French Medium Research Articles

Effect of extenders and sperm concentration on migration efficiency of Malabari buck spermatozoa in bovine cervical mucus

The study evaluated the effect of extenders and sperm concentration on the migration efficiency of Malabari buck spermatozoa in bovine cervical mucus. Fresh semen ejaculates collected on six different days from three adult healthy Malabari bucks were pooled and divided into four groups based on the extender used (tris-egg yolk-based or liposome-based extender) and rate of extension (200 or 400 million motile spermatozoa per 0.5 mL) (n=6 per group) and subjected to cryopreservation. After freezing and thawing, Malabari buck spermatozoa cryopreserved in liposome-based extender travelled significantly (p<0.05) greater distance in bovine cervical mucus compared to those preserved in tris-egg yolk-based extender when packed in French medium straws with 200 million progressively motile spermatozoa. The corresponding values with 400 million progressively motile spermatozoa also showed the same trend. It was also observed that Malabari buck semen extended with 200 million progressively motile spermatozoa was significantly (p<0.05) better in terms of migration efficiency in bovine cervical mucus compared to that with 400 million progressively motile spermatozoa in both the extenders.

Development of Milt Cryopreservation Protocol for Economically Important Minor Carp Cirrhinus reba (Hamilton, 1822)

Background: Reba carp is one of the promising candidates for species diversification in fresh-water aquaculture. It is available in all the major rivers of India. Cryopreserved milt will be useful in genetic exchange between remotely located farms. For using cryomilt as a tool for genetic exchange, species specific milt cryopreservation protocol is required. Methods: Milt was cryopreserved using three extenders (7,7B and 9C) and two cryoprotectants (DMSO and methanol) and evaluated with fresh milt as control. Milt was cryopreserved in 1:6 dilution in French medium straws of 0.5 ml. The feasibility of selected extender and cryoprotectant combinations was assessed by the ability of cryopreserved sperm to fertilize the C. reba eggs and hatching percentage. Fertilized eggs were incubated in 0.5 L bowl and a flow-through incubation system. Analysis was done for both bowl and flow-through incubation separately and combinedly as well. Result: Better hatching percentage was obtained in flow-through incubation system for all the treatments. In combined analysis extender 7 with 10% DMSO as cryoprotectant gave significantly higher hatching rate (44.5%) and (75%) in comparison to control. Better performance was noticed in flow-through incubation system (50.09%) as compared to bowl (39.1%) in the same treatment. Thus, it can be concluded that extender 7 with 10% DMSO (V/V) is suitable to retain sperm quality in reba carp having optimal sperm motility, high fertility and hatching close to the values obtained with fresh sperm in flow-through incubation system.

Daily wind-based interruption prediction in Enedis' Medium Voltage Overhead Lines using time series data

Overhead lines represent about 50% of the French Medium Voltage/Low Voltage electrical network. Therefore, most of the French electrical network is vulnerable to weather conditions. In order to optimize financial investments, and plan maintenance campaigns, a reliability model would be helpful, especially if based on three main features of the electrical network: the intrinsic reliability linked to natural ageing, the sensibility to frequent weather conditions, and its vulnerability to extreme and rare climatic hazards which it is more difficult to hedge. The history of electrical failures is used to tune and build this model in order to propose a failure rate made of those three features. Then we will present a machine learning model which predict a few days ahead of time, the number of failures caused by the prevailing winds of a French area.

Viability, motility, ATP content and fertilizing potential of sperm from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in milt stored before cryopreservation

