75 research outputs found
Incorporating Second-Order Functional Knowledge for Better Option Pricing
Incorporating prior knowledge of a particular task into the architecture of a learning algorithm can greatly improve generalization performance. We study here a case where we know that the function to be learned is non-decreasing in its two arguments and convex in one of them. For this purpose we propose a class of functions similar to multi-layer neural networks but (1) that has those properties, (2) is a universal approximator of continuous functions with these and other properties. We apply this new class of functions to the task of modeling the price of call options. Experiments show improvements on regressing the price of call options using the new types of function classes that incorporate the a priori constraints. Incorporer une connaissance a priori pour une tache particuliĂšre aux algorithmes d'apprentissage peut grandement amĂ©liorer leur performance en gĂ©nĂ©ralisation. Dans cet article, nous Ă©tudions un cas oĂč nous savons que la fonction Ă apprendre est non-dĂ©croissante pour ses deux arguments, et convexe pour l'un d'entre eux. Pour ce cas particulier, nous proposons une classe de fonctions similaires aux rĂ©seaux de neurones multi-couches mais (1) avec les propriĂ©tĂ©s mentionnĂ©es plus haut, et (2) est un approximateur universel de fonctions continues avec ces propriĂ©tĂ©s et avec d'autres. Nous appliquons cette nouvelle classe de fonctions au problĂšme de la modĂ©lisation du prix des options d'achat. Nos expĂ©riences montrent une amĂ©lioration pour la rĂ©gression sur ces prix d'options d'achat lorsque nous utilisons la nouvelle classe de fonctions qui incorporent les contraintes a priori.Prior knowledge, learning algorithm, universal approximator, call options, Connaissance a priori, algorithme d'apprentissage, approximateur universel, options d'achat
L'effet de l'incertitude de la réponse sur la stratégie de décision en situation de choix dichotomique
Corps, identité et féminité chez Nelly Arcan et Marie-Sissi LabrÚche
Dans une société qui assiste à la confusion des territoires du privé et du
public, le culte du corps et la valorisation de normes esthétiques féminines
semblent littĂ©ralement envahir lâespace narratif et magnifier le dualisme entre
lâĂȘtre et le paraĂźtre. Il va sans dire que cette nouvelle façon de penser et de
concevoir le corps, notamment le corps fĂ©minin, a une incidence sur lâĂ©criture des
femmes contemporaines. Intimement lié à la construction identitaire du sujet, le
corps incarne dans les oeuvres littéraires une nouvelle « féminité » dont le présent
mémoire vise à explorer les paramÚtres littéraires, psychanalytiques et
sociologiques.
Câest dans le contexte dâune corporalitĂ© reconfigurĂ©e que lâinscription de la
triade corps/identitĂ©/fĂ©minitĂ© dans les textes littĂ©raires de Nelly Arcan et de Marie-Sissi LabrĂšche sera Ă©tudiĂ©e par lâanalyse dâoeuvres significatives publiĂ©es au dĂ©but de ce troisiĂšme millĂ©naire : Putain et Ă ciel ouvert, dâune part, Borderline et La BrĂšche, dâautre part. Le corps est au coeur de la quĂȘte identitaire des protagonistes prĂ©sentĂ©es dans ces rĂ©cits. Mais ce corps sâĂ©rigeant souvent en obstacle devient le lieu dâune difficile image de soi et contribue Ă renforcer lâagentivitĂ© nĂ©gative, soit cette incapacitĂ© du sujet Ă tracer son avenir de maniĂšre positive, contre laquelle se battent les personnages fĂ©minins tout au long de la narration. Câest Ă ce propos que la position ambivalente des deux auteures est reprĂ©sentative des questions de filiation qui marquent la littĂ©rature contemporaine.In a society in which boundaries between the private and the public are confused, body worship and the prizing of womenâs beauty standards seem to pervade fiction and magnify the dualism between being and appearing. The new way of thinking about and conceiving the body, the female body in particular, has certainly had an effect on contemporary womenâs writing. Inasmuch as the body is entwined with the formation of the protagonistâs identity, it embodies a new
femininity in literary works, of which this masterâs thesis strives to explore the
literary, psychoanalytical and sociological parameters.
