Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyse des intercorrélations du champ d'onde sismique ambiant - Application à la tomographie de l'Ouest de la France. (Analysis of seismic ambient wavefield cross-correlations - Application to the tomography of western France)

L'energie sismique generee constamment dans les oceans peut etre utilisee pour l'analyse du champ d'onde ambiant et pour l'imagerie des structures crustales. Une nouvelle approche statistique basee sur la redondance en phase des intercorrelations est developpee pour caracteriser le champ d'onde sismique. Le deploiement inedit d'un reseau de sismometres a large-bande passante dans le Nord de l'Espagne, le Sud et l'Ouest de la France, ainsi que l'utilisation de stations permanentes europeennes, permet une couverture sismique inedite de ces regions par intercorrelation des enregistrements continus. La methode d'imagerie utilise un algorithme de type Monte-Carlo par chaines de Markov. Pour chaque paire de capteurs, le diagramme de dispersion de la fonction de Green empirique est transcrit en densite de probabilite de vitesse sismique cisaillante en fonction de la profondeur. Une regionalisation anisotrope permet d'obtenir un modele de vitesse 3D sous le Massif Armoricain et le Golfe de Gascogne avec une resolution laterale d'environ 75 km. Depuis la surface jusqu'a 10 km de profondeur, les cartes de vitesse isotropes sont tres bien correlees avec la geologie : des anomalies negatives sont observees au niveau des bassins sedimentaires, et des anomalies positives au niveau des socles cristallins affleurants, fragments de la chaine hercynienne. A 20 km de profondeur, la structure a l'aplomb du Golfe de Gascogne se singularise par une anomalie de vitesse positive dont les limites peuvent etre interpretees comme la transition entre les domaines oceaniques et continentaux. La structure crustale du Massif Armoricain apparait egalement heterogene a l'echelle sub-regionale.
Neuropsychological test performance, brain morphological measures and CSF monoamine metabolites in schizophrenic patients

ABSTRACT Twenty‐three drug‐free patients with an acute schizophrenic psychosis were studied by clinical rating scales, neuropsychological tests, computed tomography (CT) of the brain and analysis of monoamine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The psychological tests used were the Swedish version of the Wechsler‐Bellevue Intelligence scale (WBI) and the Block Design test. The patients’ performance in the Block Design test was negatively correlated to the width of the third and lateral ventricles. Test profiles indicative of schizophrenic cognitive impairment and left hemisphere dysfunction correlated significantly with a wide third ventricle, but not with the size of the lateral ventricles. Patients with a test profile indicative of left hemisphere dysfunction also had wider Sylvian fissures than the remaining patients. Neuropsychological test scores did not correlate with the CSF levels of the monoamine metabolites HVA, MHPG and 5‐HIAA. Positive psychotic and autistic symptoms did not correlate with psychological test results, monoamine metabolites or with CT measures. The association between neuropsychological impairment and enlargement of the brain ventricles is in line with previous findings indicating that a subgroup of schizophrenic patients may be identified by neuropsychological and morphological methods.
The structure of poly(dA).poly(dT) as revealed by an X-ray fibre diffraction.

X-ray diffraction in fibres revealed that the calcium salt of poly(dA). poly(dT) is a 10-fold double helix with a pitch of 3.23 nm. The opposite sugar-phosphate chains in the refined model are characterized by a complete conformational equivalence and contain sugars in a conformation close to C2'-endo. As a result a new model of the sodium salt of poly(dA). poly(dT) has been constructed, which is different from the Heteronomous DNA proposed earlier (S. Arnott et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 11, 4141 (1983)). The new model of Na-poly(dA). poly(dT) has conformationally similar opposite chains; it is a structure of the B-type, rather like that of Ca-poly(dA). poly(dT).
The Impact of Enterprise Systems on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The study explored the benefits of Enterprise Resource Planning systems to small and medium enterprises in the Kingdom of Bahrain on improvement in decision-making ability, employee performance monitoring, resource management, cost reductions, cycle time reductions and organizational benefits empowerment and achievement. Data collected through survey questionnaire from 48 SMEâ€™s, of which 36 had implemented Enterprise System. The study found significant positive relationship between ERP implementation and improved decision-making ability, improved employee performance monitoring, the achievement of cost reductions and the achievement of cycle time reductions improved decision-making and performance monitoring. Thus, it is perceived, a wider adoption of Enterprise Systems by SMEâ€™s in Bahrain can help them to expand and achieve business growth, thus contribute to the economic growth of Bahrain, in line with the ambitious goals of the Bahrainâ€™s economic vision 2030.
Epidemiology of pediatric injury-related primary care office visits in the United States.

