High energy environment offshore deposits in the western Gulf of Corinth, Greece

Conference (2013, April)

Merkel cell carcinoma of the central nervous system. Case report and review of the literature.

Poster (2013, March 30)

Glioblastoma metastases:case report and literature review

Poster (2013, March 30)

The Semantic-syntactic Interface

Conference (2013, March 28)

Comment mettre en place une pédagogie active dans les grands groupes ? Grâce à l’utilisation de Diigo : logiciel de partage de signets en ligne

Conference (2013, March 28)

L’indice paysager Caulerpa racemosa “I.Ca.r”

in Ifremer (Ed.) CARtographie des HAbitats Marins Benthiques : de l'Acquisition à la Restitution (2013, March 27)

Depuis 2002, l’algue invasive Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea a été signalée au niveau de la Corse. Elle apparaît pour la première fois, en 2008, au niveau de la baie de Calvi (Corse). Depuis cette ... [more ▼]

Depuis 2002, l’algue invasive Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea a été signalée au niveau de la Corse. Elle apparaît pour la première fois, en 2008, au niveau de la baie de Calvi (Corse). Depuis cette époque, le nombre et la surface des sites envahis augmentent. L'analyse fine de l'évolution spatio-temporelle de sa distribution dans la zone prospectée confirme que C. racemosa colonise d'abord les sites profonds. A partir des différents stades de colonisation, un indice paysager (Indice Caulerpa racemosa: "I.Ca.r") adapté à la plongée en scaphandre autonome a été élaboré. "I.Ca.r" qui tient compte de l'expérience du plongeur, du type de substrat et de la superficie colonisée est un code à 8 caractères. Il permet une comparaison spatiale de sites colonisés et également une analyse de l'évolution temporelle de la colonisation. Mis au point en Baie de Calvi, l'indice paysager "I.Ca.r" peut être appliqué sur la Corse et sur l'ensemble de La Méditerranée. La méthodologie simple, résumée sur une fiche pourrait être distribuée dans les clubs de plongée et les informations envoyées au réseau Caulerpe par exemple. [less ▲]

Retour au travail après une absence de longue durée : quels enjeux pour l'ergonomie ?

Conference (2013, March 26)

Myeloperoxidase activity decreases in equine semen freezing extenders

in Amir, Arav (Ed.) Proceedings of the 3rd Cryo Congress (2013, March 23)

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a pro-oxidant enzyme contained in and released by neutrophils, and associated with decreased post-thaw motility of equine semen. This study aimed to compare MPO activity in pure ... [more ▼]

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a pro-oxidant enzyme contained in and released by neutrophils, and associated with decreased post-thaw motility of equine semen. This study aimed to compare MPO activity in pure equine freezing extender, raw and post-thaw semen. Active MPO Concentration (AMC) was measured with Specific Immunologic Extraction Followed by Enzymatic Detection in 20 ejaculates. Raw semen intra cellular AMC was determined in the supernatant after membrane lysis, each pellet containing 100x106 spermatozoa. AMC was also assayed in supernatants of semen frozen following a conventional method using INRA FreezeTM (IMV, France). Effect of freezing procedure on AMC was tested by experimentally adding 500ng of purified active MPO (Calbiochem, Germany) in 4 samples either with 5ml of PBS or INRA FreezeTM before assay. AMC was higher in sperm-rich pellet (0.306ng/ml) than in post-thaw semen (0.002ng/ml) (p=0.058). After experimental MPO addition, no activity variation was observed during the freezing procedure (after dilution, 1, 2 hours of cooling and post-thawing) within the same medium. Purified MPO activity was decreased in INRA FreezeTM when compared to PBS at all timings of sampling (p=0.0286). When all samples were pooled, remaining activity in INRA FreezeTM was 23.93±13.13%. MPO fixation on large proteins contained in the extender experimentally reduces AMC, as previously observed in plasma. However, AMC decrease observed during semen freezing is more important than after experimental addition. That could be explained by a MPO interaction with seminal plasma, a partial MPO release or a MPO inactivation during equine semen freezing. [less ▲]

Efficient aseptic and automatable vitrification of human Embryonic Stem Cells using bio-safe & chemically defined media

Conference (2013, March 23)

ACV et Ecoconception: illustration de la démarche au sein de Knauf Insulation.

Conference (2013, March 22)

Des élites sans avenir. Contre-valeurs nobiliaires dans le roman dystopique francophone

Conference (2013, March 22)

Le récit d’anticipation développe des représentations sociales complexes, en particulier lorsqu’il se centre sur les dissensions et dysfonctionnements d’une communauté en difficulté face au conflit ... [more ▼]

