Languedoc-Roussillon Region Research Articles

Entrepreneurial orientation, strategic processes and SMEs performance in a turbulent environment: An investigation of the Languedoc-Roussillon wine sector

This study investigates the relevance of adopting an entrepreneurial orientation to answer the challenges raised by a structural crisis in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine sector. In addition, the paper also investigates the relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation, strategic processes, and SMEs' performance. The data collected from 160 small and medium-sized wine producers from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, in the South of France, is analysed using a structural equation modelling approach. The results indicate a strong causal model, which integrates sequentially the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation, information collection, strategic planning and firm performance. The results provide an original contribution to the literature on entrepreneurial orientation, and offers useful insights into the entrepreneurial strategic process of wine producers, for the academic community, business owners, or local administration institutions.

Coût de la morbidité maternelle grave en 2011 en Languedoc-Roussillon, France

BackgroundSevere maternal morbidity is an indicator of maternal health encompassing various conditions. Economic data on this topic are lacking. The objective was to estimate the cost of severe maternal morbidity from the payer's perspective (National Health Insurance) and to identify the factors associated with high costs. MethodsThis study was ancillary to the observational multicenter study MOMAT. All cases of severe maternal morbidity occurring between January and December 2011 in all maternities located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region were prospectively included in the latter. Inpatient costs were estimated using national tariffs. ResultsA total of 438 cases of severe maternal morbidity (495 stays) were recorded. The mean inpatient cost was 4124 euros (SD=5045). The likelihood of costly stays was significantly increased for patients with a history of caesarean section (OR=3.32, 95% CI: 1.54 to 7.17), with multiple causes of severe maternal morbidity (OR=7.51, 95% CI: 4.07 to 13.86) and having a length of stay above 7 days (OR=4.30, 95% CI: 2.13 to 8.69). ConclusionHospital stays due to severe maternal morbidity pose a high burden on the payer. These costs depend on the cause of the morbidity and are mainly explained by patient-level factors. This raises the issues of how these rare and heterogeneous stays are coded and grouped.

Three Complementary Approaches to Characterize Buprenorphine Misuse

ABSTRACTBackground: In France, buprenorphine has been available for opioid maintenance therapy since 1996 and since then its misuse has been continuously evaluated by the French health authorities. Objectives: To characterize buprenorphine misuse in Languedoc-Roussillon (LR) region, using three different approaches. Methods: Three different data sources were analyzed : (i) spontaneous reports (NotS) of buprenorphine misuse or dependence, (ii) a specific periodic survey from specialized care centers (OPPIDUM) over 11 years (2002–2012) and (iii) a drug reimbursement database (DRB). Results: A total of 209 spontaneous reports were collected. The main type of buprenorphine misuse was use by an unintended route of administration. The main complications notified were directly related to the injection of buprenorphine. NotS enabled the collection of data about severe clinical complications or new diversion phenomenon. The OPPIDUM LR survey revealed a decrease in the buprenorphine misuse indicator through the study period. The DRB analysis identified one subgroup of patients with a buprenorphine deviant behavior, characterized by a significantly greater number of dispensing episodes, pharmacies, prescribers, daily dose and switch between buprenorphine forms (princeps and generic). The DRB analysis provides data on buprenorphine diversion in the context of outpatients care. Conclusion: The three complementary approaches allowed us to characterize buprenorphine misuse in LR area. The three approaches are complementary because each data source provides different types of information.

Prise en charge de la douleur des personnes âgées en soins primaires : l’ouverture vers les interventions non médicamenteuses. Analyse qualitative de l’expérience des médecins généralistes

First of all, understand the management of pain in the elderly population through GP experiences and, secondly, explore their implication to the benefit of well aging. Qualitative study with data collection combining 2focus groups and 5in depth interviews centered on the lived experience of 16GPs in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. A semiopragmatic phenomenological analysis of the fully transcribed verbatim interviews was used to establish the significant categories in relation with our objectives. The GPs feel that the pain management still needs improvement even though it has become one of their priorities. GPs often notice iatrogenic effects in the care taking process of multiple pathologies which make them choose for the use of non-pharmacological interventions. The complex nature of pain, which has multiple significations for the elderly population, needs an overall approach by the GPs. They feel that it's their job to manage this because of the proximity and knowledge of the patient and his weaknesses. For them, aging well is a patient experience, they are only a support in this process. GPs think that they are expert in the complex process of pain management. This process has to be seen in a multidimensional approach of an older person with multiple pathologies. Therefore, they make use of non-pharmacological interventions. These interventions need to be developed to improve the quality of life in the elderly population.

