Quantitative NIR Spectroscopy of Massive Stars

in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series (2013, January 01)

Interest for near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of massive stars has been dramatically increasing over the last decade. Because it allows one to observe objects inaccessible at optical wavelengths due to ... [more ▼]

Interest for near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy of massive stars has been dramatically increasing over the last decade. Because it allows one to observe objects inaccessible at optical wavelengths due to absorption, the infrared domain offers a privileged window to study highly extinguished objects. Yet, a detailed calibration of the massive star properties at NIR wavelength is still missing. Following the lines of the work of Repolust et al. (2005), we have acquired high resolution spectroscopy of several nearby massive stars using VLT/CRIRES, focusing on spectral lines of interest in the J, H, K, and L bands. In this work, we present the earliest results of our quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the main sequence stars in our sample. Using the unique combination of a genetic algorithm approach with the state-of-the-art non-LTE atmosphere model FASTWIND, we compare the stellar and wind properties as derived from the optical and the NIR regime. [less ▲]

Massive Non-Thermal Radio Emitters: New Data and their Modeling

in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series (2013, January 01)

During recent years some non-thermal radio emitting OB stars have been discovered to be binary or multiple systems. The non-thermal emission is due to synchrotron radiation that is emitted by electrons ... [more ▼]

During recent years some non-thermal radio emitting OB stars have been discovered to be binary or multiple systems. The non-thermal emission is due to synchrotron radiation that is emitted by electrons accelerated up to high energies. The electron acceleration occurs at the strong shocks created by the collision of radiatively-driven winds. Here we summarize the available radio data and more recent observations for the binary Cyg OB2 No. 9. We also show a new emission model which is being developed to compare the theoretical total radio flux and the spectral index with the observed radio light curves. This comparison will be useful in order to solve fundamental questions, such as the determination of the stellar mass-loss rates, which are perturbed by clumping. [less ▲]

GAUFRE: a tool for an automated determination of atmospheric parameters from spectroscopy

in 40th Liege International Astrophysical Colloquium 'Ageing low-mass stars: from red giants to white dwarfs' (2013, January 01)

We present an automated tool for measuring atmospheric parameters (T_eff, log(g), [Fe/H]) for F-G-K dwarf and giant stars. The tool, called GAUFRE, is written in C++ and composed of several routines ... [more ▼]

We present an automated tool for measuring atmospheric parameters (T_eff, log(g), [Fe/H]) for F-G-K dwarf and giant stars. The tool, called GAUFRE, is written in C++ and composed of several routines: GAUFRE-RV measures radial velocity from spectra via cross-correlation against a synthetic template, GAUFRE-EW measures atmospheric parameters through the classic line-by-line technique and GAUFRE-CHI2 performs a chi^2 fitting to a library of synthetic spectra. A set of F-G-K stars extensively studied in the literature were used as a benchmark for the program: their high signal-to-noise and high resolution spectra were analysed by using GAUFRE and results were compared with those present in literature. The tool is also implemented in order to perform the spectral analysis after fixing the surface gravity (log(g)) to the accurate value provided by asteroseismology. A set of CoRoT stars, belonging to LRc01 and LRa01 fields was used for first testing the performances and the behaviour of the program when using the seismic log(g). [less ▲]

From Fritz Teufel to Leo Bassi : Happening and provocation. Just a History of Overbidding and Inflation?

in Utopia and Critical Thinking in the Creative Process (2013, January)

Ludico-symbolic coups and assassination attempts, make-believe funerals and degeneration of trials into grotesque rhetorical jousting : everywhere throughout Europe and the United States in the mid ... [more ▼]

Ludico-symbolic coups and assassination attempts, make-believe funerals and degeneration of trials into grotesque rhetorical jousting : everywhere throughout Europe and the United States in the mid sixties, political happenings thrived. The acts/performances, which were for the most part carried out by groups or individuals close to the Marxist and pacifist student protest movement, can’t be dissociated from a situationnist understanding of the urban milieu, transformed into one large stage for militant theatre. Founded on the principal of diversion and provocation, these actions quickly led to inflation and overbidding. Caught in a hectic whirl which forced them to always push the limit further in order to evade, if only temporarily, a process of institutionalisation that threatens any act of provocation, they soon begin to loose their political effectiveness. Born from a common political and artistic origin as the leaders of the student left movement, several “terrorist” groups harden their tone at the beginning of the seventies and perpetrate acts of violence with a revolutionary intention. Breaking away from the theatrical and ludic student activity while also retaining their situationnist obedience and a certain theatrical conception of the urban place, these armed groups think up actions in the beginning of the seventies which induce a rupture in the performative and theatrical tradition of the end of the sixties. These acts have been the subject of in depths studies by authors who, however conscious of the theatrical origins of the actions of the extreme left terrorists, refer to a terminology which imposes a distinction between action (or happening/performance) and “terrorist” acts. On the basis of this terminological distinction, we will demonstrate not only that these actions of the beginning of the seventies must be considered in a direct lineage with the political-theatrical creation of the end of the sixties, but that they also offer a first escape route, politically efficient, to the inflation which threatens any act of provocation. If the actions of the RAF, the Red Brigades or the Weathermen evade institutionalisation which threatens any act of provocation, they nevertheless remain politically unsustainable and condemn those who imagine them as well as those who execute them to an inevitably tragic ending, incompatible with the pursuit of creative practice. This paradigm will guide us in identifying some more recent creative processes (fake conferences of the Yes Men, shows/performances of Leo Bassi) which try to overcome in turn the political precariousness of their predecessors in endowing themselves with an (auto)reflexive dimension. Beyond their heterogeneity, these actions/shows shall thus be perceived as objects which surpass the act of provocation, inevitably destined to wear out. Because, in actively implicating the spectator to a point where he becomes a full fledge component of an engaged and reflexive creative process, these practices reinstate the politico-theatrical performance in its indispensable efficiency. [less ▲]