Le récit d’anticipation développe des représentations sociales complexes, en particulier lorsqu’il se centre sur les dissensions et dysfonctionnements d’une communauté en difficulté face au conflit mondial, au cataclysme écologique ou au fléau biologique. Représentées sous cet angle, les sociétés futures semblent marquer la fin de la distinction sociale par les privilèges de la fortune, du territoire ou du titre, au profit d’une élite éclairée triomphant par le capital intellectuel, la maîtrise scientifique et la sophistication technologique. Pourtant, les scénarios littéraires de destruction imminente des biens matériels et de reconfiguration géopolitique planétaire montrent cette élite en fâcheuse posture et insistent volontiers sur son improductivité, ses conjectures farfelues, son autosuffisance et sa méconnaissance du lien social. Précipitant la fin d’une civilisation, dictateurs technocrates et savants-prophètes sont alors assimilés à une classe aristocratique à bannir, conviction qui motive notamment cette exclamation emportée : « Ces savants, ces aristocrates de la pensée, qu’on les pende ! » (Jacques Spitz, L’Agonie du globe, 1935). Conséquence de l’échec face à l’adversité, le franchissement régressif inverse du seuil nature/culture prépare une nouvelle hiérarchie anthropologique du sang. Elle se caractérise par une urgence de préservation vitale qui se substitue à l’impératif de pureté de la lignée à maintenir. L’imaginaire d’une décadence par le sang s’en trouve reconfiguré sous diverses formes : maladies sélectives selon le capital santé du degré d’ascendance (Daniel Halévy, Histoire de quatre ans, 1903) ; formes de vie parasites se nourrissant des globules rouges humains (Rosny Aîné, La Mort de la Terre, 1910) ; guerre bactériologique ciblée (Henri Allorge, Le Grand Cataclysme, 1922) ; anthropophagie due aux radiations des « machines à sang » alimentées par des corps humains (José Moselli, La Fin d’Illa, 1925), etc. Cette communication étudie la cohérence et l’évolution de ces constats thématiques dans une trentaine de romans parus entre 1900 et 1950, qui partagent les caractéristiques narratives de l’anticipation rationnelle négative. Trois aspects seront examinés en particulier : la constitution du point de vue narratif, la caractérisation des protagonistes et l’évolution diégétique déceptive. [less ▲]

Particularités de la personne âgée malade

Conference (2013, March 22)

"'With love for my people': Chika Unigwe's Night Dancer"

Conference (2013, March 21)

The Violence of Self-Starvation

Conference (2013, March 21)

Ramses. A tool for linguistic analysis of Late Egyptian

Conference (2013, March 20)

Highly non-classical symmetric states of an N-qubit system

Poster (2013, March 19)

Weakening of superradiance due to dipole-dipole interactions

Poster (2013, March 19)

Inhibition of Fusarium culmorum and Cochliobolus sativus growth

Poster (2013, March 19)

Self-Defining Memories and Identity in Schizophrenia: Preliminary Results.

Poster (2013, March 18)

The reciprocal relationship between autobiographical memory (AM) and identity is well known. In schizophrenia, there is evidence that both identity and AM are impaired. Indeed, identity has been described ... [more ▼]

The reciprocal relationship between autobiographical memory (AM) and identity is well known. In schizophrenia, there is evidence that both identity and AM are impaired. Indeed, identity has been described as fragmented, instable or still discontinuous in these patients (Boulanger et al., submitted; deBonis et al., 1995; Nieznanski, 2004). Further, schizophrenia patients’ (SCh) AM impairments were described as difficulties to retrieve specific memories (Cuervo-Lombard et al., 2007; D’argembeau et al., 2008; Neumann et al., 2007; Wood et al., 2006). SCh have specificity impairment for mill run autobiographical memories (AMs) and also, for AMs particularly important for construction and continuity to identity as self-defining memories (SDMs; Benounna-Greene, 2001; Raffard et al., 2009, 2010; Robinson and Taylor, 1998). SDMs have been particularly relevant in understanding the relationship between the identity and AM. Identity emerges during late adolescence and early adulthood period called “remimiscence bump period” because, it is characterized by a profusion of recalled memories in comparison to others periods of life span. Possibly, many memories from this period are of SDMs (Singer & Salovey, 1993) and have a powerful effect in binding the identity to a specific reality. Consequently, we supposed that identity impairments showed by SCch are related to SDMs deficits. 19 SCh and 19 healthy controls paired participated to this study. They were asked to give ten enduring “I am” statements that they felt “defined their identity.” Then, they selected the three statements among the ten, which are the “most personally significant to their sense of identity”. They were asked to recall three SDMs by each of three statements selected. Afterwards, they were asked to give: (1) their age for each statement when they felt it was a significant part of their identity, (2) their age at the time that the remembered event occurred. In parallel, the participants were completed neuropsychological measures, BDI-II, PANSS and, an identity stability measure. The results are discussed on the light of previous research [less ▲]

Automatic Aircraft Cargo Load Planning with Pick-up and Delivery

Conference (2013, March 15)

This research aims to develop a new mixed integer linear program to solve the containers assignment problem when pickup and deliveries are considered. Given a pool of ULDs and an aircraft with multiple ... [more ▼]

This research aims to develop a new mixed integer linear program to solve the containers assignment problem when pickup and deliveries are considered. Given a pool of ULDs and an aircraft with multiple destinations, we want to obtain a loading plan determining at which positions the ULDs must be assigned in order to minimize simultaneous the quantity of fuel consumed and the number of re-handles. The loading plan should also ensure a number of structural, safety and manoeuvrability constraints. The model has been tested on real instances and provides encouraging results. [less ▲]

Specialists vs. Generalists in Thai limestone karsts: Comparative phylogeography of two Murinae rodents in Thailand

Conference (2013, March 13)

