Illegal activity in the UK halal (sheep) supply chain: towards greater understanding

Food Supply chain theory and practice assumes that the processes involved are legal and value adding. In this paper, using examples from the UK halal (sheep) meat supply chain, we outline a value extracting value chain through a mixed methods qualitative approach consisting of face-to-face-interviews and a documentary research strategy underpinned by Narrative Inquiry. Building on previous theoretical work on Illegal Rural Enterprise, we present a narrative of an individual rogue-farmer, and explore his involvement in the illegal halal (‘smokies’) trade over a fifteen-year period. The paper provides a compelling story that will enable investigators to better understand illegal enterprise from a supply chain perspective and more adequately address the concerns stated in the UK Fraud Act 2006. The paper will be useful to food standards agencies in that furthers our understanding of entrepreneurial practice and morality in the food industry. The results demonstrate that illegal rural enterprise is a multi-faceted concept that requires an understanding of business practices and processes alongside a multi-agency approach to enterprise orientated crime. Our approach suggests that supply chains can be ‘flipped’ in order to understand illegal processes in addition to conventional legal processes

Micro et nanosystèmes mécaniques : problématiques afférentes à la réduction en taille et aux interfaces pour des applications dans le domaine de la chimie et de la biologie

In the first part of this document, a state of the art in the field of micro and nanoelectromechanical systems is proposed with emphasis on problems related to their reduction in size in terms of fabrication technologies, associated electronics, extrinsic and intrinsic sources of noise, signal-to-noise ratio... More specifically, the relevance of a miniaturization of electromechanical devices devoted to chemical or biological applications is evaluated by highlighting the prevailing role of surface and interface effects with respect to volume effects: energetic losses, thermodynamic equilibria, reaction kinetics& The particular case of biochips and biosensors is then presented: dynamic range of measurement, linear range, sensitivity, ultimate resolution. This state of the art enables us to establish, on the national and international level, the relative position our research activities, whose survey is drawn up in the second part. It is also aimed at justifying the choice of our long-term thematic orientations towards the field of nanobiotechnologies, these orientations being presented in the last part.Dans la première partie de ce mémoire, nous proposons un état de l'art dans le domaine des micro et nanosystèmes électromécaniques en mettant en exergue les problématiques afférentes à leur réduction en taille en termes de technologies de fabrication, d'électronique associée, de sources de bruit extrinsèques et intrinsèques, de rapport signal sur bruit... Plus spécifiquement, nous évaluons la pertinence d'une miniaturisation des dispositifs électromécaniques pour des applications dans le domaine de la chimie ou de la biologie en soulignant le rôle prépondérant des effets de surface et d'interface par rapport aux effets de volume: pertes énergétiques, équilibres thermodynamiques, cinétiques de réaction& Le cas particulier des biopuces et des biocapteurs est ensuite abordé : dynamique de mesure, domaine de linéarité, sensibilité, résolution ultime. Cet état de l'art nous permet de positionner, sur le plan national et international, nos activités de recherche, dont le bilan est dressé dans la deuxième partie. Il a également pour objectif de justifier le choix de nos orientations thématiques à plus long terme vers le domaine des nanobiotechnologies, ces orientations faisant l'objet d'une dernière partie

Du senatus-consulte Velléien en droit romain. De la subrogation a l'hypothèque légale de la femme mariée en droit français ...

At head of title: Université de France. Faculté de droit de ParisThesis, Paris, 1883Mode of access: Internet

High spatial resolution fluorescent thermometry (thermal characterization of submicrometer structures in dry and liquid conditions)

TOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Les interfaces cerveau machine : principes et limites technologiques en réadaptation