Learning a Dictionary of Prototypical Grasp-predicting Parts from Grasping Experience

in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (2013)

Sparse Summarization of Robotic Grasp Data

in IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (2013)

Building an Annotated Corpus of Late Egyptian. The Ramses Project: Review and Perspectives

in Polis, Stéphane; Winand, Jean (Eds.) Texts, Languages & Information Technology in Egyptology. Selected papers from the meeting of the Computer Working Group of the International Association of Egyptologists (Informatique & Égyptologie), Liège, 6-8 July 2010 (2013)

This paper reviews the experience of the Ramses Project in constructing a richly annotated corpus of Late Egyptian that consists of 300 000 words in 2011 (and is expected to grow up to more than 1 million ... [more ▼]

This paper reviews the experience of the Ramses Project in constructing a richly annotated corpus of Late Egyptian that consists of 300 000 words in 2011 (and is expected to grow up to more than 1 million words in coming years). During the first five years of the project, this corpus has been encoded in hieroglyphic script, translated in French or English and received annotations for part-of-speech information, lemmatization, and morphological analysis. The methodology and working tools that have been developed in order to build this corpus are here discussed and future developments are presented. [less ▲]

Dépasser les verrouillages de régimes socio-techniques des systèmes alimentaires pour construire une transition agroécologique

in van Ypersele, Jean-Pascal; Hudon, Marek (Eds.) Actes du Premier Congrès Interdisciplinaire du Développement Durable: Quelle transition pour nos sociétés? Thème 2: Alimentation , Agriculture, Elevage: 5-14 (2013)

CONTROLLED AND AUTOMATIC MEMORY RETRIEVAL IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

in Proceedings of the 8th Panhellenic Interdisciplinary Conference of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (2013)

The role of the Excavated Damaged Zone in HGA field-scale Experiment Modelling

in FORGE Symposium (2013)

De l'office de la Trinité pour le diocèse de Liège au Xe siècle. Liège, Metz, Mayence, Saint-Gall

in Kupper, Jean-Louis; Wilkin, Alexis (Eds.) Évêque et prince. Notger de Liège et la Basse-Lotharingie aux alentours de l’an mil (2013)

La tradition liégeoise reste attachée à la personne de l’évêque Étienne (901-920) qui, à l’aube du Xe siècle, montait sur le siège de saint Lambert. Son œuvre a joui d’une renommée certaine au fil des ... [more ▼]

La tradition liégeoise reste attachée à la personne de l’évêque Étienne (901-920) qui, à l’aube du Xe siècle, montait sur le siège de saint Lambert. Son œuvre a joui d’une renommée certaine au fil des siècles . Elle a connu un grand succès mesurable à l’aune des copies manuscrites dont elle a fait l’objet. On reconnaît désormais à cet évêque un rôle non négligeable dans la diffusion d’un procédé musical mis au point, dans le courant du IXe siècle, dans les abbayes d’Elnone et de Saint-Thierry de Reims. Pourtant, Étienne de Liège n’a, de toute évidence, pas fait école dans la cité mosane . On douta même longtemps de la part qui fut effectivement la sienne dans la composition de ces œuvres. Cet article s'interroge sur les motifs de cette remise en cause des qualités littéraires et musicales du dernier évêque carolingien liégeois. Quelle image ce prélat laissa-t-il à ses ouailles et à ses successeurs ? Quelle influence exerça-t-il réellement sur la production musicale et liturgique ultérieure ? Notger contribua-t-il à la diffusion de son œuvre ? Cet article propose quelques éléments de réponses à la lumière d'une étude de la tradition manuscrite de l'office de la Trinité. [less ▲]

Available technical flexibility for balancing variable renewable energy sources: case study in Belgium

in Proceedings of the 8th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (2013)

The world is facing a historical increase in energy demand and energy consumption. Renewable energy sources are considered as a solution to both environmental issues and increasing energy demand, but ... [more ▼]