Bringing the normative content into participatory technology assessment

Conference (2013, March 13)

Mapping the interplay of policy paradigms and technology assessment in Flanders and Wallonia (Belgium)

Conference (2013, March 13)

This paper empirically assesses how science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies in the regions of Flanders and Wallonia (Belgium) are affected by, and possibly transformed through, technology ... [more ▼]

This paper empirically assesses how science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies in the regions of Flanders and Wallonia (Belgium) are affected by, and possibly transformed through, technology assessment (TA). Broadly defined, TA encompasses activities and programs that seek to expand and deepen the knowledge base of contemporary knowledge-based economies (KBEs), typically by including new actors (e.g. trade unions), ideas (e.g. science in society), and rationales (e.g. participatory techniques) in STI processes. The paper thus seeks to render concrete how TA ideas and programs unfold with, and potentially steer, new articulations of knowledge, which are imperative to present-day STI processes. Drawing on TA case studies in the two regions, the paper illustrates how TA takes on various shapes and forms, including that of mediating instrument, policy-oriented decision-making tool linked to Parliament, and experimental-deliberative mechanism. It is argued that while these TA forms engender new kinds of knowledge and knowledge production, the extent to which TA discourses and practices are effectively taken up in STI is contingent upon how TA taps into, and aligns itself with, global and regional dynamics. The former comprise the convergence of technology research and innovation around the KBE and the advent of strategic science, with its emphasis on real-world problem solving (relevance) and basic research (excellence); the latter entail constitutional reforms that spurred the regionalization of STI policy in Belgium. Our analysis brings a macro-sociological and political sensitivity to bear on TA. Rather than conceiving of TA as a mere management tool or governance technique, we suggest that TA processes enact, as well as counteract, dominant innovation policies. How TA positions itself or is positioned in relation to these policies, is particularly relevant to consider in view of the Flemish Government’s recent decision to abolish its parliamentary TA institute and the Walloon Government’s intention of erecting one. [less ▲]

Photogrammetry for forest inventory

Conference (2013, March 12)

Stratification du risque cardiovasculaire selon la fonction

Conference (2013, March 09)

Réguler par la science: le cas des aliments fonctionnels

Conference (2013, March 08)

Affinités et contrastes entre les phénomènes affectifs et les phénomènes conatifs

Conference (2013, March 08)

Cet exposé concerne un certain débat apparu dans l’école de Franz Brentano. Ce débat, qui comporte de nombreuses facettes, porte sur la nature des phénomènes émotionnels au sens le plus large et, plus ... [more ▼]

Cet exposé concerne un certain débat apparu dans l’école de Franz Brentano. Ce débat, qui comporte de nombreuses facettes, porte sur la nature des phénomènes émotionnels au sens le plus large et, plus particulièrement, sur la relation entre les sentiments (les affects ou phénomènes affectifs) et les volitions (les désirs ou phénomènes conatifs). Je rappelle d’abord la position de Brentano (1874), puis j’expose les objections qui lui ont été adressées par Christian von Ehrenfels dans sa thèse d’habilitation, "Über Fuhlen und Wollen. Eine psychologische Studie" (1887). Enfin, j’examine certaines difficultés de la théorie d’Ehrenfels en m’appuyant notamment sur les remarques critiques de Meinong. Je conclus par quelques observations générales sur le programme brentanien. [less ▲]

Les allergies médicamenteuses : point de vue du biologiste

Conference (2013, March 07)

Sedimentation and active faulting in the western tip of the Gulf of Corinth, Greece

Conference (2013, March 06)

The Gulf of Corinth is one of the fastest-spreading intracontinental rift on Earth, a 120km long E-W structure propagating westward toward the Aegean subduction zone. Present day kinematics (GPS data ... [more ▼]

The Gulf of Corinth is one of the fastest-spreading intracontinental rift on Earth, a 120km long E-W structure propagating westward toward the Aegean subduction zone. Present day kinematics (GPS data) indicates an opening direction oriented NNE-SSW and an opening rate increasing westward from 11 mm y-1 in the central part to 16 mm y-1 in the westernmost part. The high extension rate in the western part of the rift would imply a high seismic hazard if faults are not creeping. Our work concerns this western extremity of the Gulf of Corinth, for which we propose an accurate map of submarine faults as well as first chronostratigraphic interpretations. The map is based on two high-resolution seismic reflection surveys (single channel sparker) performed aboard HCMR’s R/V ALKYON, within the frame of SISCOR ANR Project. About 600 km of seismic lines were acquired, with a 200 msTWTT maximum penetration. We identified last glacial maximum (LGM) lowstand erosion surfaces along the northern coast. They made possible the mapping of post-LGM sediment thickness as well as estimates of subsidence rates. Depocenters location is controlled by river deltas where up to 75m of post-LGM sediments are stored. Numerous, up to 15m thick, mass transport deposits fill the central and eastern parts. Seafloor erosion is observed on 7.5 km2 in the western part, involving action of marine currents. The northern coast is subsiding between 1.7 and 2.2 mm y-1. We also mapped the following fault network described from east to west. In the eastern part, the sedimentary infill is faulted by the known North Eratini, South Eratini and West Channel faults. At the longitude of the Trizonia Island, the seafloor is mainly horizontal and the only fault is the south dipping Trizonia fault. Between the Trizonia Island and the Mornos Delta, the shallower northern part of the gulf shows a diffuse pattern of deformation with faults striking mainly E-W and ESE-WNW. In the southern part of the rift, no fault has been observed between the Psatopyrgos fault bounding the southern side of the Gulf and the Mornos Delta. To the West, between the Mornos Delta and the Rion Straits, three main south dipping, normal and oblique faults have been identified. This NE-SW striking fault system could be part of a local transfer zone linking the Patras and the Corinth Basins, or of the NE-SW right-lateral slip fault system interconnecting the Gulf of Corinth to the Kephalonia transform Fault and the Hellenic subduction. [less ▲]

