Upgrading decision support systems with Cloud-based environments and machine learning

Business Intelligence (BI) is a process for analyzing raw data and displaying it in order to make it easier for business users to take the right decision at the right time. Inthe market we can find several BI platforms. One commonly used BI solution is calledMicroStrategy, which allows users to build and display reports.Machine Learning (ML) is a process of using algorithms to search for patterns in data which are used to predict and/or classify other data.In recent years, these two fields have been integrated into one another in order to try to complement the prediction side of BI to enable higher quality results for the client.The consulting company (CC) where I have worked on has several solutions related to Data & Analytics built on top of Micro Strategy. Those solutions were all demonstrable in a server installed on-premises. This server was also utilized to build proofs of concept(PoC) to be used as demos for other potential clients. CC also develops new PoCs for clients from the ground up, with the objective of show casing what is possible to display to the client in order to optimize business management.CC was using a local, out of date server to demo the PoCs to clients, which suffered from stability and reliability issues. To address these issues, the server has been migrated and set up in a cloud based solution using a Microsoft Azure-based Virtual Machine,where it now performs similar functions compared to its previous iteration. This move has made the server more reliable, as well as made developing new solutions easier forthe team and enabled a new kind of service (Analytics as a Service).My work at CC was focused on one main task: Migration of the demo server for CCsolutions (which included PoCs for testing purposes, one of which is a machine learning model to predict wind turbine failures). The migration was successful as previously stated and the prediction models, albeit with mostly negative results, demonstrated successfully the development of large PoCs.Business Intelligence (BI) é um processo para analizar dados não tratados e mostrá-los para ajudar gestores a fazer a decisão correcta no momento certo. No mercado, pode-se encontrar várias plataformas de BI. Uma solução de BI comum chama-se MicroStrategy,que permite com que os utilizadores construam e mostrem relatórios.Machine Learning (ML) é um processo de usar algoritmos para procurar padrões em dados que por sua vez são usados para prever e/ou classificar outros dados.Nos últimos anos, estes campos foram integrados um no outro para tentar complementar o lado predictivo de BI para possibilitar resultados de mais alta qualidade para o cliente.A empresa de consultoria (EC) onde trabalhei tem várias soluções relacionadas com Data e Analytics construídas com base no MicroStrategy. Essas soluções eram todas demonstráveis num servidor instalado no local. Este servidor também era usado para criar provas de conceito (PoC) para serem usadas como demos para outros potenciais clientes.A EC também desenvolve novas PoCs para clientes a partir do zero, com o objectivo de demonstrar ao cliente o que é possível mostrar para optimizar a gestão do negócio.A EC estava a utilizar um servidor local desactualizado para demonstrar os PoCs aos clientes, que tinha problemas de estabilidade e fiabilidade. Para resolver estes problemas,o servidor foi migrado e configurado numa solução baseada na cloud com o uso de uma Máquina Virtual baseada no Microsoft Azure, onde executa funções semelhantes à versão anterior. Esta migração tornou o servidor mais fiável, simplificou o processo de desenvolver novas soluções para a equipa e disponibilizou um novo tipo de serviço (Analytics as a Service).O meu trabalho na EC foi focado numa tarefas principal: Migração do servidor de demonstrações de soluções CC (que inclui PoCs para propósitos de testes, uma das quais é um modelo de aprendizagem de máquina para prever falhas em turbinas eólicas). A migração foi efectuada com sucesso (como mencionado previamente) e os modelos testados,apesar de terem maioritariamente resultados negativos, demonstraram com sucesso que é possível desenvolver PoCs de grande dimensão

Concepção da equipe gestora e corpo docente de uma escola municipal de tempo integral sobre Educação em Direitos Humanos e gênero

Enquanto produto de uma pesquisa realizada no contexto de uma escola municipal em tempo integral do primeiro ciclo do Ensino Fundamental da cidade de Marília/SP, este artigo tem como objetivo analisar a concepção de parte da equipe gestora e de seu corpo docente sobre a Educação em Direitos Humanos e gênero. Subsidiando-se nos procedimentos metodológicos de pesquisa bibliográfica, documental e pesquisa de campo, a metodologia delineada foi de cunho qualitativo e interpretativo. No trabalho de campo, a entrevista semiestruturada e a técnica de Análise de Conteúdo nortearam, respectivamente, a coleta e a análise dos dados. Foram sujeitos da pesquisa os(as) participantes que responderam as entrevistas o Diretor, a Vice-diretora, duas Professoras Coordenadoras pedagógicas e duas Professoras que ministram Oficinas de Direitos Humanos. Como resultados, constatamos que os sujeitos participantes possuem apenas noções e conceitos mais introdutórios sobre direitos humanos e gênero, porém estão cientes da importância de um trabalho pedagógico que contemplem tais temas. Ainda assim, palavras e argumentos proferidos por eles distanciam-se das produções acadêmicas sobre os temas e do discurso presente nos documentos oficiais, comprovando que há necessidade de investimento na formação de toda a equipe escolar