The world is facing a historical increase in energy demand and energy consumption. Renewable energy sources are considered as a solution to both environmental issues and increasing energy demand, but present high variability and low predictability. Variability and uncertainty are familiar aspects of all power systems. However, the increase of the share of renewable sources leads to new needs in terms of flexible resources. These resources can be provided by four different means: 1. Dispachable power plants (i.e with ramp up and ramp down capabilities) 2. Storage systems, mainly in the form of pumping stations. 3. Grid interconnections between countries 4. Demand side management. The present work focuses on the high voltage transmission grid, and assesses the amount of technical flexibility available to balance the fluctuations of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources. The model is based on a dynamic programming unit commitment algorithm (i.e. accounting for each individual power plant on the grid) and focuses more particularly on the flexibility potential of power plants and of energy storage. The selected time resolution is one hour. Residual load curves are established on the basis of actual consumption for the year 2012 and on different scenarios of solar and wind penetration. The method is applied to the case of Belgium, based on actual disaggregated power consumption curves throughout the year, and on the current power generation park. Due to the difficulty to assess the flexible resource available through interconnections, the Belgian grid is considered isolated. It should also be noted that this work does not address the voltage stability issue: it focuses on balancing issues only (i.e. time constants varying between minutes and days). Simulation results show the VRE penetration potential is higher than usually considered. Bottlenecks therefore seems to be related to improper or inefficient market mechanisms, unable to take full profit of the technical flexible resource available. [less ▲]

Lexicografía e informática: sí, pero... / Lexicographie et informatique: oui, mais...

in Ruiz Miyares, Leonel; Álvarez Silva, María Rosa; Muñoz Alvarado, Alex (Eds.) Actualizaciones en Comunicación Social - Vol. 1 (2013)

Frequency-domain subspace identification of nonlinear mechanical systems - Application to a solar array structure

in Proceedings of the International Modal Analysis Conference (IMAC) XXXI (2013)

The present paper addresses the experimental identification of a simplified realisation of a solar array structure in folded configuration. To this end, a nonlinear subspace identification technique ... [more ▼]

The present paper addresses the experimental identification of a simplified realisation of a solar array structure in folded configuration. To this end, a nonlinear subspace identification technique formulated in the frequency domain, referred to as the FNSI method, is exploited. The frequency response functions of the underlying linear structure and the nonlinear coefficients are estimated by this approach. Nonlinearity is caused by impacts between adjacent panels and friction and gaps appearing in their clamping interfaces. This application is challenging for several reasons, which include high modal density and the complicated nature of the involved nonlinear mechanisms. [less ▲]

Stepped spillway Downstream of a Piano Key Weir - Critical length for uniforme flow

in Bung, Daniel B.; Pagliara, Stefano (Eds.) International Workshop on Hydraulic Design of Low-Head Structures (2013)

Recent researches showed the rapid aeration of the flow downstream of piano key weirs. This could be related to the specific geometric features of the structure, creating several interacting flows and ... [more ▼]

Recent researches showed the rapid aeration of the flow downstream of piano key weirs. This could be related to the specific geometric features of the structure, creating several interacting flows and jets downstream. In order to validate this assumption, an experimental research has been carried out at the Laboratory of Engineering Hydraulics, University of Liège. The main objective of the study was to an-alyze the energy dissipation occurring in skimming flow conditions on a stepped spillway downstream of a piano key weir (PKW). Comparison with energy dissipation on a stepped spillway downstream of a standard ogee crested weir has been performed. An indirect method has been used to determine the resid-ual energy at the spillway toe. The results show that uniform flow conditions are reached faster on a stepped spillway downstream of a PWK compared to the length needed downstream of a standard ogee crested weir. Extrapolation of the results to prototype flow conditions is also discussed with regards to scale effects influence. [less ▲]

The clinical characteristics of pituitary adenomas (PA) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) with and without MEN1 mutation

in Symposium "Perspectives in Endocrinology" - Congresses Highlights 2012: ECE Firenze, ENDO Houston, ESPE Leipzig, SFE Toulouse, IWMEN Liège (2013)

Using agro-hydrology to adapt to climate evolutions

in Dewals, Benjamin; Fournier, Maité (Eds.) Transboundary Water Management in a Changing Climate (2013)

Natural phenomena such as floods, drought, erosion, nitrate leaching and plant growth are influenced by climate change. The Soil - Water Systems division of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech aims at studying these ... [more ▼]

Natural phenomena such as floods, drought, erosion, nitrate leaching and plant growth are influenced by climate change. The Soil - Water Systems division of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech aims at studying these phenomena; better understanding processes; modelling them in order to predict their change in the future and to assess their potential consequences. Then, we can propose strategies to adapt to these changes. As an agronomy faculty, we believe that adapting agriculture can play a major role in mitigating climate evolution effects at plot and catchment scales. [less ▲]

Dietro, il paesaggio: Misura e ritmo di una strada tra le colline e il Piave.

in Architettura del Mondo. Ricerche e progetti dal mondo universitario (2013)

The Alta Marca Trevigiana (Colli del Piave), between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, doesn't have a definite recognized identity, despite its strong visual character. However, for the visitor driving along ... [more ▼]