How to use Diigo for allowing the students from large classes to become active ?

in 7th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Valencia, Spain. 4-5 March, 2013. (2013, March 04)

Teaching in the early bachelor’s degrees at the university often comes down to classical ex cathedra courses for which the students take a passive role leading progressively to the lost of their ... [more ▼]

Teaching in the early bachelor’s degrees at the university often comes down to classical ex cathedra courses for which the students take a passive role leading progressively to the lost of their motivation which may result in school failure. In this work, we demonstrate that the use of a collaborative social bookmarking, such as Diigo, can help for preserving and promoting the student motivation within large classes. Diigo is a free online tool used in a bachelor class of Bio Engineering (270 students) at the Gembloux Agro Bio Tech Faculty (University of Liege, Belgium) in order to allow students to work actively in small groups of 6 students. During this activity, which is supervised by a tutor who is also a teacher, the students prepare themselves the subject of the course. The impacts of this learning activity are clear: the motivation is substantially increased and the teacher can assist each group in its research through the Network rather than merely transmit his knowledge to a large audience without close interactions with the students. bookmarking, such as Diigo, can help for preserving and promoting the student motivation within large classes. Diigo is a free online tool used in a bachelor class of Bio Engineering (270 students) at the Gembloux Agro Bio Tech Faculty (University of Liege, Belgium) in order to allow students to work actively in small groups of 6 students. During this activity, which is supervised by a tutor who is also a teacher, the students prepare themselves the subject of the course. The impacts of this learning activity are clear: the motivation is substantially increased and the teacher can assist each group in its research through the Network rather than merely transmit his knowledge to a large audience without close interactions with the students. [less ▲]

Du simple audit à l’amélioration continue de la qualité des pratiques dans le domaine de l’antibiothérapie

Poster (2013, March 02)

Holotranscobalamin versus Total Vitamin B12 as Indicators of Vitamin B12 deficiency in Thyrogastric Syndrome

Poster (2013, March 01)

The singing voice evaluation

Conference (2013, March 01)

Singing is an activity widely shared. In order to determine whether a vocal performance is “in tune” or not, to understand better the causes of poor pitch singing or to judge the quality of a singer ... [more ▼]

Singing is an activity widely shared. In order to determine whether a vocal performance is “in tune” or not, to understand better the causes of poor pitch singing or to judge the quality of a singer, objective tools are needed. Studies leaded for a PhD validate an objective analysis of the vocal accuracy but also observe the effects to take into account for the singing voice evaluation. Experimental as well as artistic and pedagogical perspectives appear from the conclusions of those studies. [less ▲]

Notre jeunesse déliquante et violente : info ou intox?

Conference (2013, March 01)

Alors que les chiffres montrent qu'on ne remarque pas au niveau global une augmentation de la délinquance et de la violence faites par les jeunes, l'opinion publique a l'impression inverse. Quels est l ... [more ▼]

Alors que les chiffres montrent qu'on ne remarque pas au niveau global une augmentation de la délinquance et de la violence faites par les jeunes, l'opinion publique a l'impression inverse. Quels est l'origne et quels sont les enjeux de cette distorsion ? [less ▲]

Asteroseismology of hot B subdwarf stars

in EPJ Web of Conferences (2013, March), 43

Nonradial pulsations in Extreme Horizontal Branch stars (also known as hot B subdwarfs or sdB stars) offer strong opportunities to study through asteroseismology the structure and internal dynamics of ... [more ▼]

Nonradial pulsations in Extreme Horizontal Branch stars (also known as hot B subdwarfs or sdB stars) offer strong opportunities to study through asteroseismology the structure and internal dynamics of stars in this intermediate stage of stellar evolution. Most sdB stars directly descend from former red giants and are expected to evolve straight into white dwarfs after core helium exhaustion. They thus represent the most direct link between these two stages. Their properties should therefore reflect both the outcome of the core evolution of red giant stars and the initial state for a fraction of the white dwarfs. We review the status of this field after a decade of efforts to exploit both p-mode and g-mode pulsating sdB stars as asteroseismic laboratories. From the discoveries of these two classes of pulsators in 1997 and 2003, respectively, up to the current epoch of data gathering of unprecedented quality from space, a lot of progress has been made in this area and prospects for future achievements look very promising. [less ▲]

The empirical mass distribution of hot B subdwarfs: implications for stellar evolution theory

in EPJ Web of Conferences (2013, March), 43

Subdwarf B (sdB) stars are hot, compact, and evolved objects that form the very hot end of the horizontal branch, the so-called Extreme Horizontal Branch (EHB). Understanding the formation of sdB stars is ... [more ▼]

