Un homme-orchestre dissonant

William Ritter (1867-1955) est un artiste aux multiples facettes : à la fois romancier, critique littéraire, critique musical, photographe, dessinateur, auteur de récits de voyage, il a produit une oeuvre quantitativement imposante, que l’histoire littéraire de Suisse romande n’a pourtant que très partiellement prise en compte. Les articles réunis dans ce dossier entendent lever un coin du voile qui recouvre une figure dont les écrits, le parcours et les échanges intellectuels sont à même de nourrir une réflexion en profondeur sur les tendances de la culture de son temps. Keywords: Suisse romande, Europe centrale, roman fin-de-siècle, wagnérisme, critique musicale, critique artistiqu

Determination of Young's and shear moduli of common yew and Norway spruce by means of ultrasonic waves

Despite the exceptional position of yew among the gymnosperms concerning its elastomechanical properties, no reference values for its elastic constants apart from the longitudinal Young's modulus have been available from literature so far. Hence, this study's objective was to determine the Young's moduli E L, E R and E T and the shear moduli G LR, G LT and G RT of yew wood. For that purpose, we measured the ultrasound velocities of longitudinal and transversal waves applied to small cubic specimens and derived the elastic constants from the results. The tests were carried out at varying wood moisture contents and were applied to spruce specimens as well in order to put the results into perspective. Results indicate that E L is in the same order of magnitude for both species, which means that a high-density wood species like yew does not inevitably have to have a high longitudinal Young's modulus. For the transverse Young's moduli of yew, however, we obtained 1.5-2 times, for the shear moduli even 3-6 times higher values compared to spruce. The variation of moisture content primarily revealed differences between both species concerning the shear modulus of the RT plane. We concluded that anatomical features such as the microfibril angle, the high ray percentage and presumably the large amount of extractives must fulfil important functions for the extraordinary elastomechanical behaviour of yew wood which still has to be investigated in subsequent micromechanical studie

Adherence to the GOLD Guidelines in Primary Care: Data from the Swiss COPD Cohort

(1) Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its associated morbidity and mortality are a global burden on both affected patients and healthcare systems. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) issues guidelines with the aim of improving COPD management. Previous studies reported significant variability in adherence to these recommendations. The objective of this study was to evaluate Swiss primary practitioners’ adherence to the GOLD guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of stable COPD. (2) Methods: We studied patients who were included in the Swiss COPD cohort study, an ongoing prospective study in a primary care setting, between 2015 and 2022. The key inclusion criteria are age ≥ 40 years, FEV1/FVC ratio < 70%, and a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years. Adherence to the GOLD guidelines was assessed per visit and over time. (3) Results: The data of 225 COPD patients (mean age 67 ± 9 years, 64% male) and their respective 1163 visits were analyzed. In 65% of visits (726/1121), treatment was prescribed according to the GOLD guidelines. Non-adherence was most common in GOLD groups A and B (64% and 33%) and mainly consisted of over-treatment (two long-acting bronchodilators in group A (98/195, 50%) and ICS in groups A (21/195, 11%) and B (198/808, 25%)). In group D, the prescriptions conformed with the guidelines in 99% of cases (109/108). Guideline adherence was associated with high symptom load (COPD Assessment Test) (OR 1.04, p = 0.002), high number of exacerbations (OR = 2.07, p < 0.001), asthma overlap (OR 3.36, p = 0.049), and diabetes mellitus (OR 2.82, p = 0.045). (4) Conclusion: These results confirm a conflict between the GOLD recommendations and primary practice, mainly concerning over-treatment in GOLD groups A and B. Patients with high symptom load, high exacerbation risk, asthma overlap, and diabetes mellitus are more likely to be treated in conformity with the guidelines. Further research is needed to uncover the reasons for the discrepancies and to design strategies for improvement

Adherence to the GOLD Guidelines in Primary Care: Data from the Swiss COPD Cohort.