The Alta Marca Trevigiana (Colli del Piave), between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, doesn't have a definite recognized identity, despite its strong visual character. However, for the visitor driving along the “Sinistra Piave”, the landscape is seen as a rhythmical composition of invitation to movement at different scales and at various intensity, that can be compared to a musical composition. The question then is how to transform the road from a simple through-way into an occasion to engage with the Colli del Piave, to transform a “landscape scenery” into an “experienced landscape”. [less ▲]

The role of tyrosin kinase inhibitors in a MEN2B patient with metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma

in Symposium "Perspectives in Endocrinology" - Congresses Highlights 2012: ECE Firenze, ENDO Houston, ESPE Leipzig, SFE Toulouse, IWMEN Liège (2013)

The clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with gigantism

in Symposium "Perspectives in Endocrinology" - Congresses Highlights 2012: ECE Firenze, ENDO Houston, ESPE Leipzig, SFE Toulouse, IWMEN Liège (2013)

Rotation Effects as Possible Responsible for the Surface Effects on the Sun and Solar-Type Stars

in Suárez, Juan Carlos; Garrido, Rafael; Balona, Luis A. (Eds.) et al Stellar Pulsations (2013)

One of the main sources of uncertainty in the asteroseismic models of the Sun and solar-like stars is the poor match between predicted oscillation frequencies and observed ones in the very high frequency ... [more ▼]

One of the main sources of uncertainty in the asteroseismic models of the Sun and solar-like stars is the poor match between predicted oscillation frequencies and observed ones in the very high frequency domain. Today, effects of turbulence, diffusion, etc., i.e., the so-called "surface effects" are signaled as possible responsible for such a discrepancy. We show that the effect of the stellar deformation due to rotation is of the same order or even larger than these effects. We show that rotation effects, are important for the asteroseismic analysis of the Sun and solar-like stars and they cannot be neglected when modeling such stars. [less ▲]

The fracture studies of polycrystalline silicon based MEMS

in EUROSIME 2013 (2013)

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS ... [more ▼]

The advantages of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as low power requirement, miniaturized sizes and costs reduction, have already made significant impact in many technological fields. MEMS are now widely used as accelerometers, pressure sensors, and resonators etc. However, the determination of the mechanical properties of MEMS devices with high accuracy is still a challenging task due to their small dimensions and often anisotropic behaviour. This paper focuses on the modelling and simulation of the fracture of a key MEMS component, which is a polycrystalline silicon beam, by discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation combined with an extrinsic cohesive law (ECL) to describe the fracture process. As the beam is modelled by plane-stress 2D elements, an analytical equation to compute the effective fracture strength and the effective critical strain energy release rate in terms of the through-the-thickness fracture mode and of the orientation of the facet with respect to the crystal is also developed. At the end, a model is simulated, and the results are verified as per the physics of the problem and experiments. [less ▲]

The multiple SEA method: a method to synthesize Pt/carbon xerogel catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells

in Proceedings of the Fundamentals and Development of Fuel cells 2013 conference (2013)

Experimental analysis of the stability of cobles and boulders in high-gradient rivers

in Symposium on Two-phase Modelling for Sediment Dynamics in Geophysical Flows (2013)

Effect of exercise on innate immunity in horses

in Proceedings of the 6th Congress of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM): ACVIM, Le Touquet France (2013)

Perceptual andMotor Inhibition in ADHD:Evidence for a specific impairment?

in Abstracts book (2013)

Objective: Inhibition, one of the core executive processes in executive functioning (Miyake et al., 2000) is generally not considered as an unitary construct (see for example, Friedman & Miyake, 2004 ... [more ▼]

Objective: Inhibition, one of the core executive processes in executive functioning (Miyake et al., 2000) is generally not considered as an unitary construct (see for example, Friedman & Miyake, 2004; Nassauer & Halperin, 2003). Following the perceptual versus motor dissociation proposed by Nassauer and Halperin (2003), we studied perceptual and motor inhibition in children with AttentionDeficit andHyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants and Methods: Sixteen 7-12 years old children with ADHD and 30 matched control children were administered a version of the Conflict Resolution task (Nassauer & Halperin, 2003) adapted for children. In this task, the perceptual inhibition task required the children to respond to the direction of a dog (running towards the left or the right) while ignoring its location (left or right) on a computer screen. In the motor inhibition task, the children had to press a key corresponding to the opposite direction of a centrally running dog. Results: Comparisons analyses of inhibition performances between ADHD children and matched controlled subjects showed that ADHD children performed significantly less accurately for stimulus-stimulus characteristic conflicts (i.e., perceptual inhibition) than for stimulus- response conflicts (i.e., motor inhibition), which suggests a specific impairment in perceptual inhibition in our group of ADHD children. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study supports the presence of two forms of inhibition which can be differentiated and specifically impaired in 7- to 12-year-old ADHD children. [less ▲]

Foucon de Candie : microscopie et macroscopie de l'interpolation

in Combes, Annie; Szkilnik, Michelle (Eds.) Le texte dans le texte. L'interpolation médiévale (2013)