Subdwarf B (sdB) stars are hot, compact, and evolved objects that form the very hot end of the horizontal branch, the so-called Extreme Horizontal Branch (EHB). Understanding the formation of sdB stars is one of the remaining challenges of stellar evo- lution theory. Several scenarios have been proposed to account for the existence of such objects, made of He-burning core surrounded by very thin H-rich envelope. They give quite different theoretical mass distributions for the resulting sdB stars. Detailed astero- seismic analyses, including mass estimates, of 15 pulsating hot B subdwarfs have been published since a decade. The masses have also been reliably determined by light curve modeling and spectroscopy for 7 sdB components of eclipsing and/or reflection effect binaries. These empirical mass distributions, although based on small-number statistics, can be compared with the expectations of stellar evolution theory. In particular, the two He white dwarfs merger scenario does not seem to be the dominant channel to form iso- lated sdB stars, while the post-red giant branch scenario is reinforced. This opens new questions on extreme mass loss of red giants to form EHB stars, possibly in connection with the recently discovered close substellar companions and planets orbiting sdB stars. [less ▲]

Multi-method monitoring of odor emissions in agricultural biogas facilities.

in Proceedings of the 5th IWA conference on odours and air emissions, San Francisco, USA, March, 4-7, 2013 (2013, March)

The production of farm-based biogas and electricity is an area of alternative-energy interest to many livestock producers. However, it is still insignificant in comparison to the maximum potential of ... [more ▼]

The production of farm-based biogas and electricity is an area of alternative-energy interest to many livestock producers. However, it is still insignificant in comparison to the maximum potential of farms all over the world. Market penetration should involve better confidence in the technique and better understanding of its possible assets and limits. For instance, is the environmental impact of biomethanation positive or negative? What are the possible ways to avoid or to control process imbalances? In the context of a European project, the research group attempted to tackle those questions under the angle of gas emission and more particularly of odor annoyance. A multi-method approach was applied to monitor biogas and odor emissions, both at the laboratory level on pilot plants and at real scale in 4 agricultural biogas facilities, in Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany. Results show that digested material is generally less odorant than crude manure or slurry, while preserving all the amendment and fertilizing qualities of the original material. Possible annoyance of agricultural biogas facilities in the surroundings remains limited and can be solved through simple techniques. [less ▲]

Thiamine and thiazolium binding proteome includes DJ-1, amyloid beta and several membrane proteins

Poster (2013, March)

Microscale ELISA plate screening of essential oils against European damageable plant pathogens

Conference (2013, March)

Hierarchical Porous TiO2 thin films by soft and dual templating: A quantitative approach of specific surface and porosity

Poster (2013, March)

Hierarchical porous structures, with different pore sizes, constitute an important field of research for many applications. However, increasing the pore size results in the decrease of specific surface ... [more ▼]

Hierarchical porous structures, with different pore sizes, constitute an important field of research for many applications. However, increasing the pore size results in the decrease of specific surface. There is a need to quantify and predict the resulting porosity and specific surface. We have prepared hierarchical porous TiO2 thin films either by surfactant templating (soft) or dual surfactant/microspheres templating (soft/hard). They all show narrow, bimodal distribution of pores. Soft templating route leads to very thin films showing high specific surface and bimodal porosity with diameters of 10 nm and 54 nm. Dual templating route combines a Pluronic surfactant-based precursor solution with polystyrene (PS) microspheres (diam. 250 nm) in a one-pot simple process. This gives thicker films with a bimodal distribution of pores (8 nm and 165-200 nm). The dye loading of hierarchical films is compared to pure Pluronic-templated TiO2 films and shows a relative decrease of 29% for Single Templating (ST) and 43% for Dual Templating (DT-250). Finally, a geometrical model is proposed and validated for each system, based on the agreement between calculated specific surfaces and experimental dye loading with N719 dye. [less ▲]

Au coeur de la réforme des soins de santé mentale en Belgique: les coordinateurs de réseau

Conference (2013, March)

The Day George Avellis Met Miller Fisher – About the Unsual Presentation of an Anti-GQ1b IgG Antibody Syndrome

Poster (2013, March)

Objective: OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological features of a patient who presented an Avellis syndrome as the initial feature of Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS ... [more ▼]

