Une gestion durable de l’environnement pour le Québec

La gestion de l'environnement du Québec est étatique, centralisée, au processus décisionnel de type « top-down ». L'État gère seul l'environnement pour la collectivité. Il est raisonnable de croire que ce type de gestion intègre peu les principes du développement durable. La gestion en commun s'oppose à la gestion étatique en plusieurs points. La gestion se fait par des institutions locales où le partage du pouvoir et des responsabilités se fait entre les parties prenantes. La collectivité gère l'environnement pour la collectivité. Il est raisonnable de croire qu'une gestion en commun intègre convenablement les principes du développement durable. L'objectif principal de cet essai est donc d'identifier un mode de gestion en commun répondant davantage aux principes du développement durable que ne peut le faire la gestion de l'environnement du Québec. L'ensemble de la démarche analytique a permis de constater que la gestion en commun répondait davantage aux principes du développement durable que ne pouvait le faire la gestion actuelle de l'environnement. Il a également été constaté que la gestion communautaire des ressources naturelles était le type de gestion en commun à privilégier en raison d'un ratio « parties prenantes/État » optimal. En fonction de l'ensemble des constats de cet essai, il est recommandé de revoir la gestion de l'environnement du Québec afin d'impliquer davantage la population et les parties prenantes dans le processus décisionnel, mais également dans l'ensemble de la gestion. Des recommandations plus spécifiques ont été émises dans l'éventualité d'une réorganisation institutionnelle pour la gestion de l'environnement

What Information Technology Asks of Business Higher Education Institutions: The Case of Rhode Island

Using data from Rhode Island, this research examines the relationships among certifications, skills, educational levels and the level of compensation across the IT field and attempts to discriminate between ten major job functions. It assesses the significance of skills and certifications to specific IT worker categories. The level of education was found to predict success. Certification and skills vary across job functions, and did not necessarily differentiate across IT job functions. Suggestions on the development of curricula are proposed

Passive solid state microdosimeter with electronic readout

Apparatus and method for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing a complex radiation field are provided. A passive microdosimetry detector device records the energy deposition of incident radiation using an array of microstructure non-volatile memory devices. Each microstructure non-volatile memory device is capable of storing a predetermined initial charge without requiring a power source. A radiation particle incident to a microstructure non-volatile memory device is termed an event . Each such event may generate a charge within a sensitive volume defined by the microstructure non-volatile memory device. The charge generated within the sensitive volume alters the stored initial charge by an amount falling within a range corresponding to the energy deposited by certain particle types. Data corresponding to such charge alterations for a plurality of microstructure non-volatile memory devices within an array of such devices are presented to a qualitative analyzing device. The qualitative analyzing device converts the data to a spectral analysis of the incident radiation field by applying ICRP-recommended weighting factors to individual events or approximations thereof

Arrays of holes fabricated by electron-beam lithography combined with image reversal process using nickel pulse reversal plating

Abstract : A critical issue in fabricating arrays of holes is to achieve high-aspect-ratio structures. Formation of ordered arrays of nanoholes in silicon nitride was investigated by the use of ultrathin hard etch mask formed by nickel pulse reversal plating to invert the tonality of a dry e-beam resist patterned by e-beam lithography. Ni plating was carried out using a commercial plating solution based on nickel sulfamate salt without organic additives. Reactive ion etching using SF6/CH4SF6/CH4 was found to be very effective for pattern transfer to silicon nitride. Holes array of 100 nm diam, 270 nm period, and 400 nm depth was fabricated on a 5×5 mm2 area

Vaginal Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Infection as a Primary Cervical Cancer Screening Tool in a Haitian Population

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as primary cervical cancer screening has not been studied in Caribbean women. We tested vaginal self-collection versus physician cervical sampling in a population of Haitian women

Parallel Tempering: Theory, Applications, and New Perspectives

We review the history of the parallel tempering simulation method. From its origins in data analysis, the parallel tempering method has become a standard workhorse of physiochemical simulations. We discuss the theory behind the method and its various generalizations. We mention a selected set of the many applications that have become possible with the introduction of parallel tempering and we suggest several promising avenues for future research.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figure

Think / Make / Think (Exhibition Catalogue)

This exhibition featured the work of current professors in the University of Tennessee School of Art. Exhibiting faculty were: Joshua Bienko, Emily Bivens, Sally Brogden, Jason S. Brown, Paul Harrill, Paul Lee, Sarah Lowe, Beauvais Lyons, Frank Martin, Althea Murphy-Price, John Powers, Deborah Shmerler, Jered Sprecher, Cary Staples, Claire Stigliani, David Wilson, Karla Wozniak, Koichi Yamamoto, and Sam Yates

Screening-based discovery of <em>Aspergillus fumigatus </em>plant-type chitinase inhibitors