In the context of a remapped corporality, this thesis studies the body, identity
and femininity in four contemporary novels: Putain and Ă ciel ouvert by Nelly
Arcan, and Borderline and La BrĂšche by Marie-Sissi LabrĂšche. Although the body is
at the heart of the protagonistsâ search for identity, it also often constitutes a hurdle
for them, resulting in a bad self-image and reinforcing the protagonistsâ negative
agency against which all the female characters are struggling. The authorsâ
ambivalent positions on this matter are representative of the filiation issues
characterizing contemporary fiction
Palimpsestes de la femme nouvelle dans le récit moderniste au féminin : 1900-1940
Lâobjet de cette recherche sâarticule autour de la construction dâun imaginaire « moderniste » du fĂ©minin chez huit femmes auteurs nĂ©es durant le dernier tiers du XIXe siĂšcle et appartenant, selon lâhistoire littĂ©raire, Ă divers courants ou mouvements : Rachilde (1860-1953), Marcelle Tinayre (1870-1948), Colette (1873-1954), Lucie Delarue-Mardrus (1874-1945), Valentine de Saint-Point (1875-1953), Natalie Barney (1876-1972), RenĂ©e Vivien (1877-1909) et Claude Cahun (1894-1954). Les textes du corpus ont Ă©tĂ© publiĂ©s en France durant une pĂ©riode qui voit lâessor dâun nombre croissant dâĂ©crivaines, soit les annĂ©es 1900 Ă 1940. Chacune dâelles ayant une trajectoire singuliĂšre, nous avons souhaitĂ© inclure au corpus des auteures trĂšs connues aujourdâhui, dâautres qui, depuis quelques annĂ©es, connaissent un regain dâintĂ©rĂȘt et dâautres encore qui demeurent trĂšs largement inconnues aujourdâhui.
VĂ©ritables « peintres de la vie moderne » des premiĂšres dĂ©cennies du XXe siĂšcle, observatrices dâun milieu littĂ©raire et artistique en pleine effervescence, ces auteures ont dĂ©veloppĂ© lâimage kalĂ©idoscopique dâune fĂ©minitĂ© reconfigurĂ©e selon le paramĂštre du « nouveau », dont nous explorons ici les manifestations textuelles. Les Ćuvres retenues rĂ©investissent les grands mythes de la fĂ©minitĂ© pour proposer une nouvelle mythique du fĂ©minin. Face Ă la mise en Ćuvre de figures de femme en rupture avec les modĂšles sĂ©culaires, un certain nombre de questions se posent : quelles sont les principales caractĂ©ristiques des reprĂ©sentations de ce fĂ©minin nouveau genre proposĂ©es dans les Ćuvres ? OĂč se situent concrĂštement leurs points de convergence et de divergence ? Ă travers quelles pratiques scripturaires les auteures transforment-elles lâancien imaginaire en faveur dâun imaginaire fĂ©minin moderniste ? En somme, cette thĂšse de doctorat, basĂ©e sur un corpus dâĆuvres publiĂ©es durant la premiĂšre moitiĂ© du XXe siĂšcle en France, sâapplique Ă mettre en lumiĂšre lâapport des auteures Ă lâĂ©tude au champ littĂ©raire et culturel dâune Ă©poque propice aux expĂ©rimentations en tous genres, dâune part, et Ă faire mieux connaĂźtre un pan de lâĂ©criture des femmes que lâon avait jusquâĂ prĂ©sent tendance Ă classer en tant quâanomalie culturelle, dâautre part.This research is based on the construction of a modernist imagery of womanhood in the work of eight women writers born in the last third of the 19th century who have been associated with different literary trends or movements: Rachilde (1860-1953), Marcelle Tinayre (1870-1948), Colette (1873-1954), Lucie Delarue-Mardrus (1874-1945), Valentine de Saint-Point (1875-1953), Natalie Barney (1876-1972), RenĂ©e Vivien (1877-1909) and Claude Cahun (1894-1954). The texts in the corpus were published in France between 1900 and 1940, a period that saw a growing number of women authors. Since each of these authors followed her own distinct path, the corpus includes authors who are well known today, others who have enjoyed growing interest in recent years, and others who are still unknown today.