Evidence of slow-release morphine sulfate abuse and diversion: epidemiological approaches in a French administrative area.

Slow-release oral morphine sulfate (SM) is one of the most abused prescription opioids in France. However, the regional feature of the abuse of morphine is poorly documented. To investigate the abuse of SM in a French administrative region, a multisource approach was applied. The first approach was based on SM exposition at national and regional level using the OPPIDUM survey. In a second approach, we analyzed a drug reimbursement database to assess the magnitude of SM abuse in Languedoc-Roussillon (LR) region. A clustering method was applied to classify patients and to describe the profile of deviant patients. The third approach was based on a self-administered anonymous questionnaire, proposed to patients seen in addiction care centers in the LR region and consuming oral SM. The OPPIDUM study showed that in most regions, where the prevalence of heroin use is higher than the national average of 9.1%, SM consumers were fewer. With the clustering method, three subgroups were identified. One of them gathered 35 users (3.2%) with a deviant behavior characterized by significantly more dispensations, dispensing pharmacies, and prescribers. These subjects were mainly men, younger, and more consumers of benzodiazepines and opioid maintenance therapy than the others. The third study allowed specifying that SM was mainly injected (93.7%), bought in the street (80%), and used because of unavailability and the poor quality of heroin (33.9%). The three proposed approaches are complementary and help to clarify the abuse of oral SM, while assessing the motivations of this abuse.

Éducation nutritionnelle en milieu scolaire : les ressources potentielles d’un partenariat enseignant/infirmier

Nutrition education in schools must be based on a collaborative approach between teachers and school nurses. The objective of this study was to compare the nutrition education representations and practices of primary school teachers and school nurses in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France. We used the theoretical framework of complexity, which is particularly suited to multifactorial phenomena such as nutrition education. We interviewed 112 primary school teachers and 33 school nurses about three aspects of their nutrition education representations and practices: actors, content and place of nutrition education at school. Nurses had a more comprehensive and complex approach to nutrition education, including a collaborative approach. However, teachers had a fairly simplistic view of nutrition education and their practice took little account of the psychosocial dimensions of nutrition and a collaborative approach. Nurses could be resources for teachers to help them change their approach to health by transforming a purely biomedical approach to health and nutrition into a more comprehensive approach, particularly taking into account in its psychological and social dimensions, which would be more appropriate to address the growing prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases in France today.

Evaluating the impacts of sea level rise on coastal wetlands in Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Sea-level rise due to climate change creates new risks of submersion in coastal areas that must be taken into account. Although these are long-term risks for 2100, it is important to anticipate possible consequences in order to identify the most vulnerable areas or issues and develop the appropriate adaptation policies. The aim of this paper is to examine the consequences of such sea-level rise for wetlands in the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France) which is particularly at risk of submersion. The analysis is based on the worst case scenario of a one meter sea level rise by 2100, with a variety of adaptive strategies: denial, laissez-faire and strategic retreat of infrastructure and buildings. This latter strategy assumes that the retreat wetlands is unconstrained. The evaluation examines the losses and transformations of ecological habitats, depending on their distance from salt water. Estimating damages and benefits requires first, to study the evolution of the services supplied by different habitats and second, to estimate the value of the economic impact. This approach demonstrates the superiority of a strategic retreat policy which would halve the damages resulting from submersion.

Simulating Littoral Trade: Modeling the Trade of Wine in the Bronze to Iron Age Transition in Southern France

The Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is well known today for producing full-bodied red wines. Yet wine grapes are not native to France. Additionally, wine was not developed indigenously first. In the 7th century B.C. Etruscan merchants bringing wine landed on the shores of the Languedoc and established trade relationships with the native Gauls, later creating local viticulture, and laying the foundation for a strong cultural identity of French wine production and setting in motion a multi-billion dollar industry. This paper examines the first five centuries of wine consumption (from ~600 B.C. to ~100 B.C.), analyzing how preference of one type of luxury good over another created distinctive artifact patterns in the archaeological record. I create a simple agent-based model to examine how the trade of comestibles for wine led to a growing economy and a distinctive patterning of artifacts in the archaeological record of southern France. This model helps shed light on the processes that led to centuries of peaceable relationships with colonial merchants, and interacts with scholarly debate on why Etruscan amphorae are replaced by Greek amphorae so swiftly and completely.

