Dutch decision as rooted in Dutch culture: An ethnologic study of the Dutch decision process

Consensus is a mode of regulation well adapted to globalisation as it provides a means to reach agreements and manage diversity at the same time. However, is it a universal decision mode? This study explores the co-existence of individualism and collectivism in Dutch consensus. A descriptive and interpretive analysis of the Dutch decision process allows to disentangle the mechanism by which individual autonomy and cooperation articulate. This mechanism is assisted by a series of social devices that. are described and discussed as deeply rooted in Dutch society. Viewed from a French perspective, consensus reveals a number of obstacles and a totally different patterns of collective representations. Consequences for intercultural management are stressed.Individual autonomy, cooperation, coexistence individualism and collectivism, consensus, Dutch decision process, french decision, articulation individuual collective

Induction of 'Hox' genes and genome wide identification of Hox binding sites in mice

Hox genes encode a family of transcription factors that play highly conserved regulatory roles in specifying the properties of tissues in developing embryos. Very little is known about how HOX proteins control the cellular and developmental processes governing morphogenesis through regulation of down-stream target genes. The goal of this research was to investigate on a genome-wide basis, the rules and principles which underlie the binding of different HOX proteins to target sites and understand the basis for their distinct specificities. I utilized the programmed differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into a neural fate with retinoids and genomic technologies to systematically investigate binding properties of two HOX proteins, HOXA1 and HOXBI and their cofactors PBX and MEIS. I analyzed the induction properties of the cells and the transcriptional dynamics and epigenetic states in Hox clusters to explore the differentiation process. An extensive and dynamic pattern of transcriptional activity indicates that Hox clusters generate a large number of non-coding RNAs which may impact their activation and chromatin states. Global identification of HOXB1, HOXA1, PBX and MEIS binding regions by chromatin immune precipitation and high throughout sequencing (ChIP-seq) has generated insight into many potential Hox target genes. HOXA1 binding peaks generally overlapped with those of PBX and MEIS, supporting their roles as HOX co-factors. The sites bound by HOXBl uncovered new classes of binding motifs. Regulatory assays demonstrated that many of these novel motifs functioned as neuronal enhancers. Many HOXB1 binding peaks have closely associated REST motifs and bind the REST repressor complex, which is important in neuronal differentiation. The close association of REST and HOXB1 binding sites provides a mechanism for coordinating cell differentiation programs in neurogenesis. This research has uncovered novel properties of HO X proteins and their co-factors that underlie their role as master regulators of patterning and morphogenesis

The Secrets of Transactional Dismissal in France

The paper explores transactional dismissal (TD), an illegal but common way of dismissing people in France. TD is often used as a means of making redundant senior managers when mergers, outsourcing or restructuring occurs. The paper first describes the procedure from several inputs (juridical, managerial, psychological, social). It further analyses the discourses of concerned actors (employees, employers, remaining employees, union representatives, lawyers) and interprets how the practice is appropriated and legitimized by the parties. Actors display an ambivalent discourse about TD. They acknowledge TD from a managerial perspective and consider it as an injustice with distressing psychological consequences. This ambiguity is interpreted as a consequence of the paradox of the firm: nodes of contracts that, in fact, deal with human beings. The paper also underlines the lack of statistics and quantitative data about TD and the “omerta†surrounding the transaction. Such a silence remains essential for the survival of the practice

Mondialisation et processus de décision: la construction de consensus aux Pays-Bas

La mondialisation et l'internationalisation peuvent inciter à retenir le consensus comme un mode de décision fédérateur. Cette étude ethnographique du processus de décision néerlandais fait apparaitre son enracinement dans un contexte politique institutionel et social singulier. Il révèle une articulation particulièrement lache entre l'individuel et le collectif. Les pierres d'achoppement avec la percception française de la décision sont discuttées.Processus de décision, consensus, Pays-Bas, articulation individuel/collectif.

The Hox protein conundrum: The “specifics” of DNA binding for Hox proteins and their partners

Homeotic genes (Hox genes) are homeodomain-transcription factors involved in conferring segmental identity along the anterior-posterior body axis. Molecular characterization of HOX protein function raises some interesting questions regarding the source of the binding specificity of the HOX proteins. How do HOX proteins regulate common and unique target specificity across space and time? This review attempts to summarize and interpret findings in this area, largely focused on results from in vitro and in vivo studies in Drosophila and mouse systems. Recent studies related to HOX protein binding specificity compel us to reconsider some of our current models for transcription factor-DNA interactions. It is crucial to study transcription factor binding by incorporating components of more complex, multi-protein interactions in concert with small changes in binding motifs that can significantly impact DNA binding specificity and subsequent alterations in gene expression. To incorporate the multiple elements that can determine HOX protein binding specificity, we propose a more integrative Cooperative Binding model