OBJECTIVES Unintentional injuries are a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity in the United States. However, there is little epidemiologic information about pediatric injuries seen in primary care settings. The objective of this study was to characterize types and external causes of childhood injuries seen by primary care physicians and to compare the demographic and visit characteristics of children with injury-related visits (IRVs) and non-IRVs. METHODS A stratified random sample survey of office-based practicing physicians in the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1997 and 1998) was conducted. Injury-related primary care office visits were measured for patients who were <19 years (number of patient visits = 6358). RESULTS Visits for childhood injuries composed >10 million primary care office visits per year (a rate of 13.8 visits per 100 person-years). The most common diagnoses assigned to these injuries were open wounds, sprains and strains, contusions, and superficial injuries such as abrasions and splinters. Leading external causes of these injuries were sports and overexertion, accidental falls, natural factors such as bites and stings, and cutting instruments. The single most common cause of pediatric injuries was sports/overexertion. Children who had IRVs were more likely to be older (odds ratio [OR]: 1.10/year of age; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.12), to be male (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9), and to reside in the West (OR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4-2.6) or in a rural area (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9). They were less likely to be Asian (OR: 0.2; 95% CI: 0.1-0.5) or Hispanic (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3-0.8). At the visit, children with IRVs were more likely to see a physician who was not their primary care physician (OR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.4-2.3) and to see a family physician rather than a pediatrician (OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.8-2.9). CONCLUSIONS IRVs account for a significant portion of primary care for children in the United States. Identifying potentially preventable external causes of injury and characteristics of children who are more likely to be injured is important both for injury prevention programs and for the education of physicians who care for children.
Subjective and objective evaluation of interactive and automatic query expansion

Purpose – Query expansion and query limitation are two known techniques for assisting users to define efficient queries. The purpose of this article is to examine the effectiveness of the two methods.Design/methodology/approach – The research entailed an objective and subjective evaluation of the effectiveness of automatic and interactive query expansion and of two query limit options. The evaluation included both lab simulations and large‐scale user studies. The objective aspects were evaluated in lab simulations with experts judging user performance. The subjective analysis was carried out by having the participants evaluate the quality of, and express their satisfaction with, the retrieval process and its results, thus employing perceived‐value analysis.Findings – The main findings reveal a difference between the perceived and real values of these techniques. While users expressed their satisfaction with interactive query expansion and its performance, the real‐value analysis of their performance did n.
RNA virus quasispecies: significance for viral disease and epidemiology.

The experimental evidence available for animal and plant RNA viruses, as well as other RNA genetic elements (viroids, satellites, retroelements, etc.), reinforces the view that many different types of genetic alterations may occur during RNA genome replication. This is fundamentally because of infidelity of genome replication and large population sizes. Homologous and heterologous recombination, as well as gene reassortments occur frequently during replication of retroviruses and most riboviruses, especially those that use enzymes with limited processivity. Following the generation of variant genomes, selection, which is dependent on environmental parameters in ways that are poorly understood, sorts out those genome fits enough to generate viable quasispecies. Chance events can also be destabilizing, as illustrated by recent results on fitness loss and other phenotypic changes accompanying bottleneck transmission. Variation, selection, and random sampling of genomes occur continuously and unavoidably during virus evolution. Evolution of RNA viruses is largely unpredictable because of the stochastic nature of mutation and recombination events, as well as the subtle effects of chance transmission events and host/environmental factors. Among environmental factors, alterations resulting from human intervention (deforestation, agricultural activities, global climatic changes, etc.) may alter dispersal patterns and provide new adaptive possibilities to viral quasispecies. Current understanding of RNA virus evolution suggests several strategies to control and diagnose viral diseases. The new generation of chemically defined vaccines and diagnostic reagents (monoclonal antibodies, peptide antigens, oligonucleotides for polymerase chain reaction amplification, etc.) may be adequate to prevent disease and detect some or even most of the circulating quasispecies of any given RNA pathogen. However, the dynamics of viral quasispecies mandate careful consideration of those reagents to be incorporated into diagnostic kits. Broadening diagnosis without jeopardizing specificity of detection will be challenging. There is a finite probability (impossible to quantify at present) that a defined vaccine may promote selection of escape mutants or a particular diagnostic kit may fail to detect a viral pathogen. Of particular concern are the potential long-term effects of weak selective pressures that may initially go unnoticed. Variant viruses resulting from evolutionary pressure imposed by vaccines or drugs may insidiously and gradually replace previous quasispecies. The great potential for variation and phenotypic diversity of some important RNA virus pathogens (human immunodeficiency virus, the hepatitis viruses, the newly recognized human hantaviruses, etc.) has become clear. Prevention and therapy should rely on multicomponent vaccines and antiviral agents to address the complexity of RNA quasispecies mutant spectra. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Excess Sensitivity in Consumption without Liquidity Constraint: Evidence from Monthly Household Panel Data