Objective: OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological features of a patient who presented an Avellis syndrome as the initial feature of Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS). Background: BACKGROUND: Anti-GQ1b Ig antibodies are associated with an increasing spectrum of neurological disorders, including MFS and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Design/Methods: DESIGN/METHODS: Clinical case description. Results: RESULTS: A 67-year old woman was seen for subacute dysphagia and dysphonia, preceded by rapidly worsening paresthesia of the extremities and face, with a history of upper respiratory tract infection two weeks before admission. Nasotracheal examination showed a left velopalatine and left vocal cord paresis. Twelve hours later, sensory ataxia appeared and deep tendon reflexes weakened. Diffuse paresis affecting predominantly the axial muscles developped. Oculomotricity was preserved. Brain MRI was normal, while EMG suggested a mild sensory neuropathy. Within hours, dysphagia worsened and dyspnea appeared, prompting ICU admission for airway support. She developed a proximal paresis and dysautonomia, global areflexia. CSF findings were unremarkable. IVIg were administered at a dose of 0.2g/kg per day during five days. Control EMG showed signs of polyradiculoneuropathy. She gradually recovered and was discharged at home after 32 days, with only a slight velopalatal paresis and a mild fatigue. Anti-ganglioside antibodies screen was positive for IgG-GM3, GD1b, GD3, GQ1b, GT1a and GT1b. In front of this clinical and biological picture, the diagnosis of atypical MFS was retained. Thirty day after discharge, both clinical and electrophysiological parameters were normalised. Conclusions: CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights that (i) MFS can show atypical presentation (here a pure Avellis syndrome, never reported in the context of the anti-GQ1b syndrome to our knowledge) and should be considered in front of an isolated impaired cranial nerve function, even in the absence of the classical triad of ophtalmoplegia, areflexia and ataxia, and (ii) that the boundaries between MFS and GBS are usually neater in textbooks than in real life. [less ▲]

A Verification-Based Approach to Memory Fence Insertion in PSO Memory Systems

in Proceedings of the 19th international conference on Tools and algorithms for the construction and analysis of systems (2013, March)

This paper addresses the problem of verifying and correcting programs when they are moved from a sequential consistency execution environment to a relaxed memory context. Specifically, it considers the ... [more ▼]

This paper addresses the problem of verifying and correcting programs when they are moved from a sequential consistency execution environment to a relaxed memory context. Specifically, it considers the PSO (Partial Store Order) memory model, which corresponds to the use of a store buffer for each shared variable and each process. We also will consider, as an intermediate step, the TSO (Total Store Order) memory model, which corresponds to the use of one store buffer per process. The proposed approach extends a previously developed verification tool that uses finite automata to symbolically represent the possible contents of the store buffers. Its starting point is a program that is correct for the usual Sequential Consistency (SC) memory model, but that might be incorrect under PSO with respect to safety properties. This program is then first analyzed and corrected for the TSO memory model, and then this TSO-safe program is analyzed and corrected under PSO, producing a PSO-safe program. To obtain a TSO-safe program, only store-load fences (TSO only allows store-load relaxations) are introduced into the program. Finaly, to produce a PSO-safe program, only store-store fences (PSO additionally allows store-store relaxations) are introduced. An advantage of our technique is that the underlying symbolic verification tool makes a full exploration of program behaviors possible even for cyclic programs, which makes our approach broadly applicable. The method has been tested with an experimental implementation and can effectively handle a series of classical examples. [less ▲]

Development of advanced models for transition to turbulence in hypersonic flows and prediction of transition under uncertainties

in Serino, Gennaro (Ed.) Review of the VKI Doctoral Research 2012-2013 (2013, March)

Politique de communication d’un service de police modernisé: défis, enjeux et impacts sur l’identification organisationnelle des membres du personnel

Conference (2013, March)

Dans une société où les notions de marketing, d’image et de réputation sont devenues des impératifs pour toutes les organisations, quels que soient leur forme, leur statut et leurs activités, la parfaite ... [more ▼]