Veritable âpainters of modern lifeâ during the first decades of the 20th century, observers of a stimulating artistic and literary environment, these authors developed a kaleidoscopic image of a remodelled femininity based on the criteria of ânewnessâ, which will be examined through textual parameters. The literary works revisit the old myths of femininity in order to put forward a new mythology of womanhood. In the context of women figures defying secular models, a few questions arise: What are the main features of the representations of this new kind of femininity in the narratives? How do their points of convergence and divergence manifest themselves? What writing techniques do the authors use to transform traditional imagery into a new modernist imagery of the feminine? In short, this Ph. D. thesis, based on a corpus of literary works published during the first half of the 20th century in France, seeks to highlight the contribution of these women writers to the literary and cultural field of a period open to experimentation, on the one hand, and to reveal a chapter in womenâs writing that has been traditionally classified as a cultural anomaly, on the other hand
Analyse d'un programme d'intervention sensori-motrice sur le développement global et moteur d'élÚves ayant un trouble du spectre de l'autisme
Les dĂ©ficiences motrices et sensorielles font partie des particularitĂ©s liĂ©es au trouble du spectre de lâautisme (TSA) et elles ont un impact considĂ©rable sur lâacquisition dâhabiletĂ©s nĂ©cessaires Ă la rĂ©alisation de tĂąches de la vie quotidienne chez les jeunes dâĂąge scolaire. Le premier objectif de lâĂ©tude consistait Ă identifier les conditions dâimplantation de mĂȘme que les facteurs facilitant et les obstacles dâun programme dâintervention sensori-motrice destinĂ© aux Ă©lĂšves prĂ©sentant un TSA. Le second objectif visait Ă mesurer les impacts du programme sur leur dĂ©veloppement global et moteur. Le programme a Ă©tĂ© implantĂ© sur une base quotidienne dans une Ă©cole spĂ©cialisĂ©e, pendant 12 semaines, auprĂšs de 11 Ă©lĂšves (entre 5 et 13 ans) prĂ©sentant un TSA. Une mĂ©thodologie mixte combinant des outils dâĂ©valuation qualitative et quantitative a Ă©tĂ© prĂ©conisĂ©e pour la cueillette des donnĂ©es. Les rĂ©sultats qualitatifs rĂ©vĂšlent que le programme dâintervention est une approche intĂ©ressante qui a permis aux intervenants de varier leurs mĂ©thodes dâintervention du point de vue de la motricitĂ©. Les rĂ©sultats quantitatifs ont quant Ă eux dĂ©montrĂ© une amĂ©lioration significative des habiletĂ©s de ContrĂŽle dâobjets
Effects of Muscle Fatigue, Creep, and Musculoskeletal Pain on Neuromuscular Responses to Unexpected Perturbation of the Trunk: A Systematic Review
Introduction: Trunk neuromuscular responses have been shown to adapt under the influence of muscle fatigue, as well as spinal tissue creep or even with the presence of low back pain (LBP). Despite a large number of studies exploring how these external perturbations affect the spinal stability, characteristics of such adaptations remains unclear.
Aim: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the quality of evidence of studies investigating trunk neuromuscular responses to unexpected trunk perturbation. More specifically, the targeted neuromuscular responses were trunk muscle activity reflex and trunk kinematics under the influence of muscle fatigue, spinal creep, and musculoskeletal pain.
Methods: A research of the literature was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, and Sport-Discus databases using terms related to trunk neuromuscular reflex responses, measured by electromyography (baseline activity, reflex latency, and reflex amplitude) and/or trunk kinematic, in context of unexpected external perturbation. Moreover, independent variables must be either trunk muscle fatigue or spinal tissue creep or LBP. All included articles were scored for their electromyography methodology based on the âSurface Electromyography for the Non-Invasive Assessment of Muscles (SENIAM)â and the âInternational Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK)â recommendations whereas overall quality of articles was scored using a specific quality checklist modified from the Quality Index. Meta-analysis was performed on reflex latency variable.
Results: A final set of 29 articles underwent quality assessments. The mean quality score was 79%. No effect of muscle fatigue on erector spinae reflex latency following an unexpected perturbation, nor any other distinctive effects was found for back muscle fatigue and reflex parameters. As for spinal tissue creep effects, no alteration was found for any of the trunk reflex variables. Finally, the meta-analysis revealed an increased erector spinae reflex latency in patients with chronic LBP in comparison with healthy controls following an unexpected trunk perturbation.