L’Alfier nero (Le Fou noir) d’Arrigo Boito – Lecture anthropologique et poétologique d’un combat d’échecs.

in Achim Küpper, Kristine Vanden Berghe (Ed.) Guerre et jeu. Perspectives transversales (2013)

Modeling of strain localization around the radioactive waste disposal galleries

in Coupled Phenomena in Environmental Geotechnics (2013)

Influence de facteurs environnementaux influençant la teneur en urée dans le lait de vache en Wallonie et estimation des rejets azotés

in Vandenberghe, Christophe; Colinet, Gilles; Destain, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) et al 2ème Atelier Nitrate-Eau, évaluation du programme de gestion durable de l'azote (2013)

En Wallonie, les teneurs en urée du lait de tank sont déterminées dans toutes les fermes lors de chaque livraison à la laiterie par le comité du lait. Un total de 8295337 données récoltées pendant l'année ... [more ▼]

En Wallonie, les teneurs en urée du lait de tank sont déterminées dans toutes les fermes lors de chaque livraison à la laiterie par le comité du lait. Un total de 8295337 données récoltées pendant l'année 2000 et la période 2002-201 ont été analysées à l'aide d'un modèle linéaire. [less ▲]

A new super-element for estimating the collision resistance of an inclined ship side

in Advancements in Marine Structures : Proceedings of MARSTRUCT 2013, the 4th International Conference on Marine Structures, Espoo, Finland, 25th – 27th March 2013 (2013)

Short overview of global sustainable development indicators

in Bran, Florina; Ioan, Ildiko; Maruntelu, Tudor-George (Eds.) et al 5th International Conference "Ecological performance in a competitive economy", Bucharest 7-8 March 2013 : proceedings (2013)

In this paper, a bibliographical review of current sustainable development indicators used at regional and global level is presented. This review was undertaken as part of an analysis on the status quo on ... [more ▼]

In this paper, a bibliographical review of current sustainable development indicators used at regional and global level is presented. This review was undertaken as part of an analysis on the status quo on how to measure sustainable development and the ways to quantify results regarding set goals. Its purpose is to establish if the results of the actions taken in order to achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and those that will be taken in order to reach the target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). [less ▲]

Optimized Look-Ahead Trees: Extensions to Large and Continuous Action Spaces

in Proc. of IEEE Symposium on Adaptive Dynamic Programming and Reinforcement Learning (ADPRL'13) (2013)

This paper studies look-ahead tree based control policies from the viewpoint of online decision making with constraints on the computational budget allowed per decision (expressed as number of calls to ... [more ▼]

This paper studies look-ahead tree based control policies from the viewpoint of online decision making with constraints on the computational budget allowed per decision (expressed as number of calls to the generative model). We consider optimized look-ahead tree (OLT) policies, a recently introduced family of hybrid techniques, which combine the advantages of look-ahead trees (high precision) with the advantages of direct policy search (low online cost) and which are specifically designed for limited online budgets. We present two extensions of the basic OLT algorithm that on the one side allow tackling deterministic optimal control problems with large and continuous action spaces and that on the other side can also help to further reduce the online complexity. [less ▲]

La dimension "travail", un élément clé pour le maintien de nos systèmes laitiers

in Centre wallon de Recherches agronomomiques (Ed.) 18ème Carrefour des Productions Animales "Nouvelles approches pour une optimisation de nos élevages laitiers" (2013)

Les agriculteurs sont les principaux architectes du milieu rural wallon. En effet, ils assurent la gestion de près de la moitié de la superficie de la Wallonie. On observe néanmoins, depuis quelques ... [more ▼]

Les agriculteurs sont les principaux architectes du milieu rural wallon. En effet, ils assurent la gestion de près de la moitié de la superficie de la Wallonie. On observe néanmoins, depuis quelques années, une régression lente (3%/an) et constante de leur effectif. Confrontés à un contexte changeant, de plus en plus concurrentiel, les agriculteurs sont face à des choix stratégiques difficiles en vue d’optimiser l’efficience de leur exploitation. Pour y parvenir, ils doivent mener une réflexion globale de leur mode de production et intégrer tous les aspects assurant la durabilité de leur exploitation. Pour les aider dans cette démarche, une analyse de la durabilité de 90 exploitations « 100% Lait » (>95% de vaches laitières et pas de culture de rente) a été réalisée dans le cadre de DuraLait et de DuraLait Plus. Ces études sont subsidiées par la DGARNE, Direction de la Qualité. Les piliers économique et social de la durabilité ont été plus particulièrement étudiés dans ces projets. L’organisation du travail a été spécifiquement traitée car elle constitue un enjeu essentiel pour l’avenir de l’agriculture. En effet, les agriculteurs souhaitent soulager la pénibilité de leur travail. Dans un contexte économique difficile, cette dimension est essentielle pour envisager le maintien de l’agriculture dans notre région. Le présent article s’intéresse uniquement aux données relatives à l’organisation du travail. [less ▲]