Application of shear wave propagation to elasticity imaging of biological tissues

Dynamic elastography using ultrasound radiation force is an imaging technique of biological tissues elastic properties. In a mechanical point of view, biological tissues are supposed isotropic, so their properties are independent of the reference axis. In these mediums, the tensor of elastic constants can be expressed as a function of two independent constants : the elastic bulk modulus K (which is linked to the compression wave propagation ) and the elastic shear modulus μ (which is linked to the shear wave propagation). The development of some cancers can result in weak variations of the bulk elastic modulus, but can considerably modify the shear elastic modulus. Measurement of m can then help for the diagnosis of this type of tissue pathology. A judicious mean to measure this parameter is the use of a non-linear effect called ultrasound radiation force. This force is proportional to the attenuation and the intensity of the ultrasound beam emitted by the imaging system. This stress source essentially generates a shear wave that propagates with a velocity proportional to the shear modulus and with a purely transverse polarisation in the far-field (far from the stress source ). Measurement of the medium displacements induced by shear wave propagation can allow to calculate the shear modulus of the medium (inverse problem resolution). We performed these measurements from the radio-frequency (RF) lines obtained with an imaging ultrasound transducer. This work describes precisely the signal processing realized on the RF lines. This processing is based on the use of a delay estimation method to measure temporal delays between RF lines during the shear wave propagation. Influence of different parameters (length of the analyse window, Signal to Noise Ratio of RF lines, sampling frequency, ultrasound transducer characteristics...) on the measurement precision has been studied. We present displacement curves as a function of time obtained after optimisation of processing parameters. Experimental results have been favourably compared to a physical model and allowed us to calculate the shear modulus of the medium.L'élastographie dynamique par force de radiation ultrasonore est une technique d'imagerie des propriétés élastiques des tissus biologiques. D'un point de vue mécanique, nous supposons que ces milieux sont isotropes c'est-à-dire que leurs propriétés sont indépendantes du choix des axes de référence. Le tenseur élastique qui définit les constantes physiques de ce milieu s'exprime en fonction de deux constantes indépendantes, le module d'élasticité volumique K (qui intervient lors de la propagation des ondes de compression), et le module d'élasticité de cisaillement μ (qui intervient lors de la propagation des ondes de cisaillement). L'apparition de certains type de cancers entraîne de faibles variations du module d'élasticité volumique K, mais peut modifier considérablement le module d'élasticité de cisaillement μ. La mesure de ce paramètre μ peut ainsi aider au diagnostic de ce type de pathologie des tissus. Un moyen judicieux de mesurer ce paramètre est d'utiliser un effet non linéaire de force de radiation ultrasonore. Cette force est proportionnelle à l'atténuation et à l'intensité des ultrasons émis dans le tissu par le système d'imagerie. Cette source de contrainte génère principalement une onde de cisaillement qui se propage avec une vitesse de phase proportionnelle au module de cisaillement et une polarisation purement transversale en champ lointain (loin de la source de contrainte). La mesure des déplacements du milieu, induits par la propagation de cette onde, peut permettre par résolution du problème inverse de remonter au module de cisaillement. Nous avons réalisé ces mesures à partir des lignes radiofréquences (RF) obtenues par un transducteur d'imagerie ultrasonore. Ce travail décrit précisément le traitement que nous avons réalisé sur les lignes RF. Ce traitement est basé sur l'utilisation d'une méthode d'estimation des retards temporels entre les lignes radiofréquences obtenues pendant la propagation de l'onde de cisaillement. L'influence de différents paramètres (taille de la fenêtre glissante d'analyse, rapport signal sur bruit des lignes RF, fréquence d'échantillonnage, caractéristiques du transducteur ultrasonore...) sur la précision de mesure des déplacements a été étudiée. Nous présentons les courbes des déplacements en fonction du temps obtenus après optimisation des paramètres de traitement. Ces résultats expérimentaux ont été favorablement comparés à un modèle physique et nous ont permis de remonter au module de cisaillement du milieu

