„Pratiquer la Grande Région. Questions d’approche du phénomène du travailleur frontalier“.

Conference given outside the academic context (2008)

De la terre natale au terroir sensoriel. Usage politique et normativité didactique du discours sur l’origine des vins

in Wolikow, Serge; Jacquet, Olivier; Lucand, Christophe (Eds.) De Jules Guyot à Robert Parker : 150 ans de construction des territoires du vin. (2008, November)

L’esthétisation actuelle et l’hyper-différenciation des vins en fonction de leur terroir (lui-même défini comme conjointement naturel et humain) s’inscrit dans un processus historique de rationalisation ... [more ▼]

L’esthétisation actuelle et l’hyper-différenciation des vins en fonction de leur terroir (lui-même défini comme conjointement naturel et humain) s’inscrit dans un processus historique de rationalisation plus large. Dans le cas du vin, trois vecteurs (la régulation étatique, la consolidation scientifique et la diffusion médiatique) ont été décisifs, depuis le XIXe siècle, dans la cristallisation de l’œnophilie. Cette figure culturelle – institutionnalisée au point d’être enseignée dans des cours étatiques de formation continue pour adultes, au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg – puise précisément dans la normativité épistémique des trois vecteurs, qui ont tous mis en évidence, pour l’utiliser en fonction de leurs positions respectives, l’importance de la provenance géographique des vins. D’abord, je me concentrerai sur le vecteur étatique, qui a le pouvoir d’intégrer des aspects des deux autres et dont la performativité est la plus élevée : l’implication de l’Etat luxembourgeois dans la viticulture construite comme proprement nationale. Le contrôle étatique comporte un volet économico-juridique et un volet politico-symbolique, dont des exemples concrets (tant législatifs que culturels) montreront qu’ils se renforcent réciproquement, pour aboutir à un usage métonymique d’une ‘terre natale’ inaliénable, se prêtant à une mémorisation et à une identification topophile collective. De leur côté, les œnologues-chargés de cours, en tant que médiateurs scientifiques, se basent sur la notion de terroir pour en déduire les caractéristiques sensorielles des échantillons, mais également, dans une extrapolation politique, la démarche anti-industrielle des producteurs de ces vins. Ce faisant, ils véhiculent une normativité épistémique, posant d’emblée l’analysabilité du vin (ce qui est socialement spécifique) et faisant un usage moral de la science. Elle pourvoit les individus consommateurs de rapports à soi – qui sont censés les autonomiser, alors qu’ils canalisent leurs jugements. [less ▲]

Daughters taking over the family business: A gender analysis

in ISBE (Ed.) ISBE Conference 2008 Proceedings (2008, November)

This paper investigates the succession process as perceived and lived by daughters taking over the family business, with a gender perspective. Despite the rich literature on the succession process in ... [more ▼]

This paper investigates the succession process as perceived and lived by daughters taking over the family business, with a gender perspective. Despite the rich literature on the succession process in family firms, few studies use a gender approach, though an increasing number of ventures are launched, taken over and managed by women, largely contributing to the economic development. In line with Dumas (1998), Barbot et al. (2005) and Vera & Dean (2005), our research aims at analyzing the succession process when daughters take over the family business. Our contribution is a gender analysis of the process, including the social phenomena of separation and hierarchy, with a focus on family composition. Using the model of Cadieux et al. (2000), we identify at each stage of the succession process, the key actors of the environment, we analyze their interactions and see how they open opportunities or rise difficulties in terms of legitimacy for daughters. The qualitative thematic analysis of eleven detailed case studies reveals a strong influence of the presence or absence of a son on the motivations and positioning of daughters, as well as on the construction of their legitimacy towards family and stakeholders. This study leads to several implications for public and private initiatives. [less ▲]

Working memory and language: A latent variable longitudinal study

Poster (2008, November)

The relationship between working memory, phonological awareness, and developing language skills was explored longitudinally in children growing up in a multilingual society. A sample of 121 children from ... [more ▼]

The relationship between working memory, phonological awareness, and developing language skills was explored longitudinally in children growing up in a multilingual society. A sample of 121 children from Luxembourg were followed from kindergarten to first grade, and completed multiple assessments of working memory, phonological awareness, native and foreign vocabulary knowledge, language comprehension, and reading. Relations between the measures were best characterized by a model consisting of two related but separable constructs—corresponding to verbal short-term memory and the central executive—that were distinct from phonological awareness. Assessments of verbal short-term memory in kindergarten significantly predicted vocabulary knowledge and comprehension in native and foreign languages 1 year later: Central executive and verbal short-term memory measures in kindergarten were significantly associated with reading in first grade, and phonological awareness did not predict any of the language constructs. [less ▲]

« La formation professionnelle initiale en crise ? L’analyse du discours face à une demande sociale

Scientific Conference (2008, November)

Wie Frauen und Männer "Bewegung" lernen: Gibt es eine Geschlechtertypik in der Nutzung von Lernstrategien?

in Leipziger Sportwissenschaftliche Beiträge (2008), 50(2), 95-119

L-Ascorbate biosynthesis in higher plants: the role of VTC2

in Trends in Plant Science (2008), 13(11), 567-73

In the past year, the last missing enzyme of the L-galactose pathway, the linear form of which appears to represent the major biosynthetic route to L-ascorbate (vitamin C) in higher plants, has been ... [more ▼]

In the past year, the last missing enzyme of the L-galactose pathway, the linear form of which appears to represent the major biosynthetic route to L-ascorbate (vitamin C) in higher plants, has been identified as a GDP-L-galactos phosphorylase. This enzyme catalyzes the first committed step in the synthesis of that vital antioxidant and enzyme cofactor. Here, we discuss how GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase enzymes, encoded in Arabidopsis by the paralogous VTC2 and VTC5 genes, function in concert with the other enzymes of the L-galactose pathway to provide plants with the appropriate levels of L-ascorbate. We hypothesize that regulation of L-ascorbate biosynthesis might occur at more than one step and warrants further investigation to allow for the manipulation of vitamin C levels in plants. [less ▲]

Exploring the User Experience of Autonomous Driving: Workshop at AutomotiveUI 2013

in Proceedings of Automotive User Interfaces 2013 (2008, October 27)

Although cars are not flying yet, self-driving cars are definitively closer than some may think. Numerous research organizations and major companies have developed working prototype autonomous vehicles ... [more ▼]

Although cars are not flying yet, self-driving cars are definitively closer than some may think. Numerous research organizations and major companies have developed working prototype autonomous vehicles. Three U.S. states have passed laws permitting autonomous cars on public roads and the UK is currently working on making similar policy changes. Technical challenges are of great importance to fully transition to these vehicles, but legislation, infrastructure and human factors elements are of equal significance to tackle, and have received much less attention. With this workshop, we would like to start the conversation of Autonomous Vehicles with experts and researchers specifically in the area of Human Factors and User Experience. This workshop will explore the emerging themes of autonomous driving, social driving and novel user interface approaches. The aim being to define the future landscape for research within and across each these areas. [less ▲]

Die Grenzen des europäischen Wirtschaftsstrafrechts am Beispiel des Mannesmann Verfahrens und des Untreuetatbestandes

Doctoral thesis (2008)

Reliability analysis and lattice polynomial system representation

Scientific Conference (2008, October 17)