RISK VIP: Evaluation of Flood Risk on the French Railway Network Using an Innovative GIS Approach

Flooding can have significant direct and indirect negative effects on a railway network affecting both infrastructure and rail operations. Such impacts include the delaying or cancelling of train services, damage to railway structures or the implementation of costly maintenance and monitoring programs to ensure the safety and performance of the railway system. Identifying sections of railway line at risk from flooding allows appropriate actions to be targeted at specific areas and contributes to an effective asset management plan. Flooding of railway infrastructure can have numerous sources including surface water run-off, insufficient capacity of hydraulic structures or the inundation of embankments located in floodplains. Consequences of flooding include the destabilisation of structures (surface erosion of embankments or the undermining of bridge foundations), differential settlement of structures and damage to the track structure. This paper details an innovative approach developed at the SNCF using a Geographic Information System (GIS) model to identify zones of the railway network at risk of different types of flooding. The GIS model RiskVIP has been constructed through the assessment of three distinct components of risk: “Vulnerability ” (assessment of the susceptibility of the railway infrastructure to flood conditions), Intensity ’ (capacity of a catchment to generate a flood flow), Probability ’ (probability of a rainfall event).Through the application of decision trees, the component ‘Intensity ’ has been characterised in the model by the physical properties of the catchment intercepted by the railway line (surface area of the catchment, slope and land cover characteristics) and “Vulnerability ” by the infrastructure itself (type, geometry and the presence of hydraulic structures). In order to evaluate its efficiency at identifying sites at risk of flooding, the model has been tested in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon in France on a reach of over 380km of railway line. In order to characterise the component “probability ”, data relating to important historic rainfall events have been used in the model against which known incidents on the railway line have been subsequently analysed. Initial results are very positive with a high level of capture of known incidents by the model in relation to the type of flooding recorded. The model RiskVIP allows the evaluation of flood risk to be undertaken at different scales and will aid in targeting precise reaches of railway line to be studied in more detail. It is a tool which can aid in the management of flood risk on the railway network, optimising for example the maintenance program of drainage structures, ensuring monitoring and inspections are targeted at problem reaches, identifying areas where civil works are necessary and improving the overall resilience of the railway system.

The synergism between health professionals and users’ representatives in the care of persons with brain injuries

The synergism between the regional association of brain-injured persons’ families (AFTC-LR) and the regional health professionals has a long-standing history in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. The regional association of brain-injured persons’ families (AFTC-LR) has, since its creation, worked in synergism with the hospitals’ referents in the field, as much in acute care as in rehabilitation (Montpellier and Nîmes Universitary Hospitals, Perpignan Hospital, Coste-Floret Hospital in Lamalou-les-Bains and Bouffard-Vercelli Centre, in Cerbère), but also in the sanitary, medico-social and social network which intervenes after the rehabilitation care (specialized home in Lamalou-les-Bains, ADAGES, educational institute in Osséja…). This synergism led to the participation of the AFTC-LR in the management of these different departments, in the co-building of the care networks, in the definition of the regional network “brain-injured persons”, in many local, regional or national initiatives (for example: neuro-psychological evaluation for driving licence). The definition, within the association, of a medical referent responsible for the relationship with the health professionals allows the development of these different initiatives.

Ownership Structure and Branding Strategies

The brand is the most important asset for enterprises. In a competitive marketplace, brand is considered the best way to differentiate products, to build corporate image and to develop bargaining power with retailers. Branding strategies are therefore a key aspect of corporate decision making. In this paper, the authors analyse the relationship between the ownership structure of agri-food SMEs and branding strategies. A conceptual model of how these variables are related is proposed and empirically tested using data from two surveys (2003 and 2010) of a representative sample of agri-food SMEs in the Languedoc–Roussillon region (South of France). The results show that ownership structure influences branding strategies in SMEs. This finding might be considered a challenge to the relevance of applying agency theory to a very particular form of enterprise and sector of activity.