Artificial fertilization is increasingly used in aquaculture, mostly applying short-term cold stored milt. Large scale cryopreservation of milt could be valuable for increased flexibility and acceleration of breeding progress. The aim of this study was to assess viability, motility and ATP content of sperm from Atlantic salmon as a function of storage time, before and after cryopreservation. The objective was also to investigate whether in vitro parameters were associated with sperm fertilizing ability after cryopreservation. Milt from six mature Atlantic salmon males were collected twice, one week apart. The milt was stored undiluted at 5 °C in cell culture flasks for six days. Samples were taken on days 1, 3 and 6 of storage for cryopreservation. In total, 36 batches were diluted to a standardized sperm concentration of 2 × 109 spermatozoa/mL, filled into 0.5 mL French medium straws and cryopreserved. In vitro analyses were assessed on the same sample for the 72 combinations of male, collection week, days of storage and cold stored or frozen-thawed. Fertilization trials with cryopreserved milt were carried out for all 36 batches in triplicate for each combination of male, collection week, storage time and sperm:egg ratios of either 2 or 4 × 106 sperm per egg, respectively, totally 218 experimental units, including two egg controls. There was a significant influence of storage and collection week on sperm quality parameters, both cold stored and cryopreserved, and cryopreservation had a significant effect on all tested sperm quality parameters. High correlations for cold stored vs cryopreserved samples was demonstrated for ATP content (p < 0.00001), motility and velocity parameters (p < 0.001), but not for viability, straightness and linearity. The overall percentage of fertilization achieved was 73.9 ± 1.7%. Sperm collected in week 2 showed significantly lower fertility when cryopreserved after six days of storage than after 1 or 3 days for sperm to egg ratios of 2 × 106 (p < 0.005), while there was no such effect for milt collected in week 1. Several post-thaw sperm parameters were correlated to fertilization rates, while curvilinear velocity best explained variations in fertilization by modelling. Our results suggest that cryopreservation of Atlantic salmon milt should be performed soon after milt collection to maximize the cryopreserved sperm quality. Fertilization results seems not to be compromised by storage for three days before cryopreservation.

Networks and alliances – business schools’ answer to mergers and acquisitions?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the state of French medium sized business schools in the Grandes Ecole sector of education and how networks and alliances help business schools survive in an ever-changing and global environment.Design/methodology/approachThe material for empirical research for this paper was gathered by using a case study method of four small to medium sized provincial Institutions of Management Education in France.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that all of the business schools studied rely on networks and alliances to face globalisation and internationalise their strategy and seems to follow the three typologies of mergers and acquisitions set down by Napier (1989): extension mergers, collaborative mergers and redesign mergers. At present, the networks and alliances are used on a marginal or peripheral way by networking only a part of the institution at one time.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research at a later date needs to be carried out in order to observe if the pattern will remain or if there may be networks which will start from the core of the institution since the organisations will in the future have more of an international or global culture.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is to demonstrate that medium-sized business schools can compensate their limited resources and compete in the global education market. Alliances and networks appear as key ways in achieving goals of sustainability and survival.

The Writing of the Unwritten and the Translation of the Untranslatable: Alexnadra David-Néel's Reception in China

Abstract The French writer and explorer Alexandra David-Néel (1868–1969) is internationally renowned for being the first Western woman to reach, in 1924, Tibet's onetime forbidden capital of Lhasa. Her personal recounting of this treacherous expedition, in Voyage d'une parisienne à Lhassa, is considered one of the most compelling travelogues ever written in French. As a maverick figure of French Orientalism, David-Néel was introduced to Chinese readers long ago. Yet a close look at her reception in China brings to light some of the most tangled aspects of West–East cross-cultural representation, such as clichéd exoticism, translatorial censorship, forgery of ideologically edifying discourses, and so forth. Through a series of philological investigations of some heavily modulated Chinese translations of David-Néel's writings, I show that the tripartite, interpretive dynamic between France, Tibet, and modern-day China cannot simply be reduced to a dualistic, unilateral, and static power pattern, since we see that the Chinese, despite being themselves “Oriental,” could, advisedly or unconsciously, produce falsified images of another “Oriental” entity placed at a less advantageous position through a French medium.

Integration of Inquiry-Based Learning and Ongoing Assessment to Develop English Essay Writing in Upper Intermediate Level

Many students of secondary classes in French medium schools struggle to write fluently and accurately as they approach university English entrance exams. However, very few students succeed in efficiently acquiring the necessary writing skills in due time. To investigate this deficiency, this study was conducted. The aim of this action research was to explore the impact of integrating Inquiry-Based Learning Approach (IBLA), ongoing assessment, and blogging to solve the problems students face when they write essays for varied purposes. The study was performed on two private French medium schools. In each school, the participants were divided into two groups: one experimental and one control. Both groups were taught the same essay genres. However, the experimental groups in both schools were taught by means of integrating the Inquiry-Based Learning Approach and ongoing assessment. On the other hand, the control groups continued using the conventional techniques. At the end of the instruction, a summative test took place. The results were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The analysis of the results showed that integrating ongoing assessment and IBLA resulted in better scores with the experimental groups.