(1) Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its associated morbidity and mortality are a global burden on both affected patients and healthcare systems. The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) issues guidelines with the aim of improving COPD management. Previous studies reported significant variability in adherence to these recommendations. The objective of this study was to evaluate Swiss primary practitioners' adherence to the GOLD guidelines for the pharmacological treatment of stable COPD. (2) Methods: We studied patients who were included in the Swiss COPD cohort study, an ongoing prospective study in a primary care setting, between 2015 and 2022. The key inclusion criteria are age ≥ 40 years, FEV1/FVC ratio < 70%, and a smoking history of at least 20 pack-years. Adherence to the GOLD guidelines was assessed per visit and over time. (3) Results: The data of 225 COPD patients (mean age 67 ± 9 years, 64% male) and their respective 1163 visits were analyzed. In 65% of visits (726/1121), treatment was prescribed according to the GOLD guidelines. Non-adherence was most common in GOLD groups A and B (64% and 33%) and mainly consisted of over-treatment (two long-acting bronchodilators in group A (98/195, 50%) and ICS in groups A (21/195, 11%) and B (198/808, 25%)). In group D, the prescriptions conformed with the guidelines in 99% of cases (109/108). Guideline adherence was associated with high symptom load (COPD Assessment Test) (OR 1.04, p = 0.002), high number of exacerbations (OR = 2.07, p < 0.001), asthma overlap (OR 3.36, p = 0.049), and diabetes mellitus (OR 2.82, p = 0.045). (4) Conclusion: These results confirm a conflict between the GOLD recommendations and primary practice, mainly concerning over-treatment in GOLD groups A and B. Patients with high symptom load, high exacerbation risk, asthma overlap, and diabetes mellitus are more likely to be treated in conformity with the guidelines. Further research is needed to uncover the reasons for the discrepancies and to design strategies for improvement

Toying With Fantasy: The Postmodern Playground of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Novels

Attempts to discover exactly how Terry Pratchett manages to get away with violating the rules of the fantasy tradition laid out in Tolkien’s “On Fairy-stories.” Pratchett consistently revels in the absurdity of Discworld as a concept, breaks the fourth wall, and disrupts Tolkien’s proviso against satirizing magic itself; and yet the Discworld sails on, imperturbable. Pratchett’s concept of narrative imperative is discussed as one of the keys to the success of his invented world

Conception acoustique de systèmes microtechniques

Considered as one of the most difficult complications in horology, the mechanical chiming watch, known as the striking watch, has today become one of the symbols of high craftsmanship. When it chimes the hour the sound of a striking watch must not only be harmonious to the ear of the hearer but also be identical from one watch to another. Today only a few talented watchmakers produce these watches. The resulting empiricism sometimes translates into significant differences between the sounds of these watches. One particularly complex aspect in the application of sound to a striking watch is the appreciation of the sound quality as well as the adequacy to the sound reference. This thesis aims to identify the principal influencing factors at the origin of the variances in sound from one striking watch to another and to identify those that allow the sound of one watch to conform to a recognised ideal sound. The problem is approached from two different angles. The first angle of physical reality, attempts to describe and characterise the sound produced by a watch according to physical parameters. The second angle of perceptive reality models our perception of sound. A virtual spectrum can be established by taking into account psychoacoustic aspects. This is derived from the real spectrum and allows not only a quantified measure of the perceived pitch but also an appreciation of the tone quality. The experimental work relies on the implementation of designed experiments using a functional sample. This reproduces the striking system at the same time allowing the modification of parameters necessary for the planned experiments. The physical spectrum combined with the virtual spectrum allows the identification of the principal influencing factors. Amongst these are hammer-gong pre-penetration, the contact geometry as well as the position of the hitting point and the contact time. By means of the generalised mass, it is possible to modify the perceived pitch within a significant range of frequencies which makes this factor an important element in the adequacy to the recognised ideal of sound. Finally, this work illustrates the importance that should be accorded to the implementation of measuring tools and appropriate characterisation of sound if the processes in the mechanical striking watch industry are to be mastered. Also included is a description of the factors that the watchmaker must control to ensure minimal variation from one watch to another in a production series