A multiple criteria analysis for-household solid waste management in the urban community of Dakar

in Waste Management (2007), 27(11), 1690-1705

Household solid waste management is a severe problem in big cities of developing countries. Mismanaged solid waste dumpsites produce bad sanitary, ecological and economic consequences for the whole ... [more ▼]

Household solid waste management is a severe problem in big cities of developing countries. Mismanaged solid waste dumpsites produce bad sanitary, ecological and economic consequences for the whole population, especially for the poorest urban inhabitants. Dealing with this problem, this paper utilizes field data collected in the urban community of Dakar, in view of ranking nine areas of the city with respect to multiple criteria of nuisance. Nine criteria are built and organized in three families that represent three classical viewpoints: the production of wastes, their collection and their treatment. Thanks to the method PROMETHEE and the software ARGOS, we do a pair-wise comparison of the nine areas, which allows their multiple criteria rankings according to each viewpoint and then globally. Finding the worst and best areas in terms of nuisance for a better waste management in the city is our final purpose.. fitting as well as possible the needs of the urban community. Based on field knowledge and on the literature, we suggest applying general and area-specific remedies to the household solid waste problems. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Multiple criteria and multiple periods performance analysis: the comparison of telecommunications sectors in the Maghreb countries

in Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology (2006)

In four Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia), a considerable improvement of the situation of the telecommunication operators has been noticed during the nineties. The evolution in ... [more ▼]

In four Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia), a considerable improvement of the situation of the telecommunication operators has been noticed during the nineties. The evolution in these countries was very different depending on their economic policies, their effort of reorganization of their telecommunication sector and their technological change. Theses differences will be exhibited and analysed by comparing the operators’ performances over a decade (1992–2001). A first approach is based on the Malmquist DEA TFP index for measuring the total factors productivity change, decomposed into technical efficiency change and technological changes. Second, using the Promethee II method and the software ARGOS, a multiple criteria analysis is performed, taking into account a larger scope of analysis. A main issue is that the general performance ranking of sets of operators by country is almost the same according to the two methods, although the variables of inputs and output used for the index of Malmquist are different and narrower in the considered scope than the chosen families of criteria used in method Promethee and software ARGOS. Both methods of analysis provide however complementary useful detailed information, especially in discriminating the technological and management progresses for Malmquist and the two dimensions of performance for Promethee: that are the service to the community and the enterprises performances, often in conflict. [less ▲]

Multiple domains of the glucocorticoid receptor involved in synergism with the CACCC box factor(s).

in Molecular Endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) (1991), 5(10), 1498-503

Steroid induction of responsive genes functions through the synergistic activity of steroid receptor-binding sequences with adjacent transcription factor-binding sites. To analyze the mechanism of synergy ... [more ▼]

Steroid induction of responsive genes functions through the synergistic activity of steroid receptor-binding sequences with adjacent transcription factor-binding sites. To analyze the mechanism of synergy we tested different human glucocorticoid receptor mutants for synergistic function with another transcription factor in comparison with intrinsic trans-activation obtained with a single receptor binding site (glucocorticoid response element). Multiple domains were found to be involved in synergistic activity of the glucocorticoid receptor with the CACCC box factor. Deletions within the N-terminal receptor half affected simultaneously intrinsic trans-activation and synergism. However, deletion of the hormone-binding domain mainly impaired synergism rather than intrinsic trans-activation, clearly showing that this domain synergizes by a mechanism independent of intrinsic activation. A chimeric protein where the DNA-binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor was replaced by that of the yeast GAL4 protein also showed functional synergism. These data suggest that some of the receptor domains outside the DNA-binding domain synergize by their intrinsic trans-activating property, but the hormone-binding domain contributes to synergism by a different mechanism. [less ▲]

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, type 1

Scientific conference (2001, February 09)

Multiple feedback loops in circadian cycles: robustness and entrainment as selection criteria

in Proceedings of the Seventh International Workshop on Computational Systems Biology, WCSB 2010 (2010, June)

This paper discusses the contribution of an additional feedback loop to the entrainment and the robustness of a circadian system. To quantify robustness, we perform a global analysis of the system's ... [more ▼]