Comparison of the explosion characteristics and flame speeds of pulverised coals and biomass in the ISO standard 1 m3 dust explosion equipment

Pulverised coal has been known to pose explosion risks since the 19th century, with the advent of biomass use in coal fired power generation boilers the explosion risk may need revision. The objective of the present work was to compare the explosibility of two samples of bituminous coal used in UK power stations with two biomass fuels and to review available explosion data in the literature for pulverised coal and biomass. The 1 m3 ISO explosion vessel was used to determine the explosion characteristics: deflagration index (KSt), maximum explosion pressure (Pmax) and minimum explosible concentration (MEC). Flame speeds were also measured and these are relevant to understanding the mechanism of turbulent flame propagation in power station burners, which is related to the problem of flame flashback or blow-off. Despite the similarities in composition of both coals, the explosion reactivity of Colombian coal was much higher, with a KSt value of 129 bar m/s compared to 78 bar m/s for Kellingley coal. The main difference between the two fuels was the surface area of particles which was higher for Colombian coal. It was shown that the char burn out rate at 900 °C in air was higher for Colombian coal, due to the greater oxygen diffusion in the higher porosity of the char. Results for two biomass fuels are also presented with similar values for KSt and the literature review shows that both coal and biomass have very variable flame reactivities. There is no general trend that coal is less reactive than biomass, although this could be the case for specific coals and biomass

Host Cell Nucleolin Is Required To Maintain the Architecture of Human Cytomegalovirus Replication Compartments

Drastic reorganization of the nucleus is a hallmark of herpesvirus replication. This reorganization includes the formation of viral replication compartments, the subnuclear structures in which the viral DNA genome is replicated. The architecture of replication compartments is poorly understood. However, recent work with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) showed that the viral DNA polymerase subunit UL44 concentrates and viral DNA synthesis occurs at the periphery of these compartments. Any cellular factors involved in replication compartment architecture are largely unknown. Previously, we found that nucleolin, a major protein component of nucleoli, associates with HCMV UL44 in infected cells and is required for efficient viral DNA synthesis. Here, we show that nucleolin binds to purified UL44. Confocal immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated colocalization of nucleolin with UL44 at the periphery of replication compartments. Pharmacological inhibition of viral DNA synthesis prevented the formation of replication compartments but did not abrogate association of UL44 and nucleolin. Thus, association of UL44 and nucleolin is unlikely to be a nonspecific effect related to development of replication compartments. No detectable colocalization of 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU)-labeled viral DNA with nucleolin was observed, suggesting that nucleolin is not directly involved in viral DNA synthesis. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of nucleolin caused improper localization of UL44 and a defect in EdU incorporation into viral DNA. We propose a model in which nucleolin anchors UL44 at the periphery of replication compartments to maintain their architecture and promote viral DNA synthesis

De l'office du juge saisi d'une demande d'exequatur d'un acte authentique étranger

International audienceCour de cassation (1re Ch. civ.). - 4 octobre 2005, M. I. Tambari c. M. L. Look

Les associations, entre intérêt général et utilité sociale

En instituant la liberté associative, la loi de 1901 inscrit aussi l’action des associations dans l’espace public, où se pose la question de leur légitimité face à la notion d’intérêt général. Longtemps dévolu à l’État et aux institutions publiques, l’intérêt général est devenu moins perceptible. Le sens imprimé à l’action résulte davantage aujourd’hui d’une négociation entre différentes parties, et les repères traditionnels entre public et privé tendent à s’estomper. Comment, dans ce contexte, situer l’utilité sociale des associations ? Vient-elle en remplacement de l’intérêt général, n’en est-elle qu’une subdivision… ? L’auteur souligne l’actualité de ces interrogations, à l’heure où la reconnaissance d’utilité sociale définie par l’État emprunte la voie du marché.By instituting the freedom to form associations, the 1901 law also placed the work of associations within the public sphere, where the issue arises of their legitimacy with respect to the notion of public interest. Public interest, which was regarded as the preserve of government and public institutions for such a long time, has become less apparent. The direction of policy now results more from bargaining among different parties as the traditional distinction between public and private has become blurred. In this context, how is the social utility of associations to be viewed? Is it a replacement of public interest or just a subdivision? The author emphasizes the relevance of these questions at a time when the recognition of social utility defined by government follows market lines