Effect of cholesterol loaded cyclodextrin on activity of antioxidants during cryopreservation of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) semen

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of cholesterol loaded cyclodextrin on activity of antioxidants during cryopreservation of buffalo semen. Ejaculates (48) with mass motility ≥3+ from 3 bulls (16 from each bull) were collected as per standard procedure. Each ejaculate was divided into group I (control): diluted with Tris-egg yolk-glycerol dilutor up to 60×106 sperm/ml and group II: treated with cholesterol loaded cyclodextrin @ 3 mg/120×106 sperm and incubated at 37ºC for 10 min and then finally diluted with Tris-egg yolk-glycerol dilutor up to 60×106 sperm/ml. French medium straws (0.5 ml) were filled with the extended semen samples, sealed with polyvinyl alcohol powder and kept for 3 h at 5ºC for equilibration and then kept in automatic programmable freezer till temperature of straws reached –145°C followed by plunging into liquid nitrogen (– 196°C). Ejaculates were evaluated freshly, before freezing and after thawing for seminal attributes (progressive motility, viability, acrosomal integrity and hypo-osmotic swelling response) and antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidants). After thawing, activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidants were significantly higher in group II as compared to group I. It is concluded that cholesterol loaded cyclodextrin enhances seminal antioxidant activity.

Translation in new independent online media: the case of Mediapart

ABSTRACTThis paper sets out to investigate the role that translation plays in new independent online media. These emerging forms of online journalism function in a communicative framework that is very different from traditional news media. The new online media encourage horizontal structures of plurality and democratic participation involving a new configuration of public space and communication. The implications of all of these transformations impact the role that translation has in the constant reshaping of global communication. This paper examines the case of Mediapart, an independent French online news medium and a prime example of these emerging forms of journalism. The site offers an English edition as well as a Spanish edition, Mediapart English and Mediapart Español, to facilitate the traffic of their news stories across these languages and cultures. This implies adapting to the informative circumstances demanded by the new relationship between the press and the public. These circumstances, which are not just limited to the cultural resistance that hinders intercultural understanding in journalistic translation, force these multilingual platforms to combine translation with other strategies to succeed in the new public space of online communication.

The Phenolic Potential of Wines from French Grape Varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah Cultivated in the Region of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece) and Its Evolution during Aging

The aim of this work is mainly to determine the effect of the pedoclimatic conditions (“terroir”) on the phenolic composition of wine originated from three French red grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, cultivated in the region of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece); simultaneously a study of its evolution during aging in a stainless steel tank, in oak barrels of different origin and in bottles is conducted. Additionally, in this work, we try to compare the evolution of phenolic composition of wines during aging in French medium toast oak barrel and in American heavy toast oak barrel. For this reason, 20 red wine samples originated from this area were analyzed. The color markers were measured by UV-spectrometry, while the phenolic acids and catechin content of the wine samples and their evolution during aging were determine by UVis-High performance liquid chromatography. Significant differences detected among the three grape varieties regarding color parameters, total anthocyanins and some phenolic acids. The increase of the extraction time during vinification affected the amounts of phenolic acids, catechin, total phenolic index (TPI) and tannin content. Gallic acid and catechin were the most abundant phenolic compounds and their amounts, as well as the concentrations of several phenolic acids were significantly affected during the storage period. Finally, the phenolic composition and the amounts of phenolic acids did not appear to be affected by the origin of oak barrels.