The monthly salaries and allowances of Korean government employees are known in advance but vary greatly throughout the year. Using a large Korean monthly panel data set from 1994 to 2003, we examine how nondurable consumption expenditure in households headed by government employees responds to predictable income changes. We find excess sensitivity in consumption during the pre-Asian financial crisis era in households headed by young government employees with low liquid assets or low income. These household features are commonly associated with liquidity constraints. Further analysis shows that despite the apparent association, liquidity constraint is not the most convincing explanation for the excess sensitivity. Instead, the empirical finding is consistent with the theory that certain households deviate from consumption smoothing when the effort involved exceeds the welfare gained.
The Role of Linear and Non-Linear Dose-Response Models in Public Decision-Making (What to do When Uncertainty Affects Environmental Health Choices)

This Special Issue contains several articles that use theoretical and empirical findings about causation at low doses in an attempt to provide useful methodological insights to those concerned with making choices about the tolerable level of danger posed by carcinogens and toxic agents at very low exposures. The reason for our concern with the soundness of choices dealing with those exposures has been most vividly and tragically shown by the two natural events — earthquake and resulting tsunami — that caused the catastrophes that so greatly affect Japan. The nuclear power plans suffered failures that have had an almost immediate impact on the future of energy production and policies of countries that depend or consider on nuclear energy. Once again, the development and safety of nuclear power is questioned, in part because of the belief that very low exposure to the radionuclides emitted in those accidents causes cancers, regardless of dose. The question then is: Is there evidence—rather than either dogma or assumption or both—that low levels of exposure cause detriment to human health? Clearly, there is no argument that much larger exposures do cause cancer or can kill in very short order. In regulatory risk analysis, causation, through dose-response models, is part of the legal basis for justifying the reduction of exposures to hazardous agents likely to cause cancer. When a sufficiently large population is exposed to a very low (near-background) dose, even nearly infinitesimal excess individual risks can in principle cause a substantial number of additional cancer cases. In the aggregate, the overall expected number of cancer cases, while large, may still be generally undetectable, given the large background number of cancers in a population. To set environmental and occupational standards, the law couples legal causation and the “best science” about cause and effect to regulatory policy-making. The potential
Marketing for Keeps: Building Your Business by Retaining Your Customers

Partial table of contents: Customer Retention: The Key to Growth and Profit. MOBILIZING THE PEOPLE AND THE ORGANIZATION FOR CUSTOMER RETENTION. To Know Them Is to Retain Them: Researching Customer Wants and Needs. Focusing on Your Best Customers: The 80/20 Rule. Empowered Employees: Your Greatest Asset for Keeping Customers. Internal Customers: Building Success from the Inside Out. BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER RETENTION. To Err Is Human: Recovering Lost Customers. Keeping in Touch: Customer Retention Through Customer Contact. ORGANIZATIONAL INTEGRATION. Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way: Translating the Customer Retention Model Into Management Action. The Buck Stops on Everyone's Desk: Staff Accountability for Customer Retention. Recognizing Good Work: Using Employee Incentives for Customer Retention. What Works Today May Not Work Tomorrow: Adapting Your Customer Retention Strategy. Epilogue. Notes. Index.
Transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonic characterization of benign and malignant ovarian cystic teratomas and comparison with serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen

The preoperative diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) arising in mature cystic teratoma of the ovary remains difficult. The purpose of this study is to examine the usefulness of transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound (TV‐CDU) in differentiating malignant (SCC) from benign cystic teratoma of the ovary.
On the simulation and design of manycore CMPs

