmes que pose la relation entre ces niveaux formel, sémantique et fonctionnel

Treatment sequences and prognostic/predictive factors in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: univariate and multivariate analyses of a real-world study in Europe

BACKGROUND: Real-world data on treatment patterns/outcomes for metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPAC) are limited. This study aims to assess real-world treatment patterns, survival outcomes, and prognostic/predictive factors in patients with mPAC. METHODS: Retrospective, observational, chart-review involving medical oncologists and gastroenterologists from five European countries. Physicians reported information on disease and patient characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment for patients diagnosed with mPAC from January-October 2016. Outcomes included median progression-free survival (mPFS), median overall survival (mOS), and the impact of baseline performance status on survival. Univariate/multivariate regression analyses were undertaken to identify prognostic/predictive factors. RESULTS: Three hundred four physicians and 3432 patients were included. First-line therapies included modified (m)FOLFIRINOX (28.4%), gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (28.0%), and gemcitabine monotherapy (23.0%). Frequent second-line therapies were gemcitabine monotherapy (25.0%), fluorouracil (5-FU) + oxaliplatin (21.8%), and gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (16.7%). Most frequent first- to second-line treatment sequences were gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel followed by fluoropyrimidine combinations. Longest unadjusted estimated mOS was observed with (m)FOLFIRINOX followed by gemcitabine-based combinations (19.1 months). Multivariate analysis identified significant prognostic/predictive factors for OS and PFS including performance status and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) levels. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment and treatment sequences were generally in accordance with guidelines at the time of the study. Identification of prognostic/predictive factors for survival may help inform the individualised management of mPAC patients in the future

Super-heavy fermion material as metallic refrigerant for adiabatic demagnetization cooling

Low-temperature refrigeration is of crucial importance in fundamental research of condensed matter physics, as the investigations of fascinating quantum phenomena, such as superconductivity, superfluidity and quantum criticality, often require refrigeration down to very low temperatures. Currently, cryogenic refrigerators with $^3$He gas are widely used for cooling below 1 Kelvin. However, usage of the gas is being increasingly difficult due to the current world-wide shortage. Therefore, it is important to consider alternative methods of refrigeration. Here, we show that a new type of refrigerant, super-heavy electron metal, YbCo$_2$Zn$_{20}$, can be used for adiabatic demagnetization refrigeration, which does not require 3He gas. A number of advantages includes much better metallic thermal conductivity compared to the conventional insulating refrigerants. We also demonstrate that the cooling performance is optimized in Yb$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$Co$_2$Zn$_{20}$ by partial Sc substitution with $x\sim$0.19. The substitution induces chemical pressure which drives the materials close to a zero-field quantum critical point. This leads to an additional enhancement of the magnetocaloric effect in low fields and low temperatures enabling final temperatures well below 100 mK. Such performance has up to now been restricted to insulators. Since nearly a century the same principle of using local magnetic moments has been applied for adiabatic demagnetization cooling. This study opens new possibilities of using itinerant magnetic moments for the cryogen-free refrigeration

Heme Degrading Protein HemS Is Involved in Oxidative Stress Response of Bartonella henselae

Bartonellae are hemotropic bacteria, agents of emerging zoonoses. These bacteria are heme auxotroph Alphaproteobacteria which must import heme for supporting their growth, as they cannot synthesize it. Therefore, Bartonella genome encodes for a complete heme uptake system allowing the transportation of this compound across the outer membrane, the periplasm and the inner membranes. Heme has been proposed to be used as an iron source for Bartonella since these bacteria do not synthesize a complete system required for iron Fe3+uptake. Similarly to other bacteria which use heme as an iron source, Bartonellae must transport this compound into the cytoplasm and degrade it to allow the release of iron from the tetrapyrrole ring. For Bartonella, the gene cluster devoted to the synthesis of the complete heme uptake system also contains a gene encoding for a polypeptide that shares homologies with heme trafficking or degrading enzymes. Using complementation of an E. coli mutant strain impaired in heme degradation, we demonstrated that HemS from Bartonella henselae expressed in E. coli allows the release of iron from heme. Purified HemS from B. henselae binds heme and can degrade it in the presence of a suitable electron donor, ascorbate or NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase. Knocking down the expression of HemS in B. henselae reduces its ability to face H2O2 induced oxidative stress

Host Iron Binding Proteins Acting as Niche Indicators for Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis requires iron, and in the absence of iron alters its gene expression to increase iron acquisition and to make the best use of the iron it has. During different stages of colonization and infection available iron sources differ, particularly the host iron-binding proteins haemoglobin, transferrin, and lactoferrin. This study compared the transcriptional responses of N. meningitidis, when grown in the presence of these iron donors and ferric iron, using microarrays

DprA Is Essential for Natural Competence in Riemerella anatipestifer and Has a Conserved Evolutionary Mechanism