Development of organic farming in Wallonia

in Bran, Florina; Ioan, Ildiko; Maruntelu, Tudor-George (Eds.) et al 5th International Conference "Ecological performance in a competitive economy", Bucharest 7-8 March 2013 : proceedings (2013)

Belgium is a highly densely populated country where agricultural methods usually consume large quantities of inputs, including pesticides and chemical fertilizers. However, organic farming is practiced ... [more ▼]

Belgium is a highly densely populated country where agricultural methods usually consume large quantities of inputs, including pesticides and chemical fertilizers. However, organic farming is practiced since many years and has registered a significant development during the last years, reaching 7% of the number of farmers in Wallonia (South of Belgium) and 7% of the Walloon agricultural area. Presently, the Walloon Minister for Agriculture strongly supports this sector and has proposed a strategic development plan of organic farming, the target being to reach 14% of the Walloon agricultural area in 2020. This paper presents and discusses the situation of organic farming in Wallonia and the main features and challenges of the new strategic development plan. [less ▲]

Les jeunes de l'Extrême-Nord/Cameroun, l'Internet et la participation au développement communautaire. Esquisse d'une stratégie de Net-développement

in Oben Ako et Zourmba, Edouard et Hamadou (Ed.) Enjeux et perspectives techniques, économiques et sociales pour le développement des régions septentrionales du Cameroun (2012, December 14)

Dans cet article, nous étudions comment les jeunes de l’Extrême-Nord/Cameroun utilisent l’Internet au service du développement communautaire. Nous nous sommes basé à cet effet sur l’examen des données ... [more ▼]

Dans cet article, nous étudions comment les jeunes de l’Extrême-Nord/Cameroun utilisent l’Internet au service du développement communautaire. Nous nous sommes basé à cet effet sur l’examen des données d’entretien et sur l’analyse de contenu des sites web/blogs et des groupes facebook qu’ils mobilisent et éditent dans ce cadre. Cet examen indique qu’avec les cyberpages, ces jeunes informent et mobilisent en faveur du développement de leur région. Sur les groupes facebook, ils forment des communautés de pratiques où ils discutent et se concertent sur des besoins et projets de développement. En analysant ces pratiques dont les effets sont toutefois limités par un contexte socio-technologique déficitaire, nous avons aussi esquissé une stratégie de Net-développement communautaire. [less ▲]

Calitatea lucernei sub influenţa fertilizării în condiţiile din silvostepa Moldovei

in Ţenu, Ioan; Vîntu, Vasile; Jităreanu, Gerard (Eds.) Durable Agriculture and Food Security – Priority objectives in research activity of the Ph.D. students from the UASVM Iasi (2012, December 07)

The research conducted during 2011-2012, on the Ezăreni farm, has sought influence of fertilization on the leaves/stems ratio, crude protein content (CP), neutral detergent fiber content (NDF), acid ... [more ▼]

The research conducted during 2011-2012, on the Ezăreni farm, has sought influence of fertilization on the leaves/stems ratio, crude protein content (CP), neutral detergent fiber content (NDF), acid detergent fiber content (ADF) and relative feed value (RFV), of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in the second and third year of vegetation, at the first cut. The studied experimental plots were v1- unfertilized (control plot), v2-N50P50, v3-N75P50 and v4-30 t/ha manure). The results showed that the fertilization negatively affected crude protein content of plants. Although the protein content of leaves was higher and that of strains was less affected, the leaves/stems ratio decided this indicator for plant production. Organic fertilization showed a highly significant positive effect on the content of plant leaves and stems in NDF and ADF. [less ▲]

non invasive estimation of left atrial pressure and mitral valve area waveforms during an entire cardiac cycle

in proceeding of 11th national day of the National Committee on Biomedical Engineering (2012, December 07)

INFLUENCE OF MYELOPEROXIDASE ACTIVITY ON EQUINE POST-THAW SEMEN QUALITY

in Edeas, Marvin (Ed.) Proceedings of the 2nd ISANH World congress on Fertility and Antioxidants (2012, December 06)

This study confirms that active MPO is associated with cellular fraction of the ejaculate, as previously suggested for total MPO concentration in thawed semen (2). However, active MPO concentrations were ... [more ▼]

This study confirms that active MPO is associated with cellular fraction of the ejaculate, as previously suggested for total MPO concentration in thawed semen (2). However, active MPO concentrations were dramatically lower than total MPO concentrations observed in equine semen (3), which could be explained by presence of inactive MPO subunits in semen. MPO activity in sperm-rich pellet can be used as a predictive marker of post-thaw semen quality. Moreover, methods to inhibit MPO should be investigated in semen. [less ▲]

Signatures of rotation in oscillation spectra

in Boissier, S.; de Laverny, P.; Nardetto, N. (Eds.) et al SF2A-2012: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (2012, December 01)

Rotation makes oscillation spectra of rapidly rotating stars much more complicated. Hence, new strategies need to be developed in order to interpret such spectra. In what follows, we describe how multi ... [more ▼]