Dans une société où les notions de marketing, d’image et de réputation sont devenues des impératifs pour toutes les organisations, quels que soient leur forme, leur statut et leurs activités, la parfaite maitrise et la gestion efficiente des pratiques de communication externe sont devenues des enjeux fondamentaux. Nombreux sont ainsi les ouvrages qui s’intéressent à cette question et qui regorgent de « bonnes pratiques » à mettre en œuvre en la matière, même si certaines d’entre elles s’apparentent parfois à des raccourcis ne prenant en compte qu’une vision partielle de la problématique et de ses enjeux. Ainsi, la focalisation de plus en plus prononcée sur les impératifs de communication externe tend régulièrement à sous-estimer, voire à oublier deux conséquences clés des pratiques en question au niveau organisationnel : d’une part, les nécessaires articulation et cohérence entre la communication externe et la communication interne ; d’autre part, les « retombées » des actions de communication externe auprès du personnel, notamment en termes d’identification organisationnelle. Cheney et Christensen (2004) partagent cette opinion et plaident pour que chercheurs et praticiens cessent de concevoir la communication institutionnelle au travers de deux champs distincts et séparés : un qui serait tourné vers l’« extérieur » de l’organisation ; un autre focalisé vers l’« intérieur » et le personnel de l’institution. L’évolution de l’environnement sociétal, l’accroissement des politiques de communication ainsi que l’interdépendance qui existe entre l’image externe recherchée par l’organisation et le vécu interne des membres du personnel sont autant d’arguments que mettent en avant ces auteurs pour justifier les nécessaires cohérence et intégration des pratiques de communication. Un consensus semble d’ailleurs émerger depuis lors dans la littérature spécialisée sur la relation qui unit les pratiques de communication externe et interne (D’Almeida et Libaert, 2007 ; Devirieux, 2007), qui doivent désormais être vues comme deux composantes complémentaires d’une stratégie de communication globale et intégrée (Libaert, 2005 ; Boistel, 2007). Ceci est d’autant plus vrai que, comme le soulignent D’Almeida et Libaert (2007, p.13), « les publics auxquels les entreprises s’adressent sont de moins en moins étanches : il y a entre eux un nombre croissant d’interactions et de convergences. Un salarié est un vecteur de l’image de son entreprise, il est aussi un consommateur, un citoyen (…). Les messages développés auprès des différents publics doivent donc être cohérents et non pas contradictoires. La cohérence de la communication est donc une des conditions de sa crédibilité ». Le secteur public en général, et les services de police en particulier, n’échappent pas à cette tendance. Soumis à une pression médiatique de plus en plus forte (Jones, 2007) ainsi qu’à l’obligation de rendre des comptes à leurs stakeholders – autorités de tutelle, pouvoirs politiques, parquets, partenaires, citoyens, etc. – sur leurs activités et sur la « performance » des actions policières (Collier et al., 2004), dans la lignée des impératifs de transparence et d’ouverture des services publics voulus par le New Public Management (Gruening, 2001 ; Butterfield et al., 2005 ; Andersson et Tengblad, 2009), les services de police sont tenus de renforcer et de professionnaliser leur stratégie de communication, laquelle est par ailleurs d’une nature intrinsèquement hétérogène, complexe, et soumise à de multiples exigences (Lemieux, 2005 ; McGovern, 2005 ; Weitzer et Tush, 2005 ; Camerati, 2006 ; Gelders et al., 2007 ; Bradford et al., 2009). Les services de police sont ainsi invités à quitter les logiques de confidentialité et de discrétion qui leur sont souvent reprochées, à s’ouvrir davantage vers l’extérieur et à s’adapter aux impératifs de la société contemporaine en termes de communication. Les défis sont multiples : légitimer leur existence, expliquer leur raison d’être et leur logique d’action, justifier les actions entreprises, renforcer la confiance de la population ou encore favoriser les attitudes et les appréciations positives des citoyens à leur égard. Les bénéfices attendus de telles actions d’ouverture – notamment envers la presse et les médias – sont exposés dans la littérature spécialisée sur la communication policière (voir entre autres Motschall et Cao, 2002 ; Karchmer, 2002 ; Leishman et Mason, 2003 ; Jones, 2007), qui évoque entre autres une information et une couverture plus positives de la police et de ses actions, ce qui assurera à terme une meilleure image de celle-ci auprès de la population ainsi qu’une plus grande facilité à faire adhérer les citoyens à la réalisation des buts poursuivis par les services de police (Weitzer et Tuch, 2005 ; Bradford et al., 2009). Une stratégie de communication externe pertinente ne serait en outre pas sans conséquence au niveau interne. En effet, si la communication à destination des membres du personnel constitue un excellent moyen de faciliter l’identification organisationnelle de ceux-ci (Chreim, 2001) et d’ainsi favoriser une convergence entre les objectifs individuels et les buts organisationnels, la perception qu’a l’environnement extérieur du prestige de la fonction et de la légitimité de l’institution semble également jouer un rôle important en la matière. Mignonac et al. (2006) mettent ainsi en évidence les effets interactifs du prestige externe perçu et du besoin d’identification organisationnelle. C’est également le propos de Smidts et al. (2001), qui identifient une corrélation positive entre la communication interne, le prestige externe perçu par les membres de l’organisation et leur degré d’identification organisationnelle. Ce concept de « Perceived External Prestige », que Dutton et al. (1994) appellent également l’image externe construite, et qui peut être défini comme la perception des employés sur la manière dont le monde extérieur voit leur organisation (Bartels et al., 2007) ou comme « how an employee thinks outsiders view his or her organization » (Smidts et al., 2001, p.1052), est vu comme une donnée explicative de l’attachement que tout un chacun peut avoir à l’organisation qui l’emploie. Cette question a notamment fait l’objet de recherches ciblées au niveau des services de police et de l’identification des policiers à leur institution. Yim et Schafer (2009), par exemple, étudient la façon dont des policiers américains perçoivent l’image qu’ils donnent d’eux à la population et les retombées qui en résultent sur leur satisfaction au travail et sur leur attachement à l’institution policière. Partant des travaux antérieurs de Cao et al. (1998), de Fosam et al. (1998) et de Lim et al. (2000), ils posent l’hypothèse que « officers’perceived job image, that is, of how they think they are seen by the public, affects work-related attitudes, such as job satisfaction » (Yim et Schafer, 2009, p.19). Et ces auteurs de postuler par extension que ces résultats influent également sur l’efficacité des policiers et des services de police dans les missions qui leur sont attribuées. Les résultats de ces recherches laissent par conséquent sous-entendre l’importance du développement de stratégies de communication adaptées, tant leurs effets sont susceptibles de se faire ressentir directement – notamment au niveau externe, sur l’image et la légitimité de l’institution policière – mais aussi indirectement – en interne, à travers le processus d’identification organisationnelle des membres du personnel (Williams, 2002 ; Yim et Schafer, 2009). Cette approche ne donnera toutefois les effets attendus que si elle est développée et mise en œuvre en respectant les impératifs de cohérence susmentionnés. Des incohérences entre les actions de communication interne et externe, des incohérences entre les images projetées vers l’extérieur et les réalités vécues au quotidien en interne ou encore des incohérences entre les actions de communication et les pratiques effectives de management du personnel ne pourront en effet que se traduire par un manque de crédibilité des messages véhiculés et risquer d’engendrer un désabusement ou une perte de motivation de la part des salariés dans l’exercice de leur fonction (Dutton et Dukerich, 1991 ; Dutton et al., 1994 ; Smidts et al., 2001 ; Bartels et al., 2007). Tel est le contexte général de notre proposition de communication, où nous cherchons plus particulièrement à mettre ces tendances à l’épreuve des faits. Pour ce faire, nous nous appuyons sur les résultats d’une étude empirique qui nous a conduits à nous immerger pendant plus d’un an dans les services de la police fédérale belge et à y analyser les pratiques de communication à l’œuvre. Cette recherche était articulée autour de quatre axes de travail complémentaires : 1) une analyse de la littérature sur les pratiques de communication des services de police, leurs enjeux, leurs difficultés, et les solutions émergentes en la matière ; 2) une analyse de la vision qu’ont les membres de la police fédérale des pratiques de communication de l’institution (étude quantitative menée auprès d’un échantillon de 2000 personnes – 790 questionnaires valides reçus, soit un taux de réponse de 39,5%) ; 3) une analyse des pratiques de communication externe, appréhendée à partir de la perception qu’en ont trois types de partenaires usuels des services de police : les autorités de tutelle et les pouvoirs publics, les autorités judiciaires ainsi que les médias et les journalistes de presse (étude qualitative menée sous la forme d’entretiens semi-directifs auprès de 10 représentants d’autorités institutionnelles et 17 journalistes de presse, tous médias confondus) ; 4) une analyse transversale de nos résultats nous ayant conduits à l’élaboration de différentes recommandations en matière de communication, adaptées selon différents facteurs contextuels et intégrées dans une approche managériale réfléchie en ce sens. Ces résultats, issus d’une double démarche de recherche qualitative et quantitative, seront mobilisés dans le cadre de notre contribution pour souligner les impératifs de cohérence et d’articulation des pratiques de communication interne et externe. Au travers de l’analyse croisée de la perception qu’ont les différentes parties prenantes internes et externes de la police fédérale des pratiques de communication de l’institution, nous mettrons en évidence les distorsions auxquelles les incohérences relevées conduisent et les impacts que ce défaut d’articulation communication interne – communication externe présente en termes de crédibilité des messages, d’identification organisationnelle et de gestion du personnel. Données empiriques à l’appui, nous mettrons en exergue l’importance de développer une politique de communication qui soit intégrée et réfléchie de manière globale. Nous soulignerons également le nécessaire équilibre à trouver dans les pratiques de communication, afin d’éviter de porter l’accent sur l’une des deux sphères (interne ou externe) au détriment de l’autre. Un déséquilibre dans les pratiques de communication et/ou une articulation insuffisante entre les deux sphères conduira en effet vraisemblablement l’organisation à différentes formes de dysfonctionnements, que nous qualifions respectivement au travers des vocables de « narcissisme », « hyper-marketing » et « cacophonie ». Nous dégagerons finalement sur cette base quelques principes cruciaux en matière de communication institutionnelle et de gestion des ressources humaines, nous amenant à proposer des pistes de réflexion tournées vers la mise en œuvre d’une stratégie de communication intégrée et polyphonique. [less ▲]

