THE IMPACT OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES ON WAGES IN FRANCE: AN EVALUATION OF THE “QUALIFYING CONTRACT” USING PROPENSITY SCORES.

This paper evaluates the impact of a widely-used French training programme for youth on earnings. This programme is designed to increase labour market experience and education, validated by a formal diploma. It is not sure, however, whether this diploma and a similar diploma acquired through initial training have the same effect on post-training wages. To answer this question, we contrast the 2003 net wages of a group of participants enrolled in 1998 (the “treatment” group) to the 2003 net wages of a control group. The controls are individuals who completed their initial training in 1998 with diplomas similar to those obtained by the treated at the end of the programme. Using propensity score matching, we find a significantly positive effect of the treatment on the treated: participants in the programme benefit, five years after participation, from a positive wage premium. This suggests that firms do not simply value education: they value it more if it is coupled with some degree of labour market experience.active labour market policies; training programmes for youth; propensity score matching.

Duhamel, Bruno, Jamais

En janvier 2018, Bruno Duhamel a publié une bande dessinée intitulée Jamais. L’histoire se déroule le long des falaises crayeuses de Seine-Maritime et raconte de façon humoristique et émouvante la menace que fait peser sur le personnage principal (une vieille femme aveugle) le recul rapide de ces falaises fragiles. À l’aide d’un graphisme de qualité, l’auteur utilise divers lieux ou éléments de paysages du littoral cauchois pour n’en faire qu’un, où se concentre l’action. Nous retrouvons prob..

6th-order finite volume approximations for the stokes equations with a curved boundary

A new solver for the Stokes equations based on the finite volume method is proposed using very accurate polynomial reconstruction to provide a 6th-order scheme. We face two main difficulties: the gradient-divergence duality where the divergence free condition will impose the pressure gradient, and on the other hand, we assume that the domain has a regular curved boundary. The last point implies that a simple approximation of the boundary using piecewise segment lines dramatically reduces the scheme accuracy to at most a second-order one. We propose a new and simple technology which enables to restore the full scheme accuracy based on a specific polynomial reconstruction only using the Gauss points of the curved boundary and does not require any geometrical transformation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)This research was financed by FEDER Funds through Programa Operational Fatores de Competitividade — COMPETE and by Portuguese Funds FCT — Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within the Projects PEst-C/MAT/UI0013/2014, PTDC/MAT/121185/2010 and FCT-ANR/MAT-NAN/0122/201

New cell-vertex reconstruction for finite volume scheme : application to the convection-diffusion-reaction equation

The design of efficient, simple, and easy to code, second-order finite volume methods is an important challenge to solve practical problems in physics and in engineering where complex and very accurate techniques are not required. We propose an extension of the original Frink's approach based on a cell-to-vertex interpolation to compute vertex values with neighbor cell values. We also design a specific scheme which enables to use whatever collocation point we want in the cells to overcome the mass centre point restrictive choice. The method is proposed for two- and three-dimension geometries and a second-order extension time-discretization is given for time-dependent equation. A large number of numerical simulations are carried out to highlight the performance of the new method.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Chalk cliff retreat in East Sussex and Kent 1870s to 2001

The retreat of chalk cliffs fringing the eastern English Channel contributes shingle to the beaches which helps to protect the cliffs and slow down erosion. Conversely, cliff retreat endangers settlements and infrastructure on the clifftop. Rates of retreat have been calculated by a variety of methods over the past century, but no attempt has been made to provide a complete coverage that allows for a true comparison of retreat rates over the entire coastline. Using historic maps and recent orthophotos, cliff retreat rates have been calculated for consecutive 50 m sections of chalk cliff along the English side of the entire eastern English Channel for a period of 125 years. The chalk cliffs of East Sussex erode at an average rate of 0.25 - 0.3 m y−1 while those in Kent at a rate of 0.1 m y−1

A New Insight into the Role of Silicate-Type Binders on the Crushing Strength of Alumina Foams