Flow Management of Passengers and Goods Coexisting in the Urban Environment: Conceptual and Operational Points of View

Our research aims to define a model which constitutes a first framework to plan and to control both passengers and goods flows in the urban environment. It focuses on the sharing concept which means to make a joint use of transport resources between passengers and goods flows. The proposed concept leans on the statement that: “There is sufficient overlap between passenger & freight urban transport systems to be able to build on and integrate existing infrastructure of both passenger & freight systems”[1]. Consequently, to integrate passenger & freight flows in the existing urban transport systems, it is necessary to characterize this overlap, which means to quantify both flows. Starting from freight flows, our paper presents a methodology aiming to define an appropriate sizing of delivery volumes by business type. The methodology has been implemented in a French medium sized city: La Rochelle.

Foreign Language Education in Lebanon: A Context of Cultural and Curricular Complexities

Knowing more than one or two languages has always been a natural consequence of cultural exchange. Thus educational institutions the world over have placed teaching/learning of languages high on their agendas as they find the need for their students to be competitive in the global career arena. The communication among different cultures and the efforts of education have added to the multi lingual/culture of many countries. However, the growth of this multilingualism/multiculturalism is not without its questions concerning complexities involved in what attitudes do the learners hold towards learning languages, which languages should be taught and whether these languages would ‘complex’ the learners in finding their own native language ‘inferior’. This study examines these complexities in Lebanon, a country long known for its multi lingual/cultural makeup, Specifically, the paper gives an overview of the cultural influences in the country over the past century and how this was responsible for the adoption of the foreign languages, mainly French and English, that coexist in the country today along with Arabic, the native language. The paper focus on the consequent educational trends in teaching/learning languages in noting the new National Curriculum changes in the 1990’s after the civil war and how the policies were implemented at both the pre and tertiary sectors. Cultural, attitudinal, motivational and language acquisition factors are discussed in how the French medium and English medium schools accounted for them in their language curricula and how they impact learners’ language development. The researchers debate whether the teaching/learning of foreign languages may eventually lead to the ‘decline’ of the national language, the latter being a ‘complex’ for the many, which is a concern that most countries are facing these days.

Strategic governmental economic activities in support of young French SMEs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to closely study young French small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The authors highlight the structure of these target firms and build a typology of corresponding business models.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a dataset of 38,000 young French SMEs. It is constituted of all individual and consolidated year‐end financial statements submitted by French firms to the commercial court. Data analysis techniques (principal component analysis then hierarchical and ascending classification) were used on the data.FindingsThe business models stemming from this typology are typical (to the greatest extent possible) and actionable. The authors are particularly interested in identifying groups of SMEs where government assistance would be particularly effective and strategically valuable for the national economy.Practical implicationsOne of the authors' conclusions is that the typology is not based on a classical growth model that reflects progressive phases of development in the life of a young firm. Furthermore, it is ineffective and wasteful to focus government assistance efforts on firms based on their age. The authors identify groups of business models where assistance would be more efficient and strategically more effective.Originality/valueIt is notable that this paper relies not upon a sample, but upon the exhaustive collection of all available data on the subject. This research questions the allocation efficiency of governmental assistance on the basis of growth models. It intends to provide a better understanding of the criteria that should be taken into account to enhance targeting of assistance toward businesses with the greatest potential for the nation.

The rush for English education in urban Cameroon: sociolinguistic implications and prospects

The growing demand for English in parts of Cameroon that were once firmly under French influence.In the last decade, multilingual Cameroon has awoken to a new linguistic reality characterised by reconstructing linguistic identities in order to fit in the global space. This is seen in more and more urban Francophones pursuing English medium education and the Anglophones consolidating their identity alignment to the English language. From a sociolinguistic perspective, this paper evaluates the prominence and implications and prospects of this rush for English education in contemporary urban Cameroon. The case study method and cost-benefit analysis confirm that there is a fast growing interest in English medium education and the beginnings of English as an L1 in urban Cameroon. The result is a paradoxical sociolinguistic outcome: first of all, there is a shift by the majority Francophone group, who are shifting from a predominantly French medium to an English medium education, principally for economic benefits. Secondly, the Anglophones are increasingly shifting to English as an L1, without losing French as they live in basically French-speaking urban zones. This state of language shift implies that there will subsequently be bilingualism without diglossia in Cameroon's two official languages, and loss of the long-standing French language hegemony in Cameroon. At the same time, this shift threatens Cameroon's ancestral languages, forcing them increasingly into attrition and possibly endangerment.