An overview of white dwarf stars

in EPJ Web of Conferences (2013, March), 43

We present a brief summary of what is currently known about white dwarf stars, with an emphasis on their evolutionary and internal properties. As is well known, white dwarfs represent the end products of ... [more ▼]

We present a brief summary of what is currently known about white dwarf stars, with an emphasis on their evolutionary and internal properties. As is well known, white dwarfs represent the end products of stellar evolution for the vast majority of stars and, as such, bear the signatures of past events (such as mass loss, mixing phases, loss and redistribution of angular momentum, and thermonuclear burning) that are of essential importance in the evolution of stars in general. In addition, white dwarf stars represent ideal testbeds for our understanding of matter under extreme conditions, and work on their constitutive physics (neutrino production rates, conductive and radiative opacities, interior liquid/solid equations of state, partially ionized and partially degenerate envelope equations of state, diffusion coefficients, line broadening mechanisms) is still being actively pursued. Given a set of constitutive physics, cooling white dwarfs can be used advantageously as cosmochronometers. Moreover, the field has been blessed by the existence of four distinct families of pulsating white dwarfs, each mapping a different evolutionary phase, and this allows the application of the asteroseismological method to probe and test their internal structure and evolutionary state. We set the stage for the reviews that follow on cooling white dwarfs as cosmochronometers and physics laboratories, as well as on the properties of pulsating white dwarfs and the asteroseismological results that can be inferred. [less ▲]

10. Environnement et gaz à effet de serre

in Bodson, Bernard; Destain, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Livre Blanc - Céréales (2013, February 27)

2. Implantation des cultures

in Bodson, Bernard; Destain, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Livre Blanc - Céréales (2013, February 27)

6. Lutte intégrée contre les maladies

in Bodson, Bernard; Destain, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Livre Blanc - Céréales (2013, February 27)

4. La fumure azotée

in Bodson, Bernard; Destain, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Livre Blanc - Céréales (2013, February 27)