ABSTRACT: Semi-closed cell macroporous alumina foams with relative densities ranging from 0.26 to 0.35 have been produced by the well-established replication method based on the coating of a polyurethane (PU) template foam by a ceramic slurry, followed by burnout of the PU template, and sintering of the ceramic skeleton. Collapse of the three-dimensional structure upon the volatilisation of the PU sponge can only be prevented using appropriate binders. Scarce data are available on the slurry formulations of commercial alumina foams. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of silicate-type binders, namely kaolin and bentonite additives, on the crushing strength of alumina foams. The highest crushing strength of around 10 MPa was observed at a porosity of 66 +/- 2%. The open-cell model is inadequate to fit the crushing strength data of such semi-closed cell type structures. Both microscopic and macroscopic flaws resulting from the foam processing method contribute to the wide scatter of the strength, thereby explaining the Weibull modulus ranging from 4 to 7. Both flaw populations require further improvement to maximise the crushing strength of these foams with high potential for the design of structured catalyst carriers and molten aluminium filters.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Equilibration Scales in Silicic to Intermediate Magmas - Implications for Experimental Studies

International audienceExperimental phase equilibrium studies are increasingly being used for the determination of intensive variables (P, T, fH2O, fO2 ) in silicic to intermediate magmas. In contrast, silicic igneous bodies are now perceived as open, periodically recharged, systems involving only limited chemical equilibration. Thus, the use of laboratory-determined crystal–liquid equilibrium data needs clarification. Here we review the field, petrological and geochemical evidence concerning states and scales of chemical equilibrium in silicic magma bodies. It is concluded that total chemical equilibrium is generally not the rule. However, a subsystem in local equilibrium (the reactive magma) can be identified. Equilibration scales in silicic magmas are rate-limited either by diffusive flux in crystals (DICL regime) or by diffusive flux in the melt (MD regime). The recognition that equilibrium in magmas is limited to a reactive subsystem requires phase equilibrium studies to be chemically scaled. Experiments, either of total or partial equilibrium type, should aim at a close reproduction of equilibrium states specific to natural systems. The laboratory reconstruction of the natural equilibrium states guarantees a precise determination of the pre-eruptive parameters and a reliable application of the experimental data to active volcanic systems

Uniform distribution of three Candida albicans microsatellite markers in two French ICU populations supports a lack of nosocomial cross-contamination

BACKGROUND: The nosocomial acquisition of Candida albicans is a growing concern in intensive care units (ICUs) and understanding the route of contamination is relevant for infection control guidelines. METHODS: To analyze whether there is a specific ecology for any given hospital, we genotyped C. albicans isolates of the ICU of Versailles hospital (Hospital A) and compared the results with those previously obtained in another ICU in Henri Mondor hospital (Hospital B) using three polymorphic microsatellite markers (PMM). RESULTS: Among 36 patients with at least one positive culture for C. albicans, 26 had a specific multilocus genotype, two shared a common multilocus genotype, and 8 had the most common multilocus genotype found in the general population. The time interval between periods of hospitalization between patients with common genotypes differed by 13 to 78 days, thus supporting a lack of direct contamination. To confirm this hypothesis, the multilocus genotypic distributions of the three PMM were compared between the two hospitals. No statistically significant difference was observed. Multiple correspondences analysis did not indicate the association of a multilocus genotypic distribution with any given hospital. CONCLUSION: The present epidemiological study supports the conclusions that each patient harbours his/her own isolate, and that nosocomial transmission is not common in any given ICU. This study also supports the usefulness and practicability of PMM for studying the epidemiology of C. albicans

Successful treatment of Trichosporon asahii fungemia with isavuconazole in a patient with hematologic malignancies