Les interfaces cerveau machine sont des dispositifs permettant de capter et de décoder le signal cérébral afin de piloter des aides techniques informatiques ou robotisés. Dans le domaine du très grand handicap ce type d'interface peut apparaître comme la possibilité de suppléance. Deux grands types d'interface sont décrits. Les interfaces non invasives ne nécessitent pas d'implantation chirurgicale. Elles utilisent les signaux EEG. On distingue des interfaces synchrones qui utilisent les propriétés des potentiels évoqués pour piloter le dispositif de suppléance. Il s'agit de dispositif simple et robuste mais qui on une fréquence d'acquisition lente. Plus récemment des dispositifs dits asynchrones ont été décrits. Ces interfaces utilisent la somatotopie des variations de fréquence de l'EEG au cours de l'imagination d'un mouvement. Elles utilisent un moyennage du signal et donc la répétition de la tâche. Les interfaces non invasives nécessitent un apprentissage long et leur utilisation implique un engagement cognitif important. Elles prennent une place grandissante dans la détection des états de conscience et dans une approche temporaire de la communication dans le très grand handicap moteur. Les interfaces invasives nécessitent l'implantation d'électrodes intracérébrales. Elles sont basées sur l'enregistrement sélectif de potentiels de champs ou de potentiel intra neuronaux. L'enregistrement d'une centaine de neurones simultanément permet de décoder la direction du mouvement du membre supérieur. Ces interfaces ont une vitesse d'acquisition élevée et elles autorisent les doubles tâches cognitives. L'implantation des électrodes limite les phénomènes de parasitages et améliorent le rapport signal sur bruit. Il s'agit d'une procédure chirurgicale qui n'est pas sans risque mais qui est déjà largement utilisée avec succès, dans le cadre du traitement de la maladie de parkinson. En fait la biocompatibilité au long cours des électrodes constitue à notre sens la principale barrière technologique actuelle des interfaces invasives. Les interfaces cerveau machine devraient arriver à maturité technologique dans les années à venir et prendre une place grandissante dans la suppléance du grand handicap

Conception, réalisation et caractérisation de biocapteurs micromécaniques résonants en silicium avec actionnement piézoélectrique intégré (détection de l'absorption de nanoparticules d'or)

TOULOUSE3-BU Sciences (315552104) / SudocSudocFranceF

Ionic Electrochemical Actuators

International audienceIonic electroactive polymer (iEAP) actuators with ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes are distinguished by their ability to operate in ambient air with an enhanced lifetime. This chapter reports the developments in iEAP actuator technologies for several applications, with a particular focus on the use of conducting polymers (CPs). CPs have attracted attention because of their promising electronic, optical and electromechanical properties. These smart materials are characterized by their possible dimensional changes due to the migration or diffusion of ions upon electrochemical oxidation or reduction processes. In an adequate ionic conducting medium, CPs can be used as the active component in actuators and lead to interesting potential applications, including soft robotics, prosthetic devices, microsystems and medical devices. This chapter starts with an overview of existing iEAP actuators. CP actuation mechanisms and configurations are explained in detail, and existing and potential applications are discussed, emphasizing the benefits of using ionic liquids (high ionic conductivity, non-volatility, larger electrochemical window and biocompatibility). Finally, to conclude, the future developments and challenges in this area are discussed

Ionic Electrochemical Actuators

International audienceIonic electroactive polymer (iEAP) actuators with ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes are distinguished by their ability to operate in ambient air with an enhanced lifetime. This chapter reports the developments in iEAP actuator technologies for several applications, with a particular focus on the use of conducting polymers (CPs). CPs have attracted attention because of their promising electronic, optical and electromechanical properties. These smart materials are characterized by their possible dimensional changes due to the migration or diffusion of ions upon electrochemical oxidation or reduction processes. In an adequate ionic conducting medium, CPs can be used as the active component in actuators and lead to interesting potential applications, including soft robotics, prosthetic devices, microsystems and medical devices. This chapter starts with an overview of existing iEAP actuators. CP actuation mechanisms and configurations are explained in detail, and existing and potential applications are discussed, emphasizing the benefits of using ionic liquids (high ionic conductivity, non-volatility, larger electrochemical window and biocompatibility). Finally, to conclude, the future developments and challenges in this area are discussed

Morphology and conductivity of PEDOT layers produced by different electrochemical routes

International audienceThe electrochemical polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) in a polyanion, sodium poly(styrene-4-sulfonate)(NaPSS), has been performed through three different oxidative electropolymerizations on flexible electrodes. These electrodes have been fully characterized both at a macroscopic and microscopic scale. The morphology, characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) reveals a tendency of PEDOT:PSS to arrange in cauliflower-like shape. Homogeneity, grain dimension and electrical properties of the PEDOT layers can be tuned by choosing different polymerization routes and different parameters of electropolymerization. At the macroscopic level, we achieved a significant decrease of the impedance of the whole electrode after the electropolymerization thanks to an increase of both the intrinsic conductivity and the roughness of the electrode surface. Moreover Conductive Atomic Force Microscopy (C-AFM) study shows for the first time a clear relation between surface topography and local conductivity of the deposed film and help to clarify the conduction mechanism in electrodeposited PEDOT:PSS layers. The deposition was also shown to be very stable and resistant through thermal accelerated ageing tests that can mimic the behaviour of an implanted electrode after several months at human body temperature. The long term stability coupled with the low impedance make these electrodes suitable candidates for long-term neural probe applications