Rotation makes oscillation spectra of rapidly rotating stars much more complicated. Hence, new strategies need to be developed in order to interpret such spectra. In what follows, we describe how multi-colour photometric mode visibilities can be generalised to rapidly rotating stars, while fully taking into account centrifugal deformation and gravity darkening. We then go on to describe some first results as well as a strategy for constraining mode identification. [less ▲]

Antiwindup regulation of saturated linear systems

in 51st IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (2012, December)

We consider the output regulation problem for linear systems subject to actuators saturation. A state-feedback unconstrained regulator is transformed into an error-feedback bounded regulator by ... [more ▼]

We consider the output regulation problem for linear systems subject to actuators saturation. A state-feedback unconstrained regulator is transformed into an error-feedback bounded regulator by introducing an observer which is then decomposed into the sum of "unconstrained" and "antiwindup" dynamics. The unconstrained dynamics are regulated towards a predefined reference trajectory, by a control signal u which may violate the saturation bounds during transients. The antiwindup dynamics transiently store the mismatch between unconstrained and constrained dynamics. The antiwindup design also applies to a predefined error-feedback dynamic regulator for the unconstrained system, as in standard antiwindup setting. As a particular case of distinct interest, the design provides a new global asymptotic stabilizer for saturated null-controllable systems. [less ▲]

Kick synchronization versus diffusive synchronization

in Proceedings of the 51st IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (2012, December)

The paper provides an introductory discussion about two fundamental models of oscillator synchronization: the (continuous-time) diffusive model, that dominates the mathematical literature on ... [more ▼]

The paper provides an introductory discussion about two fundamental models of oscillator synchronization: the (continuous-time) diffusive model, that dominates the mathematical literature on synchronization, and the (hybrid) kick model, that accounts for most popular examples of synchronization, but for which only few theoretical results exist. The paper stresses fundamental differences between the two models, such as the different contraction measures underlying the analysis, as well as important analogies that can be drawn in the limit of weak coupling. [less ▲]

Optimal discovery with probabilistic expert advice

in Proceedings of the 51st IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC 2012) (2012, December)

Motivated by issues of security analysis for power systems, we analyze a new problem, called optimal discovery with probabilistic expert advice. We address it with an algorithm based on the optimistic ... [more ▼]

Motivated by issues of security analysis for power systems, we analyze a new problem, called optimal discovery with probabilistic expert advice. We address it with an algorithm based on the optimistic paradigm and the Good-Turingmissing mass estimator. We show that this strategy attains the optimal discovery rate in a macroscopic limit sense, under some assumptions on the probabilistic experts. We also provide numerical experiments suggesting that this optimal behavior may still hold under weaker assumptions. [less ▲]

Carrying capacity of stainless steel columns in the low slenderness range

in 6th International Conference on Coupled Instabilities in Metal Structures : CIMS, Glasgow 3-5 December 2102 (2012, December)

In European standards, for Class 4 cross-sections, the Effective Width Method (EWM) must be used to account for the effect of local buckling. Because of the complexity of this method, other methods have ... [more ▼]

In European standards, for Class 4 cross-sections, the Effective Width Method (EWM) must be used to account for the effect of local buckling. Because of the complexity of this method, other methods have been developed, such as the Direct Strength Method (DSM) for cold-formed thin-walled profiles and the Continuous Strength Method (CSM), initially established for members made of stainless steels. To a large extent, the CSM yield accurate predictions, especially in the low slenderness range where the current DSM design procedure tends to produce conservative results, for materials with pronounced strain hardening. The present paper presents an extension of the DSM which provides accurate strength predictions in the low slenderness range for stainless steel thin-walled section columns failing by distortional, local and overall buckling. [less ▲]

The usefulness of CPTs for deterministic, spatially heterogeneous, large-scale aquitard parametrisation

in Oswald, S.E.; Kolditz, O.; Attinger, S. (Eds.) Models - Repositories of Knowledge (2012, December)

Aquitards can be effectively parameterised and incorporated in a groundwater flow model by using standard cone penetration tests (CPTs). Several conceptually different realizations of an aquitard’s ... [more ▼]

Aquitards can be effectively parameterised and incorporated in a groundwater flow model by using standard cone penetration tests (CPTs). Several conceptually different realizations of an aquitard’s hydraulic conductivity field were evaluated based on: (i) conventional methods of soil behaviour type classification, (ii) recent relationships from the literature, and (iii) novel site-specific relations with hydraulic conductivity. We show that use of most of these CPT-based hydraulic conductivity estimations in groundwater flow modelling effectively enhance model performance based on absolute head values and gradients across the aquitard. Conceptual models that considered a spatially heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity for the aquitard performed better than the reference case with a uniform aquitard hydraulic conductivity. However, the hydraulic conductivity of thin heavy clay lenses, characteristic of the aquitard present in our study area, cannot be captured using these continuum approaches. The latter leads to a bias in the direct hydraulic conductivity predictions; an alternative is to invoke inverse modelling with the heterogeneous parameter fields. To address this issue, the concept of the boundary energy associated with the CPT signal is also introduced for characterising the presence of heavy clay lenses. Overall, the CPT-based concepts provide more accurate, robust, and high-resolution data-based parameterisation of the studied aquitard. [less ▲]