This paper discusses the contribution of an additional feedback loop to the entrainment and the robustness of a circadian system. To quantify robustness, we perform a global analysis of the system's parameter space. We quantify the parameter region where the circuit displays an experimentally observed behavior, under entrainment. This global measure is comleted with a classification based on the phase response curve (PRC). For two models of circadian rhythms, we found that the one with two loops is more robust than the one with a single loop: the two-loop model shows better resilience to parameter perturbations and it has also a larger region where the PRC matches experimental PRCs of circadian oscillators. [less ▲]

Multiple functional variants at the 3p21 locus contribute to ulcerative colitis: Results from a European consortium

in Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis [=JCC] (2012, February)

Multiple losses and unresolved griefs among new families: An exploratory clinical research

Poster (2009, March)

Multiple material mesh generation for biomedical applications

in Proceedings of the 9th belgian day on biomedical engineering (2010, November 26)

The finite element method is commonly used in biomedical applications for the simulation of the behaviour of biological structures. However, extracting finite element meshes from medical images is still ... [more ▼]

The finite element method is commonly used in biomedical applications for the simulation of the behaviour of biological structures. However, extracting finite element meshes from medical images is still very challenging. We propose an innovative system to create accurate multiple domain tetrahedral meshes from medical images. Our approach is based on an enhanced Marching Tetrahedra algorithm that extracts the boundary surfaces delimiting the different material domains in an integrated manner. Moreover, a surface reconstruction method is employed to ensure that the resulting mesh is a smooth and accurate surface representation of the original sampled structure. Mesh smoothing and decimation algorithms are also revised to conform to the multiple material nature of the system as well as to adhere to the underlying volume data. [less ▲]

Multiple mechanisms control brain aromatase activity at the genomic and non-genomic level

in Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (2003), 86

Evidence has recently accumulated indicating that aromatase activity in the preoptic area is modulated in parallel by both slow (hours to days) genomic and rapid (minutes to hours) non-genomic mechanisms ... [more ▼]

Evidence has recently accumulated indicating that aromatase activity in the preoptic area is modulated in parallel by both slow (hours to days) genomic and rapid (minutes to hours) non-genomic mechanisms. We review here these two types of control mechanisms and their potential contribution to various aspects of brain physiology in quail. High levels of aromatase mRNA, protein and activity (AA) are present in the preoptic area of this species where the transcription of aromatase is controlled mainly by steroids. Estrogens acting in synergy with androgens play a key role in this control and both androgen and estrogen receptors (ER; alpha and beta subtypes) are present in the preoptic area even if they are not necessarily co-localized in the same cells as aromatase. Steroids have more pronounced effects on aromatase transcription in males than in females and this sex difference could be caused, in part, by a sexually differentiated expression of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 in this area. The changes in aromatase concentration presumably control seasonal variations as well as sex differences in brain estrogen production. Aromatase activity in hypothalamic homogenates is also rapidly (within minutes) down-regulated by exposure to conditions that enhance protein phosphorylation such as the presence of high concentrations of calcium, magnesium and ATP. Similarly, pharmacological manipulations such as treatment with thapsigargin or stimulation of various neurotransmitter receptors (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA), kainate, and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)) leading to enhanced intracellular calcium concentrations depress within minutes the aromatase activity measured in quail preoptic explants. The effects of receptor stimulation are presumably direct: electrophysiological data confirm the presence of these receptors in the membrane of aromatase-expressing cells. Inhibitors of protein kinases interfere with these processes andWestern blotting experiments on brain aromatase purified by immunoprecipitation confirm that the phosphorylations regulating aromatase activity directly affect the enzyme rather than another regulatory protein. Accordingly, several phosphorylation consensus sites are present on the deduced amino acid sequence of the recently cloned quail aromatase. Fast changes in the local availability of estrogens in the brain can thus be caused by aromatase phosphorylation so that estrogen could rapidly regulate neuronal physiology and behavior. The rapid as well as slower processes of local estrogen production in the brain thus match well with the genomic and non-genomic actions of steroids in the brain. These two processes potentially provide sufficient temporal variation in the bio-availability of estrogens to support the entire range of established effects for this steroid. [less ▲]

Multiple mode analysis of the self-excited vibrations of rotary drilling systems

in Journal of Sound & Vibration (2009), 325(1-2), 362-381