Editorial: Transport and Tourism: a Weak Symbiosis. An Introduction to the Special Issue

“Tourism’s very existence depends on transport. Still, researchers in transportation and logistic

Comparative influence of e-word of mouth and professional reviews of restaurants on perceived quality: Focus on TripAdvisor and the Michelin guide

Master's thesis in International hotel and tourism management: Culinary leadership and innovationThe following experiment will explain in detail how a causal exploratory research can be conducted to assess matters related to the food and beverage industry. This research will try to show the impact of recommendation from both e-word of mouth and professional reviews on restaurant’s perceived quality. The case study will focus on the two leader of their category: Tripadvisor and the Michelin Guide. The thesis will discuss the pertinence of this type of review, the impact they have on restaurants and how they affect customer behaviour. The research presents a scientific interest since it can be useful to understand customer thinking and to some extend help restaurant redirect their global strategy. Few experiments have been conducted in this field and it can help clarify the impact and the future of both e-word of mouth and professional reviews. This thesis is customers oriented and is not focus on a peer-to-peer review. I will first establish a literature review on the essays and authors who wrote about this subject and will then proceed to an experience involving test subjects in order to discuss this matters and highlight, as I expect, effective conclusions about the future of food criticism and its impact

A structural magnetic resonance imaging study in transgender persons on cross-sex hormone therapy

&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Background:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; To date, research findings are inconsistent about whether the neuroanatomy in transgender persons resembles that of their natal sex or their gender identity. Moreover, few studies have examined the effects of long-term cross-sex hormonal treatment on neuroanatomy in this cohort. The purpose of the present study was to examine neuroanatomical differences in transgender persons after prolonged cross-sex hormone therapy. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Methods:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Eighteen transgender men (female-to-male), 17 transgender women (male-to-female), 30 nontransgender men (natal men), and 27 nontransgender women (natal women) completed a high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging scan at 3 T. Eligibility criteria for transgender persons were gender-affirming surgery and at least 2 years of cross-sex hormone therapy. Exclusion criteria for nontransgender persons were presence of psychiatric or neurological disorders. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Results:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; The mean neuroanatomical volume for the amygdala, putamen, and corpus callosum differed between transgender women and natal women but not between transgender women and natal men. Differences between transgender men and natal men were found in several brain structures, including the medial temporal lobe structures and cerebellum. Differences between transgender men and natal women were found in the medial temporal lobe, nucleus accumbens, and 3rd ventricle. Sexual dimorphism between nontransgender men and women included larger cerebellar volumes and a smaller anterior corpus callosum in natal men than in natal women. The results remained stable after correcting for additional factors including age, total intracranial volume, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt; Neuroanatomical differences were region specific between transgender persons and their natal sex as well as their gender identity, raising the possibility of a localized influence of sex hormones on neuroanatomy.</jats:p

Étude de la nucléation et de la croissance de structures filaires GaN et AlN

The work presented in this thesis deals with the growth mechanisms of nitride semiconductor nanowires produced by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PA-MBE). The following experimental techniques were used to support the investigations: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), multi-wavelength diffraction experiments and spectroscopy in diffraction condition (performed on beamlines BM2 & BM32 at the ESRF), and photoluminescence experiments. The nucleation of gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires initiated on a 3nm thin epitaxial layer of aluminum nitride (AlN), which is grown on a (111) silicon substrate has been investigated. It is demonstrated that the full relaxation of the nanowires precursors is one of the key points of the GaN nanowires nucleation process. It is furthermore demonstrated that the granular morphology of the AlN buffer plays a crucial role. Further growth of GaN nanowires in the steady state regime following the nucleation stage has been studied. It has been established that Ga diffusion on the growth plane and on the nanowire side facets is responsible for the growth of GaN nanowires. It has been shown in particular that In may play the role of a surfactant and promote in-plane Ga diffusion, making possible the growth of GaN nanowires at relatively low temperature. Based on the understanding of GaN nanowires nucleation and growth, the PA-MBE growth of AlN nanowires deposited on a 4nm thick SiO2 layer on Si (001) has been studied, for the first time Next, strain relaxation in AlN/GaN super-lattices grown on GaN nanowires has been studied. Comparison with theoretical simulations allows us to conclude that strain relaxation occurs elastically. Finally, the subject of AlGaN nanowire growth is briefly introduced.Le travail présenté dans ce manuscrit traite de la compréhension des processus de croissance de structures colonnaires de matériaux semiconducteurs nitrures. La technique de croissance utilisée est l'épitaxie par jets moléculaires assistée par plasma (PA-MBE). Plusieurs types d'expériences viennent étayer ce travail: des expériences de microscopie électronique à balayage et à transmission, des expériences de diffraction multi-longueurs d'onde et de spectroscopie en condition de diffraction (menées à l'ESRF sur les lignes BM2 et BM32), et des expériences de photoluminescence. Tout d'abord les mécanismes de nucléation des nanofils nitrure de gallium (GaN) réalisés sur un fin (3nm) buffer de nitrure d'aluminium (AlN) épitaxié sur un substrat de silicium (111) sont étudiés. Il est démontré que la relaxation complète des précurseurs des nanofils GaN est un élément clé du mécanisme de nucléation. Dans le cas des fils de GaN, il apparaît en outre que la morphologie granulaire du buffer AlN joue un rôle essentiel. Ensuite le développement des nanofils GaN, une fois la nucléation achevée, est analysé. Nous identifions la diffusion du gallium dans le plan de croissance ainsi que sur les facettes des nanofils comme étant le mécanisme responsable de la croissance. Nous montrons en particulier que l'In, qui joue le rôle de surfactant, active la diffusion du Ga dans le plan et permet la croissance de nanofils GaN à des températures relativement basses. Sur la base de la compréhension de la nucléation et du développement des nanofils GaN, la croissance de nanofils AlN sur 4nm de SiO2 amorphe déposé sur Si(001) est développée. C'est la première fois que ce type de nanofils est réalisé par MBE. La relaxation des contraintes au cours de la réalisation d'un super réseau AlN/GaN sur des nanofils GaN a ensuite été étudiée. Nous comparons les résultats expérimentaux à des simulations théoriques pour conclure à la relaxation élastique des contraintes. La croissance de nanofils AlGaN est finalement abordée de façon préliminaire

