519 research outputs found
Measuring Earthquakes from Optical Satellite Images
Système pour l'Observation de la Terre images are used to map ground displacements induced by earthquakes. Deformations (offsets) induced by stereoscopic effect and roll, pitch, and yaw of satellite and detector artifacts are estimated and compensated. Images are then resampled in a cartographic projection with a low-bias interpolator. A subpixel correlator in the Fourier domain provides two-dimensional offset maps with independent measurements approximately every 160 m. Biases on offsets are compensated from calibration. High-frequency noise (0.125 m^-1 ) is ~0.01 pixels. Low-frequency noise (lower than 0.001 m^-1 ) exceeds 0.2 pixels and is partially compensated from modeling. Applied to the Landers earthquake, measurements show the fault with an accuracy of a few tens of meters and yields displacement on the fault with an accuracy of better than 20 cm. Comparison with a model derived from geodetic data shows that offsets bring new insights into the faulting process
Recherche sur l’embryon : la science rattrapée par la loi ?
En matière de bioĂ©thique, la loi se caractĂ©rise par une Ă©volutivitĂ© justifiĂ©e par le progrès scientifique. La question des recherches sur l’embryon semble aujourd’hui rĂ©vĂ©ler l’hypothèse d’une science dĂ©passĂ©e par ses promesses et risquant d’être rattrapĂ©e par la loi. La congĂ©lation d’embryons humains a conduit Ă la constitution d’un stock ayant suscitĂ© l’intĂ©rĂŞt de ceux qui dĂ©siraient les utiliser expĂ©rimentalement. En France, la loi a interdit ces recherches en 1994. En 2004, le lĂ©gislateur a ouvert une possibilitĂ© exceptionnelle : ces recherches peuvent ĂŞtre autorisĂ©es si elles poursuivent des progrès thĂ©rapeutiques majeurs ne pouvant ĂŞtre atteints par des mĂ©thodes alternatives. Ce rĂ©gime a Ă©tĂ© conçu pour permettre aux chercheurs de tenir les promesses faites depuis 1994 : trouver une solution aux maladies incurables. Ă€ l’heure de la seconde rĂ©vision, ces espoirs semblent plus que mesurĂ©s et des recherches alternatives, menĂ©es sur ces cellules souches adultes, font la preuve de leur efficacitĂ©. Paradoxalement, c’est dĂ©sormais la science qui est en retard sur la loi.The legislation on bioethics has evolved based on scientific advances. Today, the issue of embryonic research seems to point to the hypothesis of the realities of science lagging behind its promises and of the law being likely to catch up to science. The creation of a bank of frozen human embryos has attracted the interest of researchers wishing to use them for experimental purposes. Legislation adopted in France in 1994 prohibited this kind of research. New legislation in 2004 provided for one possible exception : such research could be authorized if it was pursuing major therapeutic advances that could not be achieved by any other means. This system was designed to enable researchers to keep the promises they had made since 1994 : to find cures for “incurable” diseases. As we again look back at what has been achieved, these hopes seem more than justified, and alternative research conducted on adult stem cells has proved its effectiveness. Paradoxically, science is now lagging behind the law.En materia de bioĂ©tica, la ley se caracteriza por una evolutividad justificada por el progreso cientĂfico. La cuestiĂłn de las investigaciones acerca del embriĂłn parece revelar hoy dĂa la hipĂłtesis de una ciencia rebasada por sus promesas que corre el riesgo de ser alcanzada por la ley. El congelamiento de embriones humanos ha conducido a la constituciĂłn de una reserva que ha suscitado el interĂ©s de quienes desean utilizarlos de forma experimental. En Francia, la ley prohibiĂł esas investigaciones en 1994. En 2004, el legislador abriĂł una posibilidad excepcional : estas investigaciones pueden ser autorizadas si buscan progresos terapĂ©uticos importantes que no puedan ser logrados por mĂ©todos alternativos. Este rĂ©gimen fue concebido para permitir a los investigadores responder a las promesas realizadas desde 1994 : encontrar una soluciĂłn a las enfermedades incurables. Al realizar la segunda revisiĂłn, las esperanzas parecen más que calculadas y las investigaciones alternativas, adelantadas a partir de cĂ©lulas madres, muestran su eficacia. ParadĂłjicamente, en adelante es la ciencia la que presenta un atraso con relaciĂłn a la ley
Tax shape, debt and electoral opportunism at the municipal level: French empirical evidence and a model (?)