Conclusion: The literature provides some evidence with regard to trunk adaptions in a context of spinal instability. However, most of the evidence was inconclusive due to a high methodological heterogeneity between the studies
Transition scolaire des enfants ayant des besoins particuliers/enfants handicapés : regards croisés entre intervenants des milieux de garde et scolaires
Supporting children with special needs or disabilities during the transition from childcare to preschool is essential to ensure that this first school transition is a positive one. This study is part of a large Quebec survey on inclusive practices in childcare settings and aims to reveal a portrait of the practices implemented to support these childrenâs transition, by considering the views of childcare and school stakeholders. The data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results indicate that some practices considered effective are being implemented, but some would benefit from further use. Also, despite a high level of satisfaction among school stakeholders with the relevance of the information received from childcare settings, challenges related to information sharing remain.Soutenir les enfants ayant des besoins particuliers/enfants handicapĂ©s au cours de la transition du milieu de garde vers le milieu scolaire est essentiel afin que cette premiĂšre transition scolaire soit vĂ©cue de maniĂšre positive. La prĂ©sente Ă©tude sâinscrit dans une vaste enquĂȘte quĂ©bĂ©coise sur les pratiques inclusives en milieux de garde et vise Ă brosser un portrait des pratiques mises en Ćuvre pour soutenir la transition de ces enfants, en considĂ©rant les points de vue des intervenants des milieux de garde et scolaires. Les donnĂ©es ont Ă©tĂ© recueillies avec un questionnaire en ligne et analysĂ©es de maniĂšre quantitative et qualitative. Les rĂ©sultats indiquent que des pratiques considĂ©rĂ©es efficaces sont mises en Ćuvre, mais que certaines mĂ©riteraient dâĂȘtre utilisĂ©es davantage. Aussi, malgrĂ© un niveau de satisfaction Ă©levĂ© des intervenants scolaires par rapport Ă la pertinence des renseignements reçus des milieux de garde, des dĂ©fis en lien avec le partage dâinformations demeurent
La transition vers la maternelle des enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de lâautisme : une revue narrative = Transition to kindergarten of children with autism spectrum disorder: a narrative literature review
Il est reconnu que la transition vers le milieu scolaire est une Ă©tape cruciale et complexe pour tous les enfants et leurs familles, et particuliĂšrement pour les enfants ayant des besoins particuliers. La prĂ©sente revue narrative vise Ă identifier comment la transition vers la maternelle dâenfants ayant un trouble du spectre de lâautisme (TSA) a Ă©tĂ© abordĂ©e dans la littĂ©rature scientifique en sâappuyant sur les rĂ©sultats de 13 Ă©tudes datĂ©es de 2004 Ă 2019. Cette synthĂšse a permis de mettre en lumiĂšre les principaux indicateurs utilisĂ©s pour Ă©valuer la qualitĂ© et la rĂ©ussite de cette transition. De plus, des dĂ©fis ont Ă©tĂ© identifiĂ©s, notamment en lien avec la communication/collaboration impliquant les intervenants et les parents ainsi que le processus dâindividualisation de la transition.
It is recognized that the transition to school is a crucial and complex step for all children and their families, and particularly for children with special needs. The purpose of this narrative literature review is to identify how the transition to kindergarten for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been addressed in the scientific literature, based on the results of 13 studies from 2004 to 2019. This synthesis highlights the main indicators used to assess the quality and success of this transition. In addition, challenges are identified, particularly in relation to communication/collaboration involving practitioners and parents as well as the process of individualizing the transition
Clinical validation of a software for quantitative follow-up of abdominal aortic aneurysm maximal diameter and growth by CT angiography
Purpose
To compare the reproducibility and accuracy of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) maximal diameter (D-max) measurements using segmentation software, with manual measurement on double-oblique MPR as a reference standard.
Materials and methods
The local Ethics Committee approved this study and waived informed consent. Forty patients (33 men, 7 women; mean age, 72 years, range, 49â86 years) had previously undergone two CT angiography (CTA) studies within 16 ± 8 months for follow-up of AAA â„35 mm without previous treatment. The 80 studies were segmented twice using the software to calculate reproducibility of automatic D-max calculation on 3D models. Three radiologists reviewed the 80 studies and manually measured D-max on double-oblique MPR projections. Intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility were calculated by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Systematic errors were evaluated by linear regression and BlandâAltman analyses. Differences in D-max growth were analyzed with a paired Student's t-test.
Results
The ICC for intra-observer reproducibility of D-max measurement was 0.992 (â„0.987) for the software and 0.985 (â„0.974) and 0.969 (â„0.948) for two radiologists. Inter-observer reproducibility was 0.979 (0.954â0.984) for the three radiologists. Mean absolute difference between semi-automated and manual D-max measurements was estimated at 1.1 ± 0.9 mm and never exceeded 5 mm.
Conclusion
Semi-automated software measurement of AAA D-max is reproducible, accurate, and requires minimal operator intervention
Profils bathymétriques et magnétiques entre l'ßle des Pins et le grand récif sud de la Nouvelle Calédonie
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