Stranger than Fiction: Métalepse de Genette et quelques univers filmiques contemporains

Dans le présent article, l'auteur examine certains commentaires développés par Gérard Genette à propos d'exemples filmiques dans l'ouvrage Métalepse, et tente de prolonger l'étude de cette « figure » dans le cadre des théories de la fiction en se penchant sur des films réalisés dans la dernière décennie. Il montre ainsi la pertinence de l'étude des phénomènes relevant de la métalepse pour aborder certaines productions cinématographiques contemporaines qui engagent des pratiques réflexives complexes. Par ailleurs, il aborde la façon dont Genette se positionne par rapport à l'objet cinéma - qu'il tient distance -, et propose d'autres ouvertures théoriques, notamment en tenant plus spécifiquement compte des théories de l'énonciation filmique. Enfin, il discute certains problèmes soulevés par la conception genettienne de la « diégèse » appliquée au cinéma, notamment dans le cas de l'analyse des implications du procédé du pont sonore et des sons dits « extradiégétiques ». L'étude s'achève par l'analyse de la transgression des niveaux narratifs dans un film à voix-over, Stranger than fiction (Marc Forster, 2006), qui constitue un lieu privilégié pour éprouver certaines remarques de Genette. This article discusses some reflections developed by Gérard Genette with respect to the filmic examples in Métalepse and tries to pursue the study of this figure within the framework of fiction theories, by focusing on certain films released in the last decade. The article also shows how the study of metalepsis can be important in order to address contemporary movies presenting complex self-reflexive strategies. Furthermore, it gives account of the particular way in which Genette deals with cinema and suggests some other possible theoretical developments, considering in particular the theories about filmic enunciation. Finally, the paper discusses some problems concerning Genette's idea of "diegesis" when it is applied to cinema and analyses the transgression of narrative levels in a voice-over film - in this case Stranger than Fiction (Marc Forster, 2006), which provides a particularly interesting example in order to test some of Genette's remarks.

Les Passions filmées: des codes en appropriation, un cinéma en canonisation

Constituant l'un des premiers « genres » de l'histoire du cinéma (dont Burch et Gaudreault ont montré le rôle fondateur dans la standardisation des procédures de montage institutionnalisées), les films mettant en scène la Vie et la Passion du Christ fixent leurs normes en s'appropriant des codes iconographiques préétablis. Dans cet article, Valentine Robert s'attache à déployer le « palimpseste » de ces Passions des premiers temps, à démêler les « séries culturelles » impliquées, à dégager les phénomènes de reprises d'une bande à l'autre, et à replacer certains de ces jeux référentiels dans leur visée de légitimation - ou doit-on dire « canonisation » ? - du médium cinématographique.

Respiratory responses associated with affective processing of film stimuli

We investigated respiratory responses during film clip viewing and their relation to the affective dimensions of valence and arousal. Seventy-six subjects participated in a study using a between groups design. To begin with, all participants viewed an emotionally neutral film clip. Then, they were presented with one out of four emotional film clips: a positive high-arousal, a positive low-arousal, a negative high-arousal and a negative low-arousal clip. Respiration, skin conductance level, heart rate, corrugator activity and affective judgments were measured. Expiratory time was shorter and inspiratory duty cycle, mean expiratory flow and minute ventilation were larger during the high-arousal clips compared to the low-arousal clips. The pleasantness of the stimuli had no influence on any respiratory measure. These findings confirm the importance of arousal in respiratory responding but also evidence differences in comparison to previous studies using visual and auditory stimuli. [Authors]

Harmonization of immune biomarker assays for clinical studies.

Assays that measure a patient's immune response play an increasingly important role in the development of immunotherapies. The inherent complexity of these assays and independent protocol development between laboratories result in high data variability and poor reproducibility. Quality control through harmonization--based on integration of laboratory-specific protocols with standard operating procedures and assay performance benchmarks--is one way to overcome these limitations. Harmonization guidelines can be widely implemented to address assay performance variables. This process enables objective interpretation and comparison of data across clinical trial sites and also facilitates the identification of relevant immune biomarkers, guiding the development of new therapies.