AbstractA limited therapeutic arsenal against increasing clinical disease due to Aspergillus spp. necessitates urgent characterisation of new antifungal targets. Here we describe the discovery of novel, low micromolar chemical inhibitors of Aspergillus fumigatus family 18 plant-type chitinase A1 (AfChiA1) by high-throughput screening (HTS). Analysis of the binding mode by X-ray crystallography confirmed competitive inhibition and kinetic studies revealed two compounds with selectivity towards fungal plant-type chitinases. These inhibitors provide new chemical tools to probe the effects of chitinase inhibition on A. fumigatus growth and virulence, presenting attractive starting points for the development of further potent drug-like molecules

Specific Syndecan-1 Domains Regulate Mesenchymal Tumor Cell Adhesion, Motility and Migration

Malignant mesothelioma is an asbestos induced cancer that is difficult to diagnose. Several studies have combined biomarkers to improve mesothelioma diagnosis, but with moderate success, and there is a need for new mesothelioma biomarkers. The tumour is often resistant to treatment and most patients will survive less than a year. An indicator of patient survival is the tumours growth pattern, which in turn is influenced by expressed proteoglycans. In this thesis work, we aim to improve the possibilities to diagnose malignant mesothelioma by combining biomarkers and by identifying new ones. We also investigate tumour driving mechanisms with focus on one of these suggested biomarkers, the cell-bound proteoglycan syndecan-1. We were able to construct a diagnostic two-step model based on biomarkers in patient material. By implementing a cut-off level and thereafter focusing on unresolved patients we combined hyaluronan and N-ERC/mesothelin (paper I), which significantly increased the diagnostic accuracy for malignant mesothelioma. To further improve diagnosis, we used mass spectrometry to find new biomarkers. We identified and validated galectin-1, which was excellent in discriminating mesotheliomas from adenocarcinomas (paper II). In the same study, we were also the first to describe aldo-keto reductase 1B10 as a novel prognostic mesothelioma biomarker. Syndecan-1 has been indicated as a marker for carcinomas. In paper I we describe how higher levels of syndecan-1 indicate the presence of a carcinoma over a mesothelioma. This was verified in paper II when syndecan-1 was identified as downregulated in fluids from mesothelioma patients compared to lung cancer patients. Paper III and paper IV focus on this proteoglycan. Malignant cell lines transfected with syndecan-1 and various truncated forms of syndecan-1 affected adhesion and migration, which are key features of cancer invasion (paper III). The results showed a domain- and cell type specific effect on the cells’ motility. Regulating syndecan-1 levels and analysing the global gene expression of mesothelioma cells made it evident that this proteoglycan has a strong influence on transforming growth factor β signalling and several growth factor pathways (paper IV). Links to cell migration and proliferation were furthermore identified, along with glycosaminoglycan modifying enzymes. These results can shed light on the complex role of syndecan-1 in invasion and growth of malignant mesenchymal cells. Taken together, this thesis work describes a complement to conventional mesothelioma diagnosis and identifies novel biomarkers. Furthermore, the potential biomarker syndecan-1 was shown to have an effect on cell motility and proliferation. These results increase our understanding of this aggressive malignancy

Predictors of long-term pain and disability in patients with low back pain investigated by magnetic resonance imaging: A longitudinal study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It is possible that clinical outcome of low back pain (LBP) differs according to the presence or absence of spinal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in which case there could be value in using MRI findings to refine case definition of LBP in epidemiological research. We therefore conducted a longitudinal study to explore whether spinal abnormalities on MRI for LBP predict prognosis after 18 months.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A consecutive series of patients aged 20-64 years, who were investigated by MRI because of mechanical LBP (median duration of current episode 16.2 months), were identified from three radiology departments, and those who agreed completed self-administered questionnaires at baseline and after a mean follow-up period of 18.5 months (a mean of 22.2 months from MRI investigation). MRI scans were assessed blind to other clinical information, according to a standardised protocol. Associations of baseline MRI findings with pain and disability at follow-up, adjusted for treatment and for other potentially confounding variables, were assessed by Poisson regression and summarised by prevalence ratios (PRs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Questionnaires were completed by 240 (74%) of the patients who had agreed to be followed up. Among these 111 men and 129 women, 175 (73%) reported LBP in the past four weeks, 89 (37%) frequent LBP, and 72 (30%) disabling LBP. In patients with initial disc degeneration there was an increased risk of frequent (PR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0-1.9) and disabling LBP (PR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.5) at follow-up. No other associations were found between MRI abnormalities and subsequent outcome.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our findings suggest that the MRI abnormalities examined are not major predictors of outcome in patients with LBP. They give no support to the use of MRI findings as a way of refining case definition for LBP in epidemiological research.</p