Regulation and effects of IRF-1 and p53 ubiquitination

Protein ubiquitination is a key regulator of both protein stability and activity, and is involved in the regulation of a vast variety of cellular pathways. The ubiquitination system therefore provides an exciting target for drug development aiming to regulate the function of specific proteins. Our understanding of ubiquitin signalling is far from complete; and if we are to exploit this system for the benefit of human health, it is important to gain a better understanding of this complex posttranslational modification system as well as the effect of ubiquitination on the target protein. The E3 ligases MDM2 and CHIP were implicated in the control of the two transcriptional activators (TAs) IRF-1 and p53, that normally function to maintain health at the cellular and organismal level. Research carried out as part of my PhD has focused on gaining a mechanistic understanding of the ubiquitination process in particular the relationship between the E3 ligase and its substrate. Broadly, the mechanisms of E3 ligase regulation have been linked to substrate specificity and then to the physiological outcome of site-specific ubiquitination of the DNA binding domain of the TAs IRF-1 and p53. More specifically I have; (i) identified a mechanism by which the E3 ligase activity of the CHIP U-box can be allosterically regulated by ligand binding to its TPR domain. (ii) Residues on IRF-1 that are targeted by MDM2 and CHIP have been mapped, revealing that both ligases modify sites exclusively in IRF-1's DNA binding domain (DBD). Furthermore, I showed that, in its DNA bound conformation, IRF-1 is neither bound nor ubiquitinated by the ligases, suggesting a mechanism by which IRF-1 ubiquitination and possibly degradation can be regulated through its DNA binding state. And lastly, (iii) I have shown that both IRF-1 and p53, which have ubiquitin acceptor lysines in their DBD, bind DNA more stably when ubiquitinated. Modelling suggests that interactions between a positively charged surface area of ubiquitin and the negatively charged DNA can stabilises the TA-ubiquitin complex. DBD ubiquitination sites are required for full transactivation potential of both TAs, supporting a role of ubiquitin in their activation. p53 is ubiquitinated in response to activation by IR or Nutlin-3 and these ubiquitinated forms of p53 are localised in the cell nucleus associated with chromatin and do not lead to protein degradation. Taken together, the data imply that p53 and IRF-1 DNA binding ability, and thereby activity, can be modulated by ubiquitin modification

L'étrangeté lynchéenne : l'inquiétant cinéma de David Lynch accompagné d'un essai de mise en scène : Les Chemins de l'Oubli

Mémoire en recherche-créationCe mémoire a pour objectif d’explorer les différents moyens cinématographiques mis en place par le cinéaste américain David Lynch afin de comprendre comment ce dernier parvient à transporter son audience dans un monde fantastique et bien sûr, étrange. En nous appuyant sur les premières définitions freudiennes de ce que représente l’inquiétante étrangeté (Das Unheimliche), nous explorerons les codes et images récurrentes dans la cinématographie lynchéenne qui font des films du réalisateur des œuvres aux caractères étranges, après avoir étudié en détail les éléments qui nous permettent de classer les œuvres de l’auteur dans la catégorie des œuvres fantastiques.This thesis aims to explore the different cinematographic means implemented by David Lynch in order to understand how he manages to transport his audience in a fantastic and of course, strange world. By informing ourselves about the first Freudian definitions of what represents the uncanny (Das Unheimliche), we will explore the recurrent codes and images in Lynchian cinematography which make the director’s films works uncanny, right after having studied in detail the elements that allow us to classify the author’s works in the fantastic genre section

Investigation of mesophilic Aeromonas: response to hydrogen peroxide and role in false-positive Colilert reaction.