The progression of Moore’s Law has resulted in both embedded and performance computing systems which use an ever increasing number of processing cores integrated in a single chip. Commercial systems are now available which provide hundreds of cores, and academics have proposed architectures for up to 1024 cores. Embedded multicores are increasingly popular as it is easier to guarantee hard-realtime constraints using individual cores dedicated for tasks, than to use traditional time-multiplexed processing. However, finding the optimal hardware configuration to meet these requirements at minimum cost requires extensive trial and error approaches to investigate the design space. This thesis tackles the problems encountered in the design of these large scale multicore systems by first addressing the problem of fast, detailed micro-architectural simulation. Initially addressing embedded systems, this work exploits the lack of hardware cache-coherence support in many deeply embedded systems to increase the available parallelism in the simulation. Then, through partitioning the NoC and using packet counting and cycle skipping reduces the amount of computation required to accurately model the NoC interconnect. In combination, this enables simulation speeds significantly higher than the state of the art, while maintaining less error, when compared to real hardware, than any similar simulator. Simulation speeds reach up to 370MIPS (Million (target) Instructions Per Second), or 110MHz, which is better than typical FPGA prototypes, and approaching final ASIC production speeds. This is achieved while maintaining an error of only 2.1%, significantly lower than other similar simulators. The thesis continues by scaling the simulator past large embedded systems up to 64-1024 core processors, adding support for coherent architectures using the same packet counting techniques along with low overhead context switching to enable the simulation of such large systems with stricter synchronisation requirements. The new interconnect model was partitioned to enable parallel simulation to further improve simulation speeds in a manner which did not sacrifice any accuracy. These innovations were leveraged to investigate significant novel energy saving optimisations to the coherency protocol, processor ISA, and processor micro-architecture. By introducing a new instruction, with the name wait-on-address, the energy spent during spin-wait style synchronisation events can be significantly reduced. This functions by putting the core into a low-power idle state while the cache line of the indicated
Chua's circuit family

Chaos has been widely reported and studied using Chua's circuit. This tutorial paper presents a generalization of this well-known chaotic circuit into a hugh 6-parameter family of potentially chaotic circuits, henceforth referred to a Chua's Circuit Family. The highlight of this tutorial consists of a collection of three-dimensional phase portraits associated with two representative members of this family. These phase portraits show how the associated vector fields evolve from order into chaos.
Contribution à l'étude des points singuliers des systèmes différentiels linéaires

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Contribution à l’étude des points singuliers des systèmes différentiels linéaires Abdelaziz Hilali
Changes in body composition in women over six years at midlife: ovarian and chronological aging.

CONTEXT Understanding the menopause association with body weight is important because excess weight increases risk for stroke, incident cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality among the middle-aged. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to examine chronological age and ovarian age and consider how these could influence body size and composition in midlife women. DESIGN AND SETTING The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation is a longitudinal, community-based study. This report uses data from the Michigan Study of Women's Health Across the Nation site. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 543 premenopausal or early perimenopausal African-American and Caucasian women aged 42-52 yr at baseline examination. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Waist circumference, fat mass and skeletal muscle mass, from bioelectrical impedance, were assessed in seven annual serial measures. Annual FSH values were assayed by ELISA. The final menstrual period was defined retrospectively after 12 months of amenorrhea. RESULTS There was an absolute cumulative 6-yr increase in fat mass of 3.4 kg and a 6-yr decrease in skeletal muscle mass of approximately 0.23 kg. There was an absolute cumulative 6-yr increase of approximately 5.7 cm in waist circumference. The (log)FSH change was positively correlated with (log)(fat mass) change. Waist circumference increased over the time period, but 1 yr after final menstrual period, the rate of increase slowed. Fat mass continued to increase with no change in rate. CONCLUSIONS Both time (chronological aging) and ovarian aging contributed to substantial changes in body composition (fat and skeletal muscle mass) and waist circumference. These changes have important ramifications for establishing a metabolic environment that can be healthy or unhealthy.
Proteomic method identifies proteins nitrated in vivo during inflammatory challenge

Inflammation in asthma, sepsis, transplant rejection, and many neurodegenerative diseases associates an up-regulation of NO synthesis with increased protein nitration at tyrosine. Nitration can cause protein dysfunction and is implicated in pathogenesis, but few proteins that appear nitrated in vivo have been identified. To understand how this modification impacts physiology and disease, we used a proteomic approach toward targets of protein nitration in both in vivo and cell culture inflammatory disease models. This approach identified more than 40 nitrotyrosine-immunopositive proteins, including 30 not previously identified, that became modified as a consequence of the inflammatory response. These targets include proteins involved in oxidative stress, apoptosis, ATP production, and other metabolic functions. Our approach provides a means toward obtaining a comprehensive view of the nitroproteome and promises to broaden understanding of how NO regulates cellular processes.
Distributed source coding for mobile ECG signal monitoring

This paper describes the design and implementation of an ECG signal monitoring system that is compatible with existing mobile telecommunications networks. First, a two-dimensional ECG signal compression scheme is presented using the distributed source coding (DSC). Also proposed is a modified BCJR algorithm which further enhances the DSC decoding by exploiting the symbol-level a priori information. Finally, we implement a novel integrated system comprising a mobile telephone, with sensors for patient monitoring, and a remote receiver linked by cellular networks. The system, when fully developed, will become powerful aids to monitoring a patient for mobile telemedicine and for emergency situations.