Extent of non-publication in cohorts of studies approved by research ethics committees or included in trial registries

BACKGROUND: The synthesis of published research in systematic reviews is essential when providing evidence to inform clinical and health policy decision-making. However, the validity of systematic reviews is threatened if journal publications represent a biased selection of all studies that have been conducted (dissemination bias). To investigate the extent of dissemination bias we conducted a systematic review that determined the proportion of studies published as peer-reviewed journal articles and investigated factors associated with full publication in cohorts of studies (i) approved by research ethics committees (RECs) or (ii) included in trial registries. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Four bibliographic databases were searched for methodological research projects (MRPs) without limitations for publication year, language or study location. The searches were supplemented by handsearching the references of included MRPs. We estimated the proportion of studies published using prediction intervals (PI) and a random effects meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (OR) were used to express associations between study characteristics and journal publication. Seventeen MRPs (23 publications) evaluated cohorts of studies approved by RECs; the proportion of published studies had a PI between 22% and 72% and the weighted pooled proportion when combining estimates would be 46.2% (95% CI 40.2%-52.4%, I2 = 94.4%). Twenty-two MRPs (22 publications) evaluated cohorts of studies included in trial registries; the PI of the proportion published ranged from 13% to 90% and the weighted pooled proportion would be 54.2% (95% CI 42.0%-65.9%, I2 = 98.9%). REC-approved studies with statistically significant results (compared with those without statistically significant results) were more likely to be published (pooled OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.2-3.5). Phase-III trials were also more likely to be published than phase II trials (pooled OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.6-2.5). The probability of publication within two years after study completion ranged from 7% to 30%. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial part of the studies approved by RECs or included in trial registries remains unpublished. Due to the large heterogeneity a prediction of the publication probability for a future study is very uncertain. Non-publication of research is not a random process, e.g., it is associated with the direction of study findings. Our findings suggest that the dissemination of research findings is biased.

Menarche, menopause, and breast cancer risk: individual participant meta-analysis, including 118 964 women with breast cancer from 117 epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND: Menarche and menopause mark the onset and cessation, respectively, of ovarian activity associated with reproduction, and affect breast cancer risk. Our aim was to assess the strengths of their effects and determine whether they depend on characteristics of the tumours or the affected women. METHODS: Individual data from 117 epidemiological studies, including 118 964 women with invasive breast cancer and 306 091 without the disease, none of whom had used menopausal hormone therapy, were included in the analyses. We calculated adjusted relative risks (RRs) associated with menarche and menopause for breast cancer overall, and by tumour histology and by oestrogen receptor expression. FINDINGS: Breast cancer risk increased by a factor of 1·050 (95% CI 1·044-1·057; p<0·0001) for every year younger at menarche, and independently by a smaller amount (1·029, 1·025-1·032; p<0·0001), for every year older at menopause. Premenopausal women had a greater risk of breast cancer than postmenopausal women of an identical age (RR at age 45-54 years 1·43, 1·33-1·52, p<0·001). All three of these associations were attenuated by increasing adiposity among postmenopausal women, but did not vary materially by women's year of birth, ethnic origin, childbearing history, smoking, alcohol consumption, or hormonal contraceptive use. All three associations were stronger for lobular than for ductal tumours (p<0·006 for each comparison). The effect of menopause in women of an identical age and trends by age at menopause were stronger for oestrogen receptor-positive disease than for oestrogen receptor-negative disease (p<0·01 for both comparisons). INTERPRETATION: The effects of menarche and menopause on breast cancer risk might not be acting merely by lengthening women's total number of reproductive years. Endogenous ovarian hormones are more relevant for oestrogen receptor-positive disease than for oestrogen receptor-negative disease and for lobular than for ductal tumours. FUNDING: Cancer Research UK.