A Review of Recent Case Studies of Landslides Investigated in the Tien Shan Using Microseismic and Other Geophysical Methods

in Ugai, K; Wakai, A; Yagi, H (Eds.) Proceedings of the International Symposium on Earthquake-induced landslides (2012, December)

This paper reviews recent case studies completed on landslides (and dams) with probable (post-) seismic origin or susceptible to seismic failure in the Tien Shan, Central Asia. The first investigation ... [more ▼]

This paper reviews recent case studies completed on landslides (and dams) with probable (post-) seismic origin or susceptible to seismic failure in the Tien Shan, Central Asia. The first investigation presented here was carried out in 2005 on the Kainama earthflow, mainly composed of loess, which occurred in April 2004 and killed 33 people. Geophysical and seismological were used to build a reliable 3D model of the geometry and properties of the subsurface layers. The paper will also present results from microseismic measurements on loess landslides in Tajikistan that partly have a seismic origin. They are located close to the area that was affected in 1949 by the M=7.4 Khait earthquake and the numerous landslides triggered during the event, including the Khait rock avalanche. [less ▲]

I-see-3D! An Interactive and Immersive System that dynamically adapts 2D projections to the location of a user’s eyes

in International Conference on 3D Imaging (IC3D) (2012, December)

This paper presents a system that gives the illusion of a 3D immersive and interactive environment with 2D projectors. The user does not need to wear glasses, nor to watch a (limited) screen. The virtual ... [more ▼]

This paper presents a system that gives the illusion of a 3D immersive and interactive environment with 2D projectors. The user does not need to wear glasses, nor to watch a (limited) screen. The virtual world is all around him, drawn on the floor. As the user is himself immersed in the virtual world, there is no need for a proxy like an avatar; he can move inside the virtual environment freely. Moreover, the Isee-3D system allows a user to manipulate virtual objects with his own body, making interactions with the virtual world very intuitive. Giving the illusion of 3D requires to render images insuch a way that the deformation of the image projected on thefloor is taken into account, as well as the position of the user’s “eye” in its virtual world. The resulting projection is neither perspective nor orthographic. Nevertheless, we describe how thiscan be implemented with the standard OpenGL pipeline, without any shader. Our experiments demonstrate that our system is effective in giving the illusion of 3D. Videos showing the results obtained with our I-see-3D system are available on our website http://www.ulg.ac.be/telecom/projector [less ▲]

Validated Extraction of Gait Events from 3D Accelerometer Recordings

in IEEE International Conference on 3D Imaging (IC3D) (2012, December)

This work is part of a project that deals with the three-dimensional (3D) analysis of normal and pathological gaits based on a newly developed system for clinical applications, using low-cost wireless ... [more ▼]

This work is part of a project that deals with the three-dimensional (3D) analysis of normal and pathological gaits based on a newly developed system for clinical applications, using low-cost wireless accelerometers and a signal processing algorithm. This system automatically extracts relevant gait events such as the heel strikes (HS) and the toe-offs (TO), which characterize the stance and the swing phases of walking. The performances of the low-cost accelerometer hardware and related algorithm have been compared to those obtained by a kinematic 3D analysis system and a force plate, used as gold standard methods. The HS and TO times obtained from the gait data of 7 healthy volunteers (147 trials) have been found to be (mean ± standard deviation) 0.42±7.92 ms and 3.11±10.08 ms later than those determined by the force plate, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate that the new hardware and associated algorithm constitute an effective low-cost gait analysis system, which could thus be used for the assessment of mobility in routine clinical practice. [less ▲]

Étude comparative de la répartition des matières et des apprentissages en langues anciennes dans l’enseignement francophone européen

in Dufays, J.-L.; Carlier, Gh.; De Kesel, Myriam (Eds.) et al Progression et transversalité. Comment (mieux) articuler les apprentissages dans les disciplines scolaires ? (2012, December)

The nuclear physics of OHe

in Mankoc (Ed.) Proceedings of the 15th Bled Workshop "What Comes Beyond the Standard Models" (2012, November 24)

A recent composite-dark-matter scenario assumes that the dominant fraction of dark matter consists of O-helium (OHe) dark atoms, in which a lepton-like doubly charged particle O is bound with a primordial ... [more ▼]

A recent composite-dark-matter scenario assumes that the dominant fraction of dark matter consists of O-helium (OHe) dark atoms, in which a lepton-like doubly charged particle O is bound with a primordial helium nucleus. It liberates the physics of dark matter from unknown features of new physics, but it demands a deep understanding of the details of known nuclear and atomic physics, which are still unclear. Here, we consider in detail the physics of the binding of OHe to various nuclei of interest for direct dark matter searches. We show that standard quantum mechanics leads to bound states in the keV region, but does not seem to provide a simple mechanism that stabilizes them. The crucial role of a barrier in the OHe-nucleus potential is confirmed for such a stabilization. [less ▲]