Firstly, this paper aims at building a theoretical framework in order to explain opportunistic local public behaviors on the eve of elections. The resulting electoral cycle depends on the tax shape, the avalability to contract loans, and the shape of the demand for public goods. In particular, the model predicts a tax cut during the election period in French municipalities. Indebtedness may lead to an electoral cycle on public spending provided that the public good demand is elastic enough. Secondly, empirical investigation relying on a dynamic panel data model confirms theoretical predictions.
Mieux administrer la justice en interne et dans les pays du Conseil de l'Europe pour mieux juger (MAJICE)
518 pagesMAJICE project brings together three research teams: OMIJ, EPRED and CRJP, to analyze three branches of law, administrative law, criminal law and civil law, and make a study on the administration of justice, taking for reference countries with different legal systems but in which similar issues are raised, and especially to know if from a "better management of justice" could result a "better administration of justice".Le projet MAJICE réunit trois équipes de recherche : l'Observatoire des Mutations Institutionnelles et Juridiques de Limoges (OMIJ), l'Equipe Poitevine de Recherche et d'Encadrement Doctoral en sciences criminelles de Poitiers (EPRED) et le Centre de Recherches sur la Justice et le Procès de Paris I (CRJP), pour analyser trois branches du droit, le droit administratif, le droit pénal et le droit civil, et faire une étude commune sur l'administration de la justice, en prenant pour référence des pays aux systèmes de droit différents mais dans lesquels des questions similaires sont posées, et notamment de savoir si d'une " meilleure administration de la justice " pourrait résulter un " mieux juger ". L'administration de la justice est prise dans son sens strict et français : la gestion quotidienne du service public et non le fait de rendre des décisions juridictionnelles. Il s'agit alors de déterminer qui administre, avec quels moyens humains et financiers, quels sont les objectifs et les résultats exposés. Il convient également de définir les limites de l'évaluation dans le domaine de la justice, car la mise en œuvre d'une évaluation de la justice liée à des impératifs de performance est un phénomène récent qui entraîne beaucoup de préoccupations et de crispations. La remise en cause de l'indépendance de la justice par la recherche d'efficacité et d'efficience est souvent avancée. Notre objectif consiste alors à analyser comment le rapport noué entre gouvernement et administration de la justice s'exprime en France et ailleurs
Valuation of marine and coastal ecosystem services as a tool for conservation:The case of Martinique in the Caribbean
A functional analysis of electrical load curve modelling for some households specific electricity end-uses
Proceedings are available at http://iet.jrc.ec.europa.eu/energyefficiency/conference/6th-international-conference-energy-efficiency-domestic-appliances-and-lighting-eedal11Presentation is available at http://www.eedal.dk/Conference/~/media/EEDAL/Sessions/Session%207/EEDAL_GRANDJEAN_Arnaud_Presentation.ashxInternational audienceIn the next decades the European residential sector will face a series of deep technical and behavioural breaks. Among them are : the integration of new electrical domestic end-uses, the development of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, the increase of heat pumps implementations, the improvement and the technological changes in small electrical appliances. This will imply some behavioural modifications in the lifestyles. For example, the wishes in terms of comfort and the way electrical devices are used will evolve significantly. The energy consumption is likely to increase but the residential load curve will also be strongly modified. We then propose a functional analysis which enables to take into account, for each end-use, according to its own specificities, the key points that allow to build-up a relevant load curve. This will lead us to step down at the appliance level which will be the starting point of our modelling method. After a general description of the methodology, we will present three case studies for the following end-uses: washing, cooling and lighting. We will consider for each device the main determining factors of which are the technical features, the occupancy patterns of the household members, the activity scenarios in the dwellings, the climate. This bottomup approach will generate intrinsically some kind of diversity needed to represent the temporality and the level of the power demand for a large number of households. This methodology allows, after an aggregation step, the calculation of the load curves for households at various spatial scales
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