Understanding Nanog’s role in cell differentiation

Background: Pluripotency and differentiation are crucial cellular states for normal development and disease control. They are regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Master transcription factors, such as Nanog, Sox2, and Oct4, play a critical role in pluripotency, but their function in differentiation is not entirely clear. This study aims to investigate Nanog\u27s role in differentiation using mouse embryonic stem cells as a model. Methods: An integrative analysis was carried out using gene expression and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data to determine the impact of Nanog binding on downstream gene expression. Target genes were identified as those whose expression was altered by Nanog binding, and a GSEA analysis was performed to identify shared biological processes. Additionally, Homer was utilized to conduct motif enrichment analysis at each time point. Results: Within 24 hours of retinoic acid treatment, Nanog is recruited to newly identified sites. These sites are primarily located in intergenic regions and the genes associated with them are mainly involved in development and differentiation, specifically mesodermal and mesenchymal development. Furthermore, these recently identified sites possess enriched motifs, such as LHX1 and FLI1, which play a significant role in mesodermal differentiation, in addition to the known pluripotent and developmental transcription factors. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the complex regulation of pluripotency and differentiation and highlights the potential role of Nanog in regulating mesodermal differentiation. It also suggests that Nanog may prefer mesodermal differentiation through indirect recruitment by factors involved in mesodermal transcription factors. Further research is needed to understand the exact mechanism of Nanog\u27s involvement in differentiation.https://commons.und.edu/grad-posters/1001/thumbnail.jp

Semiclassical Nonconcentration near Hyperbolic Orbits

For a large class of semiclassical pseudodifferential operators, including Schr\"odinger operators, $P (h) = -h^2 \Delta_g + V (x)$, on compact Riemannian manifolds, we give logarithmic lower bounds on the mass of eigenfunctions outside neighbourhoods of generic closed hyperbolic orbits. More precisely we show that if $A$ is a pseudodifferential operator which is microlocally equal to the identity near the hyperbolic orbit and microlocally zero away from the orbit, then $$\| u \| \leq C (\sqrt{\log(1/h)}/ h) \| P (h)u \| + C \sqrt {\log(1/h)} \| (I - A) u \| .$$ This generalizes earlier estimates of Colin de Verdi\`ere-Parisse \cite{CVP} obtained for a special case, and of Burq-Zworski \cite{BZ} for real hyperbolic orbits.Comment: 45 pages, 5 figure

Improved simulation of phase change processes in applications where conduction is the dominant heat transfer mode

This is the post-print of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2012 ElsevierThis paper reports on the development, experimental validation and application of a semi-empirical model for the simulation of the phase change process in phase change materials (PCM). PCMs are now increasingly being used in various building materials such as plasterboard, concrete or panels to improve thermal control in buildings and accurate modelling of their behaviour is important to effectively capture the effects of storage on indoor thermal conditions. Unlike many commercial simulation packages that assume very similar melting and freezing behaviour for the PCM and no hysteresis, the methodology employed treats the melting and freezing processes separately and this allows the inclusion of the effect of hysteresis in the modelling. As demonstrated by the results in this paper, this approach provides a more accurate prediction of the temperature and heat flow in the material, which is of particular importance in providing accurate representation of indoor thermal conditions during thermal cycling. The difference in the prediction accuracy of the two methods is a function of the properties of the PCM. The smaller the hysteresis of the PCM, the lower will be the prediction error of the conventional approach, and solution time will become the determining factor in selecting the simulation approach in practical applications.This work is funded from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) of the UK, Grant No: EP/H004181/1

tilepy: rapid tiling strategies in mid/small FoV observatories

The challenges inherent to time-domain multi-messenger astronomy require strategic actions so that adapted, optimized follow-up observations are performed efficiently. In particular, poorly localized events require dedicated tiling and/or targeted, follow-up campaigns so that the region in which the source really is can be efficiently covered, increasing the chances to detect the multi-wavelength counterpart. We have developed the python package "tilepy" to rapidly derive the observation scheduling of large uncertainty localization events by small/mid-FoV instruments. We will describe several mature follow-up scheduling strategies. These range from an option to use of low-resolution grids, to the full integration of sky regions and targeted observations using galaxy catalogs. The algorithms consider the visibility constraints of customisable observatories and allow to schedule observations in both astronomical darkness and in moonlight conditions. Developed initially to provide a rapid response to gravitational wave (GW) alerts by Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), they have been proven successful, as shown by the GW follow-up during O2 and O3 with the H.E.S.S. telescopes, and particularly in the follow-up of GW170817, the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger ever detected. Here we will present a generalisation of these rapid strategies to other alerts showing large uncertainties in the localization, like Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) alerts from Fermi-GBM. We will also demonstrate the flexibility of {\it tilepy} in scheduling observations for a large variety of observatories. We will conclude by describing the latest developments of these algorithms that are able to derive optimised follow-up schedules across multiple observatories and networks of telescopes.Comment: Proceedings 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023

Un projet partenarial porté par un centre social : entre action sociale et politique

Cette recherche cible l'articulation entre lien social et démocratie locale. Elle s'appuie sur une expérience concrète, un projet de réhabilitation d'un local social dans un immeuble de grande hauteur en zone urbaine sensible. Elle analyse les facteurs du projet qui favorisent l'évolution du lien social vers la participation locale en tirant parti d'une initiative de projets " proposés par les habitants pour les habitants ". Elle discute la marge d'autonomie dont disposent les partenaires sociaux ainsi que les obstacles qui limitent la réalisation de l'objectif participatif. Mots clefs : intervention sociale, lien social, participation locale, développement social local, partenariat social, étude de cas français.Intervention sociale, lien social, participation locale, développement social local, partenariat social, étude de cas français.