K-duality for stratified pseudomanifolds

This paper is devoted to the study of Poincar\'e duality in K-theory for general stratified pseudomanifolds. We review the axiomatic definition of a smooth stratification \fS of a topological space $X$ and we define a groupoid T^{\fS}X, called the \fS-tangent space. This groupoid is made of different pieces encoding the tangent spaces of the strata, and these pieces are glued into the smooth noncommutative groupoid T^{\fS}X using the familiar procedure introduced by A. Connes for the tangent groupoid of a manifold. The main result is that C^{*}(T^{\fS}X) is Poincar\'e dual to $C(X)$, in other words, the \fS-tangent space plays the role in $K$-theory of a tangent space for $X$

French Engineering Graduates in Corporate R & D : Is it worthwhile ?

At the beginning of the 1990s, Beltramo, Bourdon and Paul presented a report for the French Commissariat au Plan on the prospect for the labour market for scientists, and other papers, which showed earnings differences between engineering graduates performing tasks in R&D or not (the first ones receiving 7% less than the others, other parameters taken into consideration). The objective of this paper is to assess to what extent, 15 years later, these results, which indicated lower earnings for researchers, is still valid. The data used in this study is similar to that in our former work. The data is generated from the survey launched each year (each two years until 2002) by the CNISF (Conseil National des Ingénieurs et des Scientifiques de France) amongst the engineering graduates, whatever their age and experience. Usually, around 40,000 engineers answer the questionnaire. In this paper, we used the data from the survey conducted in 2006 and we consider only engineers working in companies. Those employed by public administrations, universities or public research are not taken into account. Weights have been used to correct for the representation of the different schools and the different ages in the sample. In the first part of the study, earnings of engineers working in R&D will be compared with those of the other engineers. Using regression models, personal attributes will be considered (gender, degree, etc.). Specific attention will be devoted to differences in experience. The levels of responsibility which are implied by different types of activities will then be taken into consideration. In the last part of the paper, the satisfaction of engineers involved in R&D and other activities will be scrutinised.France ; R&D ; Graduates ; Labour market ; Earnings ; Scientists ; Engineers

Increasing stability and interpretability of gene expression signatures

Motivation : Molecular signatures for diagnosis or prognosis estimated from large-scale gene expression data often lack robustness and stability, rendering their biological interpretation challenging. Increasing the signature's interpretability and stability across perturbations of a given dataset and, if possible, across datasets, is urgently needed to ease the discovery of important biological processes and, eventually, new drug targets. Results : We propose a new method to construct signatures with increased stability and easier interpretability. The method uses a gene network as side interpretation and enforces a large connectivity among the genes in the signature, leading to signatures typically made of genes clustered in a few subnetworks. It combines the recently proposed graph Lasso procedure with a stability selection procedure. We evaluate its relevance for the estimation of a prognostic signature in breast cancer, and highlight in particular the increase in interpretability and stability of the signature

Comparison of four methods for quantification of biofilms in biphasic cultures

Three methods for determining the total biofilm amount in biphasic cultures have been compared: dry weight by filtration after solvent treatment, optical density with a biomass probe and protein content. The activity of the biofilm was estimated through mineral nitrogen consumption. Calculation of the coefficients of variation shows that these parameters could be used to characterise such a biofilm. The optical density by biomass probe was the most reliable one (repeatability <0.5%) to quantify total biofilm and a linear relation was verified against dry weight

Effectiveness of alcohol brief intervention in a general hospital: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an alcohol brief intervention (ABI) on alcohol consumption in hazardous or harmful drinkers compared with screening alone within a general hospital setting. Method: Following screening, 124 hazardous or harmful drinkers (103 men, ages 18–80 years, score of 3–12 on the Fast Alcohol Screening Test [FAST]) admitted to medical and orthopedic wards during the 13-month recruitment period were randomized to receive an ABI or control. The intervention group received an ABI where they were supported to set their own personalized alcohol reduction goals, and both groups received a health information leaflet. Retrospective alcohol consumption for 7 days was reported for the week, before hospital admission and 6 months after it. Results: Demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline showed no statistical differences between the two groups on all variables except FAST score, which was higher in the intervention group (p ≤ .05). A reduction of 85 grams of alcohol per week (95% CI [162.46, 7.54]) was observed between groups in favor of the intervention group based on changes from baseline. However, there was no significant difference between groups for absolute grams of alcohol per week at 6 months. A significant mean difference in favor of the intervention group (U = 1,537, p = .043) was observed for weekly heavy drinking episodes. Conclusions: Our results suggest screening with delivery of ABI for harmful/hazardous drinkers in a general hospital is beneficial in reducing alcohol consumption compared with screening alone