International audienceTrichosporon spp. are yeast-like microorganisms responsible for skin, urinary, pulmonary, or bloodstream infections. Due to intrinsic resistance to echinocandins, poor susceptibility to polyenes, and preferred occurrence in immunocompromised patients, such infections are often of poor prognosis. Yet no consensual therapeutic guidelines are presently available. Several clinical cases of Trichosporon infections have been successfully treated with azole therapy, including voriconazole which appeared frequently effective against Trichosporon both in vitro and in vivo. However, the low efficacy associated with some Trichosporon genotypes, complex pharmacokinetics, and the side effects of voriconazole represent limitations for its use and has prompted a search for other therapeutic options. Here, we report a case of T. asahii fungemia in a patient with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia which was successfully treated with isavuconazole consecutive to stopping voriconazole therapy due to severe side effects. This observation suggests that isavuconazole with a similar spectrum to voriconazole, fewer pharmacology interactions, and side effects may be considered as a valuable therapeutic option against Trichosporon infections

Les submersions de tempête de la nuit du 10 au 11 mars 2008 sur la côte d’Albâtre (Haute-Normandie, France) : détermination météo-marine

 Plus que l’analyse de l’impact morpho-sédimentaire sur les plages de galets haut-normandes de la tempête du 10 au 10 mars 2008, l’objet de cet article est de présenter les caractéristiques météo-marines en cause et leurs interactions éventuelles dans le processus des submersions qui ont affecté la côte d’Albâtre. Quelques éléments d’information qualitative concernant l’ajustement morpho-sédimentaire spécifique des plages de galets anthropisées à ce type de forçage seront fournis. En effet, la tempête du 10 au 11 mars n’a pas fait l’objet de mesures morpho-sédimentaires spécifiques, mais visuellement, correspond en tout point à ce qui a pu être mesuré sur les plages haut-normandes lors de campagnes récentes réalisées avant et après tempête. L’étude se concentre sur le secteur de Dieppe, qui bénéficie d’un marégraphe (implanté dans l’avant-port de Dieppe) et d’un poste de mesures météorologiques situé au sémaphore de la Marine nationale, sous maintenance de Météo-France, et permettant notamment l’analyse de « données minute ». Cette étude révèle que les facteurs d’ordre purement météorologique qui ont abouti aux submersions de la nuit du 10 au 11 mars n’étaient pas de nature extrême, et que c’est la complexité des interactions en cause (conditions météorologiques de surface et d’altitude, morpho-sédimentaires et surtout marégraphiques et houlographiques), qui permet de comprendre l’ampleur de certaines inondations. Un « forçage » météorologique plus violent sur ces interactions, tel que celui observé le 17 décembre 2004, qui eut peu de conséquence en raison d’un faible coefficient de marée (71), pourrait aboutir à des submersions beaucoup plus sévères sur des sites urbanisés dont l’altitude et est parfois égale, voire inférieure à celle des pleines mers de vive eau.More than the analysis of the morpho-sedimentary impact on Haute-Normandie gravel beaches during the storm of March 10th-11st 2008, the aim of this paper is to present meteorological and marine characteristics and their possible interactions in the process of storm surges which affected the « côte d’Albâtre ». Some elements of qualitative information concerning the specific morpho-sedimentary adjustment of these anthropized gravel beaches face to this meteorological forcing will be provided. Indeed, the storm of March 10th-11st 2008 was not subjected to specific morpho-sedimentary measurements but visually fits with the measurements taken on Haute-Normandie beaches during recent surveys executed before and after storm. This study focuses on the Dieppe area, which has a tide gauge (located in the outer port of Dieppe) and a meteorological measurement post, located at the national Navy semaphore, under the servicing of Meteo-France, and allowing analysis of « minute-data ». This study reveals that meteorological factors, ending in storm surges during the night of March 10th-11st, were not of extreme nature, and that it is the complexity of interactions (surface and altitude meteorological conditions, morpho-sedimentary and especially tidal and wave conditions) that allows an understanding of the extent of several floodings. A more violent meteorological « forcing » on these interactions, such as during December 17th 2004, that had few consequences because of low tidal coefficient (71), would end in much more important storm surges