Riemerella anatipestifer ATCC11845 (RA ATCC11845) is naturally competent. However, the genes involved in natural transformation in this species remain largely unknown. Bioinformatic analysis predicts that DprA of RA (DprARa) has three domains: a sterile alpha motif (SAM), a Rossmann fold (RF) domain and a Z-DNA-binding domain (Zα). Inactivation of dprA abrogated natural transformation in RA ATCC11845, and this effect was restored by the expression of dprA in trans. The dprA with SAM and RF domains of Streptococcus pneumoniae and the dprA with RF and Zα domains of Helicobacter pylori was able to restore natural transformation in the RA ATCC11845 dprA mutant. An Arg123 mutation in the RF domain of R. anatipestifer was not able to restore natural transformation of the RA ATCC11845 dprA mutant. Furthermore, DprAR123E abolished its ability to bind DNA, suggesting that the RF domain is essential for the function of DprA. Finally, the dprA of Fusobacterium naviforme which has not been reported to be natural competent currently was partially able to restore natural transformation in RA ATCC11845 dprA mutant. These results collectively suggest that DprA has a conserved evolutionary mechanism

Appropriating its margins through World Heritage in the province of Sichuan (China)

La ratification de la Convention concernant la protection du patrimoine mondial culturel et naturel par la République populaire de Chine, en 1985, a permis au gouvernement chinois de s’insérer dans un processus patrimonial international, tout en poursuivant des objectifs nationaux en interne. Nous nous intéressons, dans cette thèse, aux projets d’appropriation du territoire de la province du Sichuan, menés sous couvert de patrimoine mondial. Les frontières administratives du Sichuan se sont en effet déplacées vers l’ouest au cours du XXe siècle, en intégrant progressivement des territoires de marges du plateau du Qinghai-Tibet, principalement peuplés de minorités ethniques tibétaines et qiang. Dans ce contexte, la constitution d’une identité culturelle pour ce nouvel espace provincial constitue un enjeu d’importance, et le patrimoine en est l’outil privilégié. Cette thèse se situe à l’interface de la géographie du développement, des heritage studies, de la géographie du droit et de la géopolitique. Elle s’intéresse à la construction d’un récit patrimonial sichuanais qui valorise la Chine des Han et replace la province (et ses frontières actuelles) dans un processus historique de construction nationale et d’intégration progressive des marges, par la mise en scène patrimoniale d’une interface entre Chine et Tibet. À l’échelle des sites, la matérialisation du droit sur l’espace montre à la fois des processus de désenclavement des territoires périphériques, par la mise en tourisme du patrimoine, et une tentative d’exclusion des populations locales, via le rachat des terres par l’État, le déplacement des populations et/ou la folklorisation des cultures locales. L’étude comparative de quatre des cinq sites inscrits sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco au Sichuan nous a ainsi permis de montrer l’établissement d’un gradient culture/nature d’est en ouest de l’espace provincial. Dans la plaine du Sichuan, depuis longtemps sinisée, le patrimoine sert à la mise en valeur d’une identité culturelle chinoise visant à montrer la cohérence du territoire provincial. Dans les contreforts tibétains, il met en valeur des patrimoines naturels valorisés en tant que paysages chinois, et tend à exclure les minorités du récit patrimonial. Ce faisant, l’Unesco constitue à la fois un instrument de légitimation pour les politiques patrimoniales de la Chine qui poursuivent des objectifs de valorisation du territoire national, et un lieu d’influence où le pays valorise et exporte ses propres catégories patrimoniales.The ratification of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage by the People’s Republic of China in 1985 enabled the Chinese government to filter into an international heritage process, while pursuing national objectives internally. In this thesis, we are interested in the projects of appropriation of the Sichuan province territory, carried out under cover of world heritage. The administrative borders of Sichuan have indeed moved to the west during the 20th century, gradually integrating margin territories of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, mainly populated by Tibetan and Qiang minorities. In this context, the constitution of a cultural identity for this new provincial space constitutes an important stake, and the heritage is the privileged tool. This thesis stands at the crossroads of Geography of development, Heritage Studies, Legal geography and Geopolitics. We aim to decipher the construction of a Sichuan heritage narrative that enhances the value of Han China and replaces the province (and its current borders) in a historical process of national construction and progressive integration of the margins, through the heritage staging of an interface between China and Tibet. At the site level, the materialization of law on space shows both processes of opening up of peripheral territories through the development of heritage tourism, and an attempt to exclude local populations, via the purchase of land by the State, the transfer of people and/or the folklorization of local cultures. The comparative study of four of the five sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in Sichuan has shown the establishment of a culture/nature gradient from east to west in the provincial space. In the Sichuan plain, which has long been sinized, heritage serves to highlight a Chinese cultural identity in order to show the coherence of the provincial territory. In the Tibetan foothills, it highlights natural heritage valued as Chinese landscapes, and tends to exclude minorities from the heritage narrative. In doing so, UNESCO constitutes both an instrument of legitimacy for Chinese heritage policies which pursue the objectives of enhancing the national territory, and a place of influence where the country promotes and exports its own categories of heritage

Présentation. L’onomastique un axe de recherche privilégié de l’équipe Romanitas

Biville Frédérique. Présentation. L’onomastique un axe de recherche privilégié de l’équipe Romanitas. In: Onomastique et intertextualité dans la littérature latine. Actes de la journée d'étude tenue à la Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée – Jean Pouilloux, le 14 mars 2005. Lyon : Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée Jean Pouilloux, 2009. pp. 9-14. (Collection de la Maison de l'Orient méditerranéen ancien. Série philologique, 41