End consumer goods movement generation in French medium urban areas

End-consumer movements, defined as the movements made by the consumer transporting the purchased goods, are identified with shopping trips. Whereas the logistics movements (freight distribution and urban part of the supply chain) are well studied in city logistics and urban planning, the end-consumer movements are usually related only to people movements. This paper presents a new modelling approach to characterise the shopping trips within a city logistics point of view, in order to connect these movements with those belonging to urban freight distribution in the supply chain. We present a trip generation model built from the data of recent household trip surveys, more precisely for the urban community of Lyon (France). We present the main results produced by the various simulations in a short-term planning horizon.

Residential equilibrium in a multifractal metropolitan area

A residential location model derived from urban economics is combined with the geometry of a multifractal Sierpinski carpet to represent and model a metropolitan area. This area is made up of a system of built-up patches hierarchically organised around a city centre, and green areas arranged in an inverse hierarchical order (large open-spaces in the periphery). An analytical solution is obtained using a specific geographic coding system for computing distances. The values of the parameters used in the model are based on the French medium sized metropolitan areas; a realistic benchmark is proposed and comparative-statics simulations are performed. The results show that the French peri-urbanisation process (which took place from 1970 onward) can be explained by an increase in income and a reduction in transport costs. Nevertheless, changes in household preferences, in particular an increased taste for open spaces, can also contribute to urban sprawl by making the gradient of land rents less steep and by making peripheral household locations more desirable.

Table Talks: The Spiritualist Controversy of the 1870s and Dostoevsky

An early April 1875 the renowned zoologist at St. Petersburg University, Professor Nikolai Petrovich Vagner published a letter On the Subject of Modern Spiritualism in Vestnik Evropy enthusiastically describing the mediumistic phenomena he had heard and seen at seances of the French medium Camille Bredif in 1874. These phenomena (rapping, sounds, partial materialization of spirits, and so on), Vagner asserted, not only bore witness to the fact that life beyond the grave was a reality but also opened new horizons for science, which, he argued, should begin to study manifestations from the spiritual world.1 D. I. Mendeleev, Public Lecture on Modern Spiritualism.

Dynamiques internes et externes des forêts de résineux de RTM : le passage à la hêtraie, quelle valorisation du bois de Hêtre?//Internal and external dynamics of coniferous forests : the shift to beech trees and the issue of beech wood uses

Since the mid-niniteenth century, French medium mountains have been reafforrested with conifers to fight erosion and torrentiality. This issue is now arising of what to do with such forests and of what is likely to happen if they are left to themselves ; will trees regenerate or will broadleaved trees settle in, and if so, which species ? The abandonmet of agricultural land is allowing a spontaneous reconquest, also raising the issue of the nature of the new vegetal cover. Internai and external dynamics often lead to the deve-lopment of beech forests, which produce a wood little appreciated because of its poor durability, red center and absorbent characteristics. What uses are nonetheless possible and how to make that wood compete with softwood ?

Feasibility of using hard gelatin capsules for the packaging and deep-freezing of bull semen

Various packaging systems have been used for deep freezing of semen. In this study, feasibility of using hard gelatin capsules was established. Of the four types of capsules developed and tested, polymer-treated capsules were found to be suitable for the purpose, and were therefore used subsequently. French medium (0.5 ml) straws were used for control. Five semen samples from each of 12 bulls were processed and included for study. Semen was frozen by fast-freezing. Parameters studied after thawing of semen were comparable for the two methods. Upon analysis, the percentages of progressive motile spermatozoa, live spermatozoa and morphologically abnormal spermatozoa obtained for semen frozen in hard gelatin capsules and French medium straws were found to be nonsignificant. The percentage of intact acrosomes was found to be significantly higher (P < 0.05) for semen frozen - thawed in straws as compared to semen in capsules.

Diversification—The key factors for success

This paper describes research aimed at finding the key factors for success and failure of diversification decisions. A survey of a sample of 200 French medium size companies was conducted through a mailed questionnaire. Further interviews were made in 20 firms which recently diversified their activities.