Registre épidémiologique du diabète chez l’enfant en Languedoc-Roussillon

Since 1st January 2000, the PEDIAB-LR registry has listed new cases of diabetes in children under 16 years of age in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, in order to assess the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of children affected by diabetes. At the end of December 2010, 745 children had been registered. The characteristics of these children included an identical proportion of girls and boys, a mean age of 8 years at diagnosis, and a family history of type 1 diabetes in 8.4% of the cases. Inaugural ketoacidosis was observed in 69.5% of the patients and was severe in 23.7% of these cases. To replace intravenous insulin, a two-injection dosing regimen (in the morning and before dinner) was prescribed in 76.5% of cases, multi-injections of basal-bolus in 16%, and subcutaneous insulin infusion (insulin pump therapy) in 7.5% of cases. Between 2000 and 2010, there was no increase in overall incidence. It is noteworthy that age at diagnosis tended to decrease, but this was not statistically significant. In conclusion, the PEDIAB-LR registry is currently the only French registry on diabetes in children, analyzing many factors related to its incidence, such as age at diagnosis and the existence of ketoacidosis.

The AntCardiocondyla elegansas Host of the Enigmatic Endoparasitic FungusMyrmicinosporidium durum

Data on host species and the distribution of the endoparasitic fungusMyrmicinosporidium durumincreased continuously in recent decades. Here, we add the antCardiocondyla elegansas new host species. Colonies of the monogynous species were found infested in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon (South France). Samples from the nest indicate high infection rates. All castes and sexes were infected by the spores. Variations of infection rates between sampling methods and species are discussed.

Building relevant ecological indicators with basic data: Species and community specialization indices derived from atlas data

Species and community specialization have become popular indicators to track the spatial and temporal changes of species and community dynamics during current global changes. However, measuring specialization requires detailed and quantitative descriptions of habitat requirements or resource use, which are difficult to obtain for many species. Here, we propose and test a new method to quantify and map the relative composition of specialist and generalist species in local plots compatible with very basic ecological data, typically used for atlases. We used co-occurrence patterns of 1090 plant species recorded in the French Mediterranean region of Languedoc-Roussillon in a systematic grid of 1225 5×5km atlas cells to estimate species specialization. We then calculated the averaged specialization of each cell and tested several expected relationships of these indices. In particular, we tested the relationship between species richness and average specialization and the relationship between community specialization and landscape disturbance induced by land use. As expected from studies conducted on fine-scale data, we found that specialist species were those with more restricted distributions and occurring in richer species assemblages. We also found that community specialization was maximized at an intermediate level of landscape disturbance. These results suggest that aggregating specialization at large spatial scales provides useful species and community level indicators. Estimating specialization level with co-occurrence data is a good complementary approach to traditional estimations of diversity indices for conservation and landscape planning.

Second-home owners and sea-level rise: the case of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France)

Municipalities of the Languedoc-Roussillon region (South-eastern France) are highly vulnerable to climate-change-induced sea-level rise (SLR) due to their low altitude and the great attractiveness of the region for tourism. This attractiveness has resulted in a very significant development of second homes, which represent half of the housing stock and three quarters of the total capacity for tourism hospitality. In the context of climate change adaptation measures related to SLR, it is imperative to consider the perceptions of second-home owners and their place in local governance arrangements. Scientists advocate the implementation of managed retreat policies to reduce vulnerability by reducing the exposure of buildings, but both the social acceptability and the economic feasibility of these policies are very low. We assume that second-home owners have different perceptions of the risk of inundation and are less involved in the governance mechanisms. It is very difficult to mobilise a large number of owners of small flats who are less concerned with, and less likely to contribute to, policy development, due to their less frequent presence. We studied these issues through a survey in three municipalities, based on a sample of 318 residents and 163 second-home owners faced with inundation risk. We observed a lower sensitivity to risk and a stronger attachment to homes on the part of second-home owners (compared to residents). We also discuss, in terms of equity and efficiency, the impact of their low level of engagement in governance mechanisms.

Relevance of use-invariant soil properties to assess soil quality of vulnerable ecosystems: The case of Mediterranean vineyards

Vineyard landscapes in Mediterranean areas represent a strong cultural legacy and support a crucial socio-economic sector. The sustainability of these landscapes is threatened by rapid changes of soil quality, in the context of global change and intensive management practices. Considering the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France as representative of Mediterranean soil and climate conditions, we evaluated the topsoil quality of vineyards at the regional scale, based on a set of 31 physical, chemical and biological soil indicators measured on 164 commercial vineyard plots. Almost all soil parameters were highly variable among plots. Biological activity was low but no systematic perturbation of the trophic web was noticed. The regional variability of use-invariant soil properties (such as calcium carbonate content and texture) was characterized and taken into account for the analysis of dynamic indicators. Invariant soil properties explained up to 25% of the variance of dynamic chemical and biological indicators. Consequently as a tool to improve soil management decision and recommendations, we proposed a grouping of the 164 vineyard plots into functional soil groups determined by soil invariant properties. Information redundancy between different dynamic indicators was analyzed, and their interpretation and limitations as indicators of topsoil quality were discussed. Our study has produced detailed topsoil indicator baselines that can be immediately used as references for winegrowers to appraise the topsoil quality of their vineyard in comparison with others.