Mesophilic Aeromonas are opportunistic human pathogens which produce a wide range of virulence factors and have been isolated from both untreated and chlorinated drinking waters. The presence of these microorganisms in the distribution systems suggests that Aeromonas could display an adaptive response to oxidant present during water treatment. This adaptive response of Aeromonas would lead to interference in analysis for faecal coliforms used to determine the quality of potable drinking water, and be a potential source of intestinal disorders. The Colilert defmed substrate technology system was developed as a one-step detection of both coliforms and E. coli while suppressing non-coliform heterotrophic growth. Aeromonas species were previously shown to cause production of falsepositive reaction at high cell densities (Edberg et ai., 1988). Similar results were obtained in our study when using fresh Colilert reagents. However, results obtained during this project showed Aeromonas to mediate false-positive reactions at low cell densities (101 cells/ml in presence of salt, 102 cells/ml in absence of salt) when using Colilert reagents within 4 weeks prior to shelf-life expiry. Increased incidence in falsepositive reactions mediated by Aeromonas were shown to be dependent upon the stability of the Colilert reagent affected with age. Such Aeromonas interference would lead to over-estimation of coliforms and E. coli in potable drinking water supplies. The ability of bacteria to adapt to a wide range of stress factors such as pH, heat shock, oxidants or starvation has been extensively studied. Little is known about the response of Aeromonas to such stress conditions. During this project, it has been demonstrated that mesophilic Aeromonas display an adaptive tolerance response to a lethal oxidative challenge through pre-treatment with a sub-lethal dose of oxidant. The stress adaptation process was demonstrated to occur through synthesis of stress proteins and modulation of pre-existing catalase. Of the species studied, A. sobria was most sensitive, whereas A. caviae and A. hydrophila displayed similar responses to oxidative stress. The hypersensitivity of A. sobria did not impair the adaptive response of the organism. During our investigations, stationary phase Aeromonas cells have been shown to be more resistant than their logarithmic counterpart and suggested that excreted molecules may playa role in protecting the cells. Re-suspension of fresh cells into spent medium from a stationary phase cells revealed a higher resistance of these cells compared to those re-suspended in minimal medium. This resistance was demonstrated to be mediated by non-proteinaceous, thermo-sensitive effector molecule. A potential candidate as the effector molecule, butyryl homo serine lactone, was synthesised and assayed. Preliminary data strongly suggest that this molecule has a role to play in the stress adaptation phenomenon and might be involved in stimulating synthesis of key stress proteins

Sex differences in functional limitations and the role of socioeconomic factors: a multi-cohort analysis

Background: Women are more likely to have functional limitations than are men, partly because of greater socioeconomic disadvantage. However, how sex differences vary by severity of functional limitations remains unclear. We examined sex differences in functional limitations, with attention to socioeconomic factors and severity of limitations. Methods: Longitudinal data on limitations in basic activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and mobility activities were drawn from 62 375 participants from 14 countries. For ADL, IADL, and mobility, participants were categorised based on number of limited activities (0, 1, 2, or ≥3). Sex differences in limitations in four birth cohorts (1895–1929, 1930–38, 1939–45, and 1946–60) were analysed before and after adjustment for socioeconomic factors (education and labour force status). Findings: The prevalence of IADL and ADL limitations was higher in women than in men. After adjustment for socioeconomic factors, this sex difference was attenuated. The sex difference in IADL limitations at age 75 years (in the 1895–1929 cohort) was 3·7% before adjustment for socioeconomic factors (95% CI 2·6–4·7) and 1·7% (1·1–2·2) after adjustment. For ADL, the sex difference in limitations at age 75 years (in the 1895–1929 cohort) was 3·2% (2·3–4·1) before adjustment for socioeconomic factors and 1·4% (0·9–1·8) after adjustment. Sex differences in mobility limitations (16·1%, 95% CI 14·4–17·7) remained after adjustment for socioeconomic factors (14·3%, 12·7–15·9). After age 85 years, women were more likely to have three or more IADL or mobility limitations and men were more likely to have one or two limitations. Interpretation: Socioeconomic factors largely explain sex differences in IADL and ADL limitations but not mobility. Sex differences in mobility limitations in midlife are important targets for future research and interventions. Funding: National Institute on Aging, UK National Institute for Health Research, European Commission, and US Social Security Administration