Achnanthidium barbei sp. nov. and Achnanthidium costei sp. nov., two new diatom species from French rivers

Two new benthic freshwater species belonging to the genus Achnanthidium Kützing were found in French rivers located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. Achnanthidium barbei and A. costei are described as new species based on light and scanning electron microscopy observations. These species belong to the ‘A. minutissimum complex’ based on the short, straight distal raphe fissures. Achnanthidium barbei and A. costei were found in rivers characterized by an alkaline pH and high phosphorus. Achnanthidium costei occurs in waters with very high conductivity and sulfate. The most characteristic morphological features of A. barbei are the bent frustule with recurved apices in girdle view, clearly lanceolate valves with convex margins and distinctly protracted apices, and the presence of up to six areolae per stria. Achnanthidium costei is characterized by a linear raphe valve outline and a wide axial area on the rapheless valve. Both species are compared with the most similar species: A. caravelense Novais & Ector, A. ennediense (Compère) Compère & Van de Vijver, A. eutrophilum (Lange-Bertalot) Lange-Bertalot, A. lineare W. Smith, A. minutissimun (Kützing) Czarnecki., A. pseudolineare Van de Vijver, Novais & Ector, A. sublineare Van de Vijver, Novais & Ector and A. tepidaricola Van de Vijver & M. de Haan. The ecological preferences of both species are assessed based on physicochemical analyses carried out on sites that are part of water quality monitoring networks.

Préférences individuelles et incitations collectives : quels contrats agroenvironnementaux pour la réduction des herbicides par les viticulteurs ?

[paper in French]The CAP reform is an opportunity to improve the design of existing agri-environmental schemes. Understanding the design attributes affecting farmers’ choices when they adopt an agri-environmental contract can help to identify ways of increasing their participation. The aim of this article is to measure with a choice experiment, the preferences of wine-growers for different types of contracts limiting the use of herbicides in the Languedoc-Roussillon region (France). We test the effect of introducing a collective dimension in the contracts. A monetary “bonus” would be paid to each engaged farmer, provided that the proportion of land collectively enrolled in the scheme reaches a predefined threshold. Despite a high heterogeneity among wine-growers, respondents show a preference for the contracts including this bonus and are more willing to provide environmental efforts when their neighbors also do so. Then, the presence of this bonus in the contracts terms could enhance farmers’ participation.

Une approche cartographique pour relancer la sylviculture du Châtaignier dans les Cévennes

The National Cevennes Park and the Languedoc-Roussillon Region, working through the CRPF, have initiated an action plan called “chestnut for timber” to promote chestnut tree cultivation, in the Cevennes mountain range. For this purpose, the entire sector being studied was mapped and the sites with the most conducive conditions for the production of timber from chestnut were identified. These maps show that 6% of surface areas with chestnut populations have site conditions that are suitable for producing workable timber. However currently only 2% of those surface areas are capable of producing high quality wood (structural timber or shop lumber) in the short term (within 10 years). The reason for this low-grade performance is inadequate forest management and unsuitable infrastructures (in particular, forest service roads).

Cooking, Class, and Colonial Transformations in Roman Mediterranean France

This article investigates the changes in foodways and cooking practices—especially in regard to the ceramic cooking assemblages—among the Celtic-speaking peoples of ancient Mediterranean France following the Roman conquest at the end of the second century B.C.E. I specifically examine the region of modern Languedoc-Roussillon using the ceramic data from the indigenous oppida of Lattara (modern Lattes), Castels à Nages, and Ambrussum, covering a period from the beginning of the third century B.C.E. through the first century C.E. I suggest that prior to the Roman conquest, during Iron Age II, there were few differences in cooking practices among the different blocks of houses at these sites. Although food was used for practices of social and political differentiation, these differences were probably manifested and articulated generally through differences in the quantity, rather than the quality, of the food. After the Roman conquest, however, particularly at the urban centers in the region, a new "high" cuisine emerged, one characterized by differences in taste and the quality of food among different social groups. These transformations were in turn likely related to important sociopolitical changes occurring in the region as local society became increasingly